Rules separating the official and the political are flimsy, and even when a president’s campaign reimburses the Treasury, it’s for a tiny fraction of the cost, which includes $179,750 per hour to operate Air Force One. ...WaPo
That's from Dana Milbank -- usually supportive, now a critic (kind of) of our president's recent political activities.
In fairness, it’s not entirely clear what choice Obama has. As with his blessing of a super PAC after condemning such groups, the alternative is unilateral disarmament. Also, his fundraising total has been inflated by a rule change that allows him to hold events that jointly benefit him and the Democratic Party (although his total number of fundraising appearances still eclipses that of each recent predecessor). Republicans, meanwhile, are determined to block the president’s agenda, so it’s an effective use of time to campaign for their defeat. ...WaPo
Yeah, Dana. And that's the bottom line. When Obama was "being nice" and trying to coax a recalcitrant and damn near criminal Republican House to play clean, he failed. At that point wasn't Dana Milbank one of the many who urged the president to play their game back at 'em? And now Obama's doing it. But Milbank wants it both ways.
Still, Obama’s acquiescence to an intolerable status quo raises a question: Shouldn’t presidential leadership be about setting an example?
Instead, he is erasing the already blurred lines between campaigning and governing. During his “official” speech to the union group Monday, he hailed Tim Kaine as “the next United States senator from the great commonwealth of Virginia,” and his partisan speech spurred audience members to shouts of “Vote ’em out!” and “Gotta throw ’em out!”
“Not everything should be subject to thinking about the next election instead of thinking about the next generation,” Obama said of the Republicans. “Not everything should be subject to politics.”
He should follow his own advice. ...WaPo
Naw. Can't have it both ways. And, as Milbank himself says, it's not entirely clear what choice Obama has.
