President Obama kicks off his 2012 fundraising in Chicago

[alp227]

Source: The Washington Post

CHICAGO — President Obama hit the campaign trail for the first time as a 2012 presidential candidate Thursday, blasting Republicans as looking to create “a nation of potholes” and reeling off a series of actions that he argued have improved the country under his leadership.

The president officially launched his campaign with an e-mail to supporters last week and a video in which Obama himself did not appear. Instead, he chose to start his reelection bid by returning to his adoptive home town for a series of fundraisers.

He wooed big-money backers at two small dinners Thursday before addressing more than 1,000 mostly young supporters along Lake Michigan. The late-evening gathering carried echoes of the energetic rallies of Obama’s 2008 run, particularly when the president concluded his speech and the crowd began to chant, “Yes We Can,” his campaign slogan from 2008.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama_kicks_off_his_2012_fundraising_in_chicago/2011/04/14/AFFeiAgD_story.html

[OKDem08]

1. the thrill is gone...

[SkyDaddy7]

2. For you...Not for me & the people I know who supported him in 2008!

Obama 2012!

[OKDem08]

7. campaign promises dishonored....open your eyes

[No Elephants]

3. Kicks off? I never stopped getting emails asking for money until I "unsubscribed." Snail mail

requests have never stopped. Same for the DNC and the state Party, none of whom will ever see another penny from me. Neither will any organization that donates to them, that I know of.

Individual candidates anywhere in the country in whom I believe who seem to be in a close primary or election race, yes. Anyone else, no.

[JJW]

4. Fooled me once,

shame on you. I won't get fooled again by political rhetoric.

[Javaman]

5. Even though many of us are keeping our wallets closed...

I bet he will still have a record breaking amount of donations.

Thank you citizens united.

:sarcasm:

It works both ways folks. He takes corporate money just as much as the repukes.

[No Elephants]

6. The Citizens United decision had plenty of help from the FEC.

I watched Colbert last night. He did a very good job of explaining "Super PACs" and how they came to be.




"FEC Rulings Open Door For 'Super' PACs
Liberal And Conservative Committees Get The Green Light For Unlimited Donations
Monday, August 2, 2010

In the wake of court rulings that roll back limits on independent campaign expenditures, the Federal Election Commission has issued two advisory opinions that spell out just how easy it will now be for political players to raise big money directly from corporations and unions.

Responding to questions from the anti-tax Club for Growth and a new Democrat-friendly political group dubbed Commonsense Ten, the FEC opinions spell out that corporations and labor unions may now make unlimited donations to independent expenditure committees --that is, groups that weigh in on elections without coordinating with or donating directly to candidates.

The FEC opinions follow on the Supreme Court's January ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission to overturn the ban on direct corporate and union independent campaign expenditures. They also reflect a recent lower court ruling in SpeechNow.org v. FEC that found political committees making independent campaign expenditures may use corporate and union money to expressly attack or support candidates.


Unlike 527 groups, which report their activities to the IRS, "super" PACs will report to the FEC.
"I expect you'll see an uptick in these kinds of groups," said Marc Elias, a partner at Perkins Coie and an attorney for Commonsense Ten. Indeed, the FEC advisory opinions appear to set the stage for a new generation of "super" political action committees that raise unlimited, previously-outlawed corporate and union money, while comprehensively reporting all receipts and expenditures. These groups must follow the same disclosure rules as fully-regulated PACs, but may not donate money to candidates."

Much more:
http://www.nationaljournal.com/columns/rules-of-the-game/fec-rulings-open-door-for-super-pacs-20100802

Ironic, eh? I guess SOTU gets a lot more publicity and buzz than relatively quiet FEC proceedings.