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July 19, 201

Thanks A BundleWith Deflated Support From His 2008 Base, Obama Has To Turn

To Bundlers To Raise Cash, But What Will They Get In Return? ______________________________________________________________________

MANY OF OBAMA’S 2008 SUPPORTERS HAVE FAILED TO SAY THEY’RE “IN” THIS TIME AROUND

Less Than 10 Percent Of Obama’s 2008 Donors Have “Re-upped.” “Interestingly, it also tells ussomething else--of the approximately 3 million individual donors who gave to Obama for his 2008 run, sofar less than 10 percent have re-upped.” (Micha L Sifry, “Some More About The Grassrootiness Of Obama's Second Quarter Fundraising

Numbers” Tech President Blog, 7/13/11)

Some Of Obama’s 2008 Bundlers Have Declined To Help Him In 2012 As Enthusiasm For Obama HasWaned. “Other veteran bundlers from the last cycle have yet to commit to fundraising again, suggesting theenthusiasm for Obama that propelled their leadership in 2008 has waned ahead of 2012.” (Devin Dwyer, “Obama

Bundlers Raise Big Cash for 2012 Campaign,” ABC News’ “Political Punch,” 7/15/11) 

“Only About One In Five Of The Supporters Who Bundled Checks For Mr. Obama Last Time Appear On The List Disclosed By His Campaign Friday.” (Nicholas Confessore, “New Stable Of Wealthy Donors Fuele

Obama Campaign’s Record Fund-Raising Quarter,” The New York Times , 7/16/11) One 2008 Bundler Refuses To Get Involved In 2012 Because Obama Has “Been Too Gutless.” “have made it clear I don’t want to get involved,’ said Jon Merksamer, 58, a California small businessowner who helped raise close to $500,000 for Obama in 2008. ‘I don’t think he’s been too liberal, ortoo conservative. I think he’s been too gutless,’ he said. ‘It is a common reaction to become evenangrier with people who you’d had hope for that turned out to be such a major disappointment.’”(Devin Dwyer, “Obama Bundlers Raise Big Cash for 2012 Campaign,”  ABC News’ “Political Punch,” 7/15/11)

 A MAJORITY OF OBAMA’S FUNDRAISING HAUL CAME FROM A SMALL GROUP OF“ELITE” FUNDRAISERS

“But Mr. Obama’s Election Filings Suggest That The President’s Grassroots Machinery Is BeingFinanced By A Relatively Small Group Of Big-Ticket Donors.” (Nicholas Confessore, “New Stable Of Wealthy Donors Fueled

Obama Campaign’s Record Fund-Raising Quarter,” The New York Times , 7/16/11) 

“At Least Half” Of Obama’s Fundraising Came From “Well-Connected Donors.” “At least half of the$72.5 million Mr. Obama raised both for his campaign and a special account with the Democratic NationalCommittee came from well-connected donors who reeled in more than $50,000 each for his campaign fromfriends, family and other associates.” (Patrick O’Connor And Brody Mullins, “Reports Detail Campaign Fund-Raising, Spending,” The Wall Stree

 Journal  , 7/16/11)

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244 Bundlers Accounted For 40 Percent Of Obama’s Haul. “In all, 244 people were listed on the websiteas soliciting – or bundling - donations totaling at least $50,000 from their networks of friends andprofessional acquaintances.” (Glenn Thrush & Kenneth P Vogel, “Of Obama’s $86 Million, 40% From Bundlers,” Politico , 7/15/11) 

“In Fact, If The Maximum Amounts Raised By These 200-Plus Elite Moneymen And Women ArUsed, The Total Could Be As High As $60 Million. That's 70 Percent Of The Total AnnouncedHaul. ” (Michael Beckel, “Elite Fund-Raisers Help Presidential Candidates Rake In Millions,” Center For Responsive Politics, “Open Secrets Blog,”

7/15/11)

Obama “Devoted His Attention” To The Powerful Donors During His Fundraising Events. “Obamadevoted his attention to powerful donors over the last quarter, packing in three or four DNC fundraisingevents during trips to cities like Los Angeles and New York. Many of his highest-producing bundlers hailfrom both of those regions.” (Rebecca Kaplan, “Bundlers Raise At Least $35 Million For Obama In Q2,” National Journal  , 7/16/11)

 And “Spent Lavishly To Entertain Rich Donors.” “But Obama has also spent lavishly to entertainrich donors at $35,800-a-plate fundraisers in conjunction with the Democratic National Committee,including $117,000 at the Broadway Theatre and $185,000 at the Waldorf Astoria hotel, both in NewYork. His campaign paid Sony Pictures $102,000 for catering and site rental after holding two eventthere in April.” (Dan Eggen And T.W. Farnam, “2012 Presidential Race: Expense Reports Give Peek At Candidates’ Priorities, Styles,” The

