White House open to Democratic outside groups in 2012

David Axelrod says the White House is ramping up its fundraising goals for the 2012 campaign. | Reuters

The White House is bracing for an onslaught of $500 million or more in spending by outside Republican groups opposed to President Barack Obama's 2012 re-election, prompting Obama advisers to give the green light to big Democratic donors to set up similar outside groups to counter the GOP’s effort.That posture marks a significant shift by a White House that had discouraged outside players in the political arena in 2008.

"There's no doubt they were just warming up and will be coming after us next," David Axelrod, a senior Obama adviser, told POLITICO in an interview. "If they spent $200 million on Senate races, they are capable of adding a half-billion to a billion in a race for control of the presidency."

To counter the anticipated wave of attacks, Axelrod said the White House is ramping up its campaign fundraising goals by equal amounts.

And, when asked three times, Axelrod refused to wave off -- and seemed to expect -- a similar, well-funded campaign by wealthy Democratic donors and the party's activist allies in labor and the environmental communities in the 2012 campaigns for the White House and Congress.

"Our strong preference is for a campaign finance system that is transparent and open and in which the American people can see what's going on," said Axelrod. "But I am sure the physics of this is that there will be people offended by this and they will be inspired to get involved."

Translation for Democratic groups: We know you are coming, but please disclose your donors.

That is the approach that two liberal groups, America's Families First Action Fund and Commonsense Ten, took when they engaged late in the midterms to create a "firewall" around enough Democrats in hopes of preserving the party's majorities in the House and Senate. Both groups disclosed their donors with the Federal Election Commission, unlike most of the newly created Republican groups that organized under different tax codes that allowed their donors to remain anonymous, including an influx of some corporate givers.

Senate Democrats held on; House Democrats didn't.

Some Democrats have complained openly that Obama’s 2008 admonition against outside groups spending money during his presidential run carried over to 2010, leaving Democrats on the sidelines without a well-tuned infrastructure of groups to help embattled candidates.

At the same time, Republican groups were springing up to pump cash into midterm races across the country – to the tune of nearly $200 million in expenditures.

Some frustrated Democrats have suggested they have no intention of being outgunned again in 2012, and Axelrod’s comments suggest that will be OK with the White House.

"I have no doubt after having watched $200 million rain down on Democratic candidates that there will be folks concerned about that and emboldened to get involved," said Axelrod.







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