Obama Campaign To Become Nonprofit
First Lady Michelle Obama announced Friday the campaign formerly known as Obama for America will become a nonprofit to promote the second-term president's policies.
It's the first time a major political organization has made such a move, according to FLOTUS. The Washington Post reported the group will disclose its donors and accept donations from here on out only from individuals and corporations — no lobbyists or PACs allowed.
From the Post:
Since the election, Obama’s team has been debating what to do with its vast campaign apparatus. Democrats have pressured Obama for America to share its sophisticated and massive compilation of voter data with other Democratic candidates. But no existing group has the technical resources to manage the data, which the campaign took great care with and wanted to protect.
After the 2008 election, Obama for America was moved into the Democratic National Committee and renamed Organizing for America. Supporters were directed to call lawmakers during fights over the budget and health care, but the organization never achieved the grassroots energy or power of the campaign.
Obama has already mobilized supporters to back his plans in the fiscal cliff debate and ongoing talks over gun controls. The new group, Organizing for Action, will be chaired by former campaign manager Jim Messina with White House aide Jon Carson acting as executive director.
Meanwhile, buzz over Obama's second Inauguration ceremony Monday is beginning to reach a fevered pitch. The bands have been announced. The first lady got some new bangs. The new official portrait was released. And Obama's speechwriters are feeling the pressure.
NPR reported on its political blog the president has the opportunity to improve upon a lackluster inaugural address in 2009. Here are some highlights from the feedback gathered by veteran speechwriters:
Speechwriter Mary Kate Cary, who wrote for President George H.W. Bush: "I think most people would have a hard time quoting you a line back from it. ... It just seems like there were a lot of platitudes."
Jeff Shesol, who wrote for President Bill Clinton: "There really aren't very many lines in President Obama's first inaugural address that stood out even in the moment. ... It didn't have an animating idea. It didn't have a clear theme."
George W. Bush speechwriter John McConnell: "I had to go back and look at Obama's inaugural address to really remember lines that I had at the time paused over."
Clinton speechwriter Michael Waldman: "There's the old adage: You only get one chance to make a first impression. And I think President Obama might hope that's not true."
Ouch. Clinton speechwriter Shesol continued, "More than probably in any other speech a president will give, people want the vision. They want to know where we are headed and what it looks like when we get there."
So what does Twitter say the People expect out of the Inauguration ceremony? See below for enlightening insights, as usual.
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