HUFFPOST