Obama gives in on PACs, Fundraises for a Super-PAC - Polidicks

[release] [IMG]http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2012/images/01/26/t1larg.jan26.obama.jpg[/IMG] [B]Washington (CNN) – [/B]According to several participants on a conference call with major bundlers late Monday night, Barack Obama’s re-election campaign encouraged donors to fundraise for a Democratic super PAC supporting the president, marking an about-face on Obama’s position toward outside spending groups. Obama has been an outspoken critic of current campaign financing laws, in particular a Supreme Court ruling that allowed the creation of super PACs. Until now he has kept his distance from the group, Priorities USA Action. But in the wake of the group's anemic fundraising, made public last week, the campaign changed its position. Earlier Monday, it announced to members of its national finance committee that it will use administration and campaign officials as surrogates at PAC events. On the call, a campaign official made clear that after donors contribute the maximum amount allowed to the Obama campaign, fundraisers should encourage donors to give to Priorities USA, according to a source who was on the call. "Bundlers" are fundraisers who solicit campaign contributions from their personal and business networks. The total raised is considered bundled through the individual. Campaign officials gave guidance on practices and policies, stressing the importance that super PACs are legally prohibited from coordinating with campaigns. Another bundler questioned the effectiveness of the new approach, explaining every large donor of means had already been approached for a donation by Priorities USA. This fundraiser said the campaign formally pulled back the curtain last night but most high-profile contributors had already been pressed in person to donate to the super PAC. The source also said Priorities USA held its own cocktail party for heavy hitters at a national finance committee meeting six months ago. "This decision was not made overnight," one campaign official said. "The money raised and spent by Republican super PACs is very telling. We will not unilaterally disarm." Additional concern about Republican spending versus Democratic super PAC spending was expressed on the campaign call Monday night, underlining the group's need to turn up the pressure and meet its fundraising goals, a source said. Through the third party groups, Democrats and Republicans can run negative ads without the candidates they support signing off at the end of the commercials, as they’re required to do in ads paid for by the campaigns. Super PACs can put distance between the president and attacks on his Republican opponent. On Monday, senior administration officials reaffirmed that they believe the race will be close. Parallels to the president’s change of heart on campaign finance were also seen in the last election cycle. In the 2008 race, he initially embraced public financing but became the first candidate to reject it. Obama then went on to make history raising $750 million for his campaign.[/release]

Sorry but I read this and I'm still confused...what is a PAC/super PAC?

[QUOTE=Bassplaya7;34589037]Sorry but I read this and I'm still confused...what is a PAC/super PAC?[/QUOTE] Political Action Committee

[QUOTE=FalconKrunch;34589067]Political Action Committee[/QUOTE] And Super PACs are a bunch of smaller PACs working together.

It's corporations gathering cash for the participants who promise them free regin over people's souls for four years.

[QUOTE=Bassplaya7;34589037]Sorry but I read this and I'm still confused...what is a PAC/super PAC?[/QUOTE] There's a lot of regulation for politicians raising money for campaigns. So instead, they create a Political Action Committee free from such regulations to aid their campaign with unlimited, unregulated money. The only thing is, politicians aren't suppose to directly take charge of a PAC so it's usually given to another to run in their name.

Ironic

[QUOTE=Madman_Andre;34589126]And Super PACs are a bunch of smaller PACs working together.[/QUOTE] Thanks, but what a terribly written article to not once define the acronym the entire piece is about.

[QUOTE=Bassplaya7;34589762]Thanks, but what a terribly written article to not once define the acronym the entire piece is about.[/QUOTE] It's rare to find an American who doesn't know what a PAC is.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;34589777]It's rare to find an American who doesn't know what a PAC is.[/QUOTE] I don't know about that.

everytime i see PAC i think about PMC's, or the PAC from BF2142

AP did a video on Super-PACs last month. [video=youtube;1oY9u70Mqpw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oY9u70Mqpw[/video]

Comedy central was doing things for weeks on how dumb they were.

[QUOTE=Nikota;34590101]Comedy central was doing things for weeks on how dumb they were.[/QUOTE] Colbert had Steward run his, and Colbert kept lampooning it, continually reminding us the Colbert Super PAC "has nothing to do with him" and even had it renamed to "The Colbert Super PAC that is so not run by Steven Colbert" :v: This is parodying the fact that we all know politicians influence their PACs, just secretly/illegally.

[QUOTE=Nikota;34590101]Comedy central was doing things for weeks on how dumb they were.[/QUOTE] Stephen Colbert made a huge joke out of them; [url]http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/379369/march-30-2011/colbert-pac---trevor-potter[/url] [url]http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/382014/april-14-2011/colbert-super-pac---trevor-potter[/url] [url]http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/398531/september-29-2011/colbert-super-pac---trevor-potter---stephen-s-shell-corporation[/url]

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;34589777]It's rare to find an American who doesn't know what a PAC is.[/QUOTE] Guess I'm ignorant for not knowing an acronym.

[QUOTE=Bassplaya7;34591113]Guess I'm ignorant for not knowing an acronym.[/QUOTE] Rare doesn't mean impossible :v: Just because YOU, one single person, didn't know does not automatically refute my claim.

[QUOTE=Atlascore;34591154]Hello, I'm another American that doesn't know what a PAC is.[/QUOTE] Well now you do, making your claim void :v:

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;34591123]Rare doesn't mean impossible :v: Just because YOU, one single person, didn't know does not automatically refute my claim.[/QUOTE] I get that. But an article entirely about the subject of PACs should at [B]some[/B] point explain the acronym. I mostly just feel dumb since I'm a politics/business major...

um wasn't obama claiming to be against PACs and allowing corporate influence control elections?

More American teens need to take AP Gov in high school. It's also known as Political Science.

[QUOTE=Kopimi;34591273]um wasn't obama claiming to be against PACs and allowing corporate influence control elections?[/QUOTE] If you can't beat 'em...

Sucks to see him cave, but otherwise he'll just get steamrolled by Koch & Co.

[QUOTE=The Baconator;34591312]More American teens need to take AP Gov in high school. It's also known as Political Science.[/QUOTE] I thought it was a requirement.

[QUOTE=Melkor;34591895]I thought it was a requirement.[/QUOTE] Only requirements (that I remember) are Math, Science, History, and Phys Ed.

[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;34592086]Only requirements (that I remember) are Math, Science, History, and Phys Ed.[/QUOTE] Then there's also Civics and English.

[QUOTE=Hidole555;34592546]Then there's also Civics and English.[/QUOTE] English maybe, I can't remember for certain if that was required or not. Civics (Or Political Science, Government, etc) wasn't required though.

I think a PAC is a some kind of weapon maybe we should be worried, I wouldn't want to have a bunch of terrorists running around with Super PACs

[QUOTE=Kopimi;34591273]um wasn't obama claiming to be against PACs and allowing corporate influence control elections?[/QUOTE] Quite obviously a hypocritical move.

[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;34592765]English maybe, I can't remember for certain if that was required or not. Civics (Or Political Science, Government, etc) wasn't required though.[/QUOTE] It was when I went to highschool. Probably differs by state.