Washington Post  , 7/17/11)

SOME “RICH AND POWERFUL” DONORS HAVE “SUBSTANTIAL INTERESTS” WITH THEFEDERAL GOVERNMENT

The Sunlight Foundation Said Obama’s Bundler List Is “A Veritable Rolodex Of The Rich AndPowerful Across The Country.” “The Sunlight Foundation, which tracks campaign contributions, called MObama’s bundler list ‘a veritable Rolodex of the rich and powerful across the country — among them you’llnotice a C.E.O., editor, former politician and even a former lobbyist.’” (Michael D. Shear, “Obama’s Haul: Big Money From Big

Donors,” The New York Times , 7/15/11)

Obama’s “Bundlers Include Business Executives Whose Companies Have Substantial Interests BeforThe Federal Government.” “But the president’s bundlers include business executives whose companieshave substantial interests before the federal government.” (Nicholas Confessore, “New Stable Of Wealthy Donors Fueled Obama

Campaign’s Record Fund-Raising Quarter,” The New York Times , 7/16/11) 

Including The Chairman Of Salesforce.com And The Owner Of MWW Group, A Lobbying FirmIn DC. “Marc Benioff, who raised more than $500,000, is also chairman of Salesforce.com, a companywhose software the Obama administration has adopted for wide use in federal agencies. Anotherbundler, Michael Kempner, is president of the MWW Group, a national public affairs company that has a lobbying practice in Washington.” (Nicholas Confessore, “New Stable Of Wealthy Donors Fueled Obama Campaign’s Record

Fund-Raising Quarter,” The New York Times , 7/16/11) 

While Some Of Obama’s 2008 Bundlers’ Companies Have Profited, Or Are Poised To Profit,From The Obama Agenda. “Some Obama bundlers have ties to companies that stand to gainfinancially from the president’s policy agenda, particularly in clean energy and telecommunications,

and some already have done so. Level 3 Communications, for instance, snared $13.8 million instimulus money. At least 18 other bundlers have ties to businesses poised to profit from governmenspending to promote clean energy, telecommunications and other key administration priorities.” (Fre

Schulte, John Aloysius Farrell, And Jeremy Borden, “Obama Rewards Big Bundlers With Jobs, Commissions, Stimulus Money, Government Contracts, AMore,” IWatch, 6/15/11) 

 AND MANY OF THE CAMPAIGN’S ELITE DONORS ENJOY SPECIAL ACCESS TO OBAMA

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Obama Claimed In A Fundraising Email That He Is Not Dining With “Washington Lobbyists AndSpecial Interests.” “Most campaigns fill their dinner guest lists primarily with Washington lobbyists andspecial interests. We didn't get here doing that, and we're not going to start now. We're running a differentkind of campaign.” (President Barack Obama, Campaign Email To Supporters, 6/15/11) 

But Obama’s Bundlers Offer “Donors Special Access To Obama, Including The Chance To Ask The President Direct Questions In A Closed-Door Atmosphere.” “Several of the key bundlers,including Benioff, held events at their homes in which Obama came. These events usually gavedonors special access to Obama, including the chance to ask the president direct questions in a

closed-door atmosphere.” (Dan Eggen And TW Farnam, “Obama Fundraising Report Signals Juggernaut Campaign,”  The Washington Post 7/15/11)

Just Before Announcing For Reelection, Obama Brought Two Dozen Wall Street Executives And LongTime Donors To The White House. “A few weeks before announcing his re-election campaign, President Obama convened two dozen Wall Street executives, many of them longtime donors, in the White House’sBlue Room.” (Nicholas Confessore, “Obama Seeks To Win Back Wall St. Cash,” The New York Times , 6/12/11)

Obama “Opened The Floor” For The Donors To Talk To Him “On Hot Issues.” “The guests wereasked for their thoughts on how to speed the economic recovery, then the president opened the floofor over an hour on hot issues like hedge fund regulation and the deficit.” (Nicholas Confessore, “Obama Seeks To

Win Back Wall St. Cash,” The New York Times , 6/12/11)

17 Of The 30 Attendees Are Bundlers For 2012, “Accounting For A Minimum Of $3.95 MillionOf The $86 Million He Raised.” “In March, for example, Mr. Obama hosted about 30 supporters,many with ties to Wall Street, at an informal discussion in the Blue Room of the White House about financial regulation and the economy. No money was raised at the event, which was similar toreceptions and events held by past presidents. But 17 of those guests appeared on Friday’s list of bundlers for Mr. Obama’s re-election campaign, accounting for a minimum of $3.95 million of the $8million he raised.” (Nicholas Confessore, “New Stable Of Wealthy Donors Fueled Obama Campaign’s Record Fund-Raising Quarter,” The New 

York Times , 7/16/11)