Last month, I posted a report on President Obama's trip to Southern California to make the rounds of fund-raisers.
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2012/02/obama-comes-to-southland.html
Subsequently, I posted an e-mail I got from Rufus Gifford of the White House asking me to contribute money-even 3 bucks- to their "grassroots" re-election campaign.
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2012/02/they-are-watching-me.html
"It's also the reason no other candidate has been able to match our level of grassroots support. This isn't the easiest way to run a campaign -- but we know it's the right way."
This past Thursday, President Obama flew to New Hampshire, where he spoke to an audience at Nashua Community College. Following that, it was off to New York City, where the President appeared at three fund-raisers. No, the price of admission was not three dollars.
So let's stop this propaganda that Obama is only asking for folks like you and me to contribute 3 bucks because it is the "right way". I fully acknowledge that the other party and their candidates are also raising big money from big donors, but it is highly disingenuous to tell the public that your campaign is grassroots when you are holding fundraisers that charge people anywhere from $5-38,000 a plate.
In 2008 I donated to a congressional campaign, and received an invitation to an event for which $500 donations were requested. I got a follow up call, and explained I didn't have that kind of money. The caller promptly said, missing a beat or dropping a stitch, that if I could simply repeat my previous donation, it would be most welcome. I did. They would have gladly settled for $10 if that's what I had.
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