It is illegal to use taxpayer dollars to run your campaign or for political purposes in general. Not to this regime though. Obama is getting around the law by scheduling official events around his fundraisers thereby forcing taxpayers to foot the bill for his re-election campaign. From CNS News via
memeorandum:
Taxpayers Will Pay for Obama Bus Tour of Battleground States, Says White HousePresident Barack Obama’s upcoming bus tour through the Midwest states typically viewed as swing states during presidential election years will be paid for by the taxpayers, the White House says.
Obama will start the tour on Aug. 15 and will talk about strengthening jobs and the economy, the White House announced on Tuesday.
“He is very happily getting out into the country again after a very sustained period here in Washington and he looks forward to talking to folks about growing the economy, creating jobs," said White House Press Secretary Jay Carney. "We will have more details, as I said, about the specifics of the trip."
Carney indicated he did not know now precisely where the president would go or what he might be announcing.
CNSNews.com asked Carney, “Is that a campaign event or a presidential event?
Carney answered, “Negative. That is an official event.”
Of course it is, copied onto Obama's campaign route. Note how defensive Carney is in this video:
CNS also notes:
The generally accepted policies in place since the Reagan administration for incumbent presidents running for re-election are based on legal opinions from the Department of Justice and Federal Elections Commission (FEC), which say that taxpayers should cover the cost of official presidential travel while travel relating to the campaign will be reimbursed to the government through campaign funds.
Funny that his "official" travels are to battleground states where fundraisers spontaneously pop up, no? More from
Weasel Zippers, Gateway Pundit and The Lonely Conservative
