This what American Crossroads is sending around to the media:
—-
Subject: Axelrod, Messina, Plouffe raised money for ad that “stretches the bounds of decency”
There’s a simple reason the Obama campaign won’t repudiate the new Priorities USA ad, which the Washington Post says “stretches the bounds of common sense and decency.”
They helped finance it.
Obama’s own White House and campaign staff raised money for the group running the ad:
· White House senior advisor David Plouffe raised money for Priorities USA in March.
· Obama campaign manager Jim Messina raised money for Priorities USA in February.
· Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod raised money for Priorities USA in June.
· Obama campaign staff may have attended other unreported fundraisers.
Obama’s campaign even lent Priorities the talent for the ad; the ad’s star, Joe Soptic, previously appeared in Obama campaign ads.
For all practical purposes this is an Obama campaign ad – given that the Obama campaign helped underwrite it and even provided the talent.
Declarations by the Obama White House and campaign that they have no connection to Priorities and have no control over their ads are bogus. It’s therefore entirely appropriate to ask them whether they stand by the ad they raised money for – or agree with most of the mainstream press that it crosses an impermissible line into falsehood and “indecency.”
