Having flip-flopped on his renunciation of corporate-backed Super PACs and the big money they bring to elections, now the Obama campaign appears to be engaged in a little bait-and-switch as well.

From Politico Playbook:

GAME CHANGE — Blog post by campaign manager Jim Messina, “We Will Not Play by Two Sets of Rules”: “[W]e can’t allow for two sets of rules in this election whereby the Republican nominee is the beneficiary of unlimited spending and Democrats unilaterally disarm. Therefore, the campaign has decided to do what we can, consistent with the law, to support Priorities USA in its effort to counter the weight of the GOP Super PAC. We will do so only in the knowledge and with the expectation that all of its donations will be fully disclosed as required by law …

Except they aren’t required by law.

That’s because Priorities USA is not a Super PAC – it’s a 501(c)4. Factcheck.org provides the distinction:

Priorities USA and its sister organization, Priorities USA Action, were formed in April by ex-White House staffers Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney as a Democratic counterto American Crossroads/Crossroads GPS. Burton was President Obama’s deputy press secretary and Sweeney was a senior adviser to Obama’s first chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel.

Priorities USA Action is a so-called “super PAC” registered with the Federal Election Commission. It can raise unlimited amounts of money but must disclose the source of its donations . . .

Priorities USA is a 501(c)(4) organization registered with the IRS. It can raise unlimited amounts of money and does not have to disclose its donors.

Not doubt the Obamanauts would say “Priorities USA” is just shorthand for Priorities USA Action, but it’s can’t be shorthand when there are two distinct groups. And the hardworking staff is guessing it’s not a slip-up.

CNN  slips up. The Obama campaign, not so much.