Obama 'Reluctantly' Fundraises From Nefarious Sources
President Barack Obama's re-elect campaign released a list of its top fundraisers one week ago. This included more than 60 people who each raised at least half a million dollars.
Good people such as former New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, the man who led MF Global into collapse. And the list of top donors includes two people linked to Solyndra: Steve Spinner, an Energy Department adviser, and Steve Westly, a venture capitalist and adviser to Energy. Today, the New York Times (!) reports that two American brothers of a Mexican casino magnate who fled drug and fraud charges in the United States and has been seeking a pardon enabling him to return are huge fundraisers as well:
The casino owner, Juan Jose Rojas Cardona, known as Pepe, jumped bail in Iowa in 1994 and disappeared, and has since been linked to violence and corruption in Mexico. A State Department cable in 2009 said he was suspected of orchestrating the assassination of a business rival and making illegal campaign donations to Mexican officials.
When The New York Times asked the Obama campaign early Monday about the Cardonas, officials said they were unaware of the brother in Mexico. Later in the day, the campaign said it was refunding the money raised by the family, which totaled more than $200,000.
As recently as January of last year, one of Mr. Cardona’s brothers in Chicago, Carlos Rojas Cardona, arranged for the former chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party to seek a pardon from the governor for Pepe Cardona, according to prosecutors in that state.
When the Times asked Obama about it, the campaign said they'd return the funds. Hey, times are tough for Obama. With former high-powered fundraiser Tony Rezko sentenced for 10 years on fraud and bribery charges, you have to get money where you can.
But don't worry -- the media aren't going soft on President Obama even when it relates to his fundraising operation. Yesterday, he announced he was totally flip-flopping on his supposed opposition to SuperPACs (a move that would surprise no one with any awareness of Obama's past fundraising behavior) and Politico spun it as a "reluctant" move on the part of Obama. If it makes you feel any better, even Rezko laughed when he read that.
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Comments:
Oct '10
Re: Obama 'Reluctantly' Fundraises From Nefarious Sources
Obama's going to play by Chicago rules - he knows no others - and the referee is wearing a blindfold. This will not be pretty.
Dec '10
Re: Obama 'Reluctantly' Fundraises From Nefarious Sources
"When a dog bites a man, that's not news . . . "
Dec '10
Re: Obama 'Reluctantly' Fundraises From Nefarious Sources
So running for the job that is beneath him is now beneath him too.
May '10
Re: Obama 'Reluctantly' Fundraises From Nefarious Sources
We have always been at war with Eastasia.
Jun '11
Re: Obama 'Reluctantly' Fundraises From Nefarious Sources
Just like he "reluctantly" forsook public financing in 2008, much to McCain's shock and chagrin. At least Romney won't unilaterally disarm this time around.
Re: Obama 'Reluctantly' Fundraises From Nefarious Sources
Exactly!
Dec '10
Re: Obama 'Reluctantly' Fundraises From Nefarious Sources
Maybe not on the financing...
Jun '11
Re: Obama 'Reluctantly' Fundraises From Nefarious Sources
It's a low bar, but.Romney has already attacked our Dear Leader more this cycle than McCain attacked in all of 2012. He also has the "Hey I can't coordinate with a SuperPAC" line down pat.
Of course, no one has dusted off the ol' "Barack Hussein Obama" jibe. Mitt may yet have a chance to turn turtle!
The King Prawn
Maybe not on the financing... · 13 minutes ago
Apr '11
Re: Obama 'Reluctantly' Fundraises From Nefarious Sources
It's worth noting that this has been coming for a week, at least.
http://hotair.com/archives/2012/02/01/obama-money-advantage-disappearing/
There's a lot of guys here who knock the importance of "establishment" Republicans and their money, but it turns out that they do matter in the general. Fortunately, Santorum would also fundraise pretty effectively, so the impact of a lot of that fight may get reduced tonight.