Obama super-PAC a super-disappointment

Bill Burton left the White House earlier this year to become senior srategiest at a pro-Obama super-PAC, Priorities USA. This is the same type of organization the president decried after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of them in Citizens United vs. the FEC. But Priorities USA isn't raising much money, as the Wall Street Journal tells us. Paid subcription is required for the full story.

Earlier this year, Bill Burton left the White House to help create a pro-Obama fund-raising group with a goal of raising $100 million, aiming to mimic the success of recent Republican efforts.

So far, he's falling short.

Occupy Chicago, October 22, 2011

Many of the Democratic Party's biggest donors aren't planning to support his organization, either because they're unhappy with Mr. Obama or disillusioned with politics in general. There's also this fund-raising fact of life: Wealthy donors are more likely to open up their wallets to defeat a sitting president than to protect one.

Mr. Burton's group has spent less than $1 million on advertisements while the leading pro-Republican organization [American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS] has spent more than $20 million.

I'm probably not alone in predicting this outcome for Priorities USA--but look for the group to fold. Aftewards, I expect Obama to return to his criticim of super PACs. The Citizens United decision is one of the many items on the crowded agenda of the Occupy movement. Of Occupy Wall Street, Obama said last month, "We are on their side."

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