Obama Trying to Intimidate People from Donating to Romeny

[Rupert Pupkin]

It's a sad day for our country when the President of the United States is bullying his own citizens and trying to intimidate them from donating money to his opponent.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...604524916.html

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

It's a sad day for our country when the President of the United States is bullying his own citizens and trying to intimidate them from donating money to his opponent.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...604524916.html

Little hyperbole there, huh?

Yeah, pointing out donors has never, ever happened before in a Presidential campaign

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by Riot

Little hyperbole there, huh?

Yeah, pointing out donors has never, ever happened before in a Presidential campaign

It would be one thing to generalize about a candidate being supported by special interest groups. For example, if Romney was getting a lot of money from big oil companies, or the NRA, or whatever, I think that would be fair game for Obama to bring up.

But for Obama to be naming private citizens is totally inappropriate. As the article says, "Politics is rough, but a president has obligations that transcend those of a candidate. He swore an oath to protect and defend a Constitution that gives every American the right to partake in democracy, free of fear of government intimidation or disfavored treatment. If Mr. Obama isn't going to act like a president, he bolsters the argument that he doesn't deserve to be one."

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

It would be one thing to generalize about a candidate being supported by special interest groups. For example, if Romney was getting a lot of money from big oil companies, or the NRA, or whatever, I think that would be fair game for Obama to bring up.

But for Obama to be naming private citizens is totally inappropriate. As the article says, "Politics is rough, but a president has obligations that transcend those of a candidate. He swore an oath to protect and defend a Constitution that gives every American the right to partake in democracy, free of fear of government intimidation or disfavored treatment. If Mr. Obama isn't going to act like a president, he bolsters the argument that he doesn't deserve to be one."

You mean like has happened in every Presidential election in the past? When, you know, donors become public?

Serious Obama Derangement Syndrome of the part of that writer.

For example, if Romney was getting a lot of money from big oil companies, or the NRA, or whatever,

"If" ??? Nearly all Romney's money has been big bucks from big campaign donors (alot of Wall Street), very small percentage from average people. Most of Obama's is from average small donors. That's what was published in the last quarterly campaign finance disclosure stuff.

Romney will just be Bush's third term. They bragged last week that Romney's economic policies are the same as Bush W. I'm simply amazed at the incompetence of Romney's campaign staff.

[GenuineRisk]

Sigh. Once again, Obama Derangement Syndrome blocks people from taking the time to Google because then they might have to admit that something that tells them something they want to believe is true is, in fact, total bullsh*t..

From the FEC site:

<Information Available to the Public
As a voter, you may be interested in learning how a particular candidate finances his or her campaign. Who is contributing? How much? Is the candidate using personal funds to finance the campaign? Does the committee have debts? Or you may want to know which candidates a party committee or PAC is supporting, and how much the committee is giving.

This information is available to the public in the campaign finance reports regularly filed by all political committees supporting Federal candidates. You may access these reports and other FEC campaign finance information on your home computer. The Commission's Public Records Office also keeps all reports on file and will send you copies of specific reports, upon request. You can also order computer printouts focused on the information you want. Call the toll-free number, 800-424-9530, or 202-694-1120.>

http://fec.gov/pages/brochures/citizens.shtml#info

So, this information that Obama is allegedly using to "bully" people, in fact, is available to anyone with a home computer, courtesy of the Federal Election Commission.

I notice, too, that this op-ed piece didn't actually include a link to the the page that was allegedly so threatening. So, I did what any person capable of rudimentary critical thinking would do- I went and looked at the actual page. Here's a link:

http://www.keepinggophonest.com/behi...omneys-donors/

And nothing on the page is anything that isn't public record. Nor is there anything that remotely sounds like a threat.

What was particularly hilarious in that absurd op-ed was the comparison of this site listing public information to Nixon's enemies list. Omigawd; they're EXACTLY THE SAME, YOU GUYS! Because shut up, that's why!

ODS strikes again! (edit: corrected because I mistyped. See ice and forehead slapping, below)

I now need to get ice to counteract the bruise I gave myself from all the forehead slapping.

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

Sigh. Once again, Obama Derangement Syndrome blocks people from taking the time to Google because then they might have to admit that something that tells them something they want to believe is true is, in fact, total bullsh*t..

From the FEC site:

<Information Available to the Public
As a voter, you may be interested in learning how a particular candidate finances his or her campaign. Who is contributing? How much? Is the candidate using personal funds to finance the campaign? Does the committee have debts? Or you may want to know which candidates a party committee or PAC is supporting, and how much the committee is giving.

This information is available to the public in the campaign finance reports regularly filed by all political committees supporting Federal candidates. You may access these reports and other FEC campaign finance information on your home computer. The Commission's Public Records Office also keeps all reports on file and will send you copies of specific reports, upon request. You can also order computer printouts focused on the information you want. Call the toll-free number, 800-424-9530, or 202-694-1120.>

http://fec.gov/pages/brochures/citizens.shtml#info

So, this information that Obama is allegedly using to "bully" people, in fact, is available to anyone with a home computer, courtesy of the Federal Election Commission.

I notice, too, that this op-ed piece didn't actually include a link to the the page that was allegedly so threatening. So, I did what any person capable of rudimentary critical thinking would do- I went and looked at the actual page. Here's a link:

http://www.keepinggophonest.com/behi...omneys-donors/

And nothing on the page is anything that isn't public record. Nor is there anything that remotely sounds like a threat.

What was particularly hilarious in that absurd op-ed was the comparison of this site listing public information to Nixon's enemies list. Omigawd; they're EXACTLY THE SAME, YOU GUYS! Because shut up, that's why!

ODS strikes again! (edit: corrected because I mistyped. See ice and forehead slapping, below)

I now need to get ice to counteract the bruise I gave myself from all the forehead slapping.

Just because something is public, it doesn't mean that it should be posted. For example, would it be ok to tweet George Zimmerman's home address like some people tried to do? I think almost anybody would say that it's not ok. But using your logic, it would be ok because if someone really wanted to know his address, they could find it through public records. I'm sure there are plenty of public records with his home address. That still doesn't make it ok to post his address.

There is no reason for Obama to be calling private citizens out for donating money to Romney. That is a form of intimidation IMO. I understand that you could look the information up. That still doesn't make it ok IMO.

In addition, it would have been bad enough if Obama simply listed names and the amounts they gave. But he did more than that. He not only gave the people's names, but he gave a commentary on each person.

I'm sure you have donated money to candidates before and you know that it is public record. But would you like it if I created a website about it where I posted your name and told people personal information about you, such as information about your business dealings and that type of thing? I'm sure you wouldn't like it, even though it would be legal. I would expect more from our President. I can guarantee that if you were wealthy and you would have donated $100,000 to John Kerry back in 2004, you would have been outraged if President Bush called you out on it on his website and gave personal information about your business dealings.