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.
The song used during the [Chevy Sonic Super Bowl ad] stood out — music has always been a cultural touch point with Millennials — so I was soon looking up the band and checking out the video. It’s a beautiful slow-motion club scene … that is shamelessly interrupted by a Windows phone that tries to steal the spotlight from the band with a screen shots of the device that fill the frame. It’s an obvious product placement for a less-than-hip brand trying to get in with the band and win over Millennials. In short, it’s forced and doesn’t show any understanding of the audience.
Campaign Outsider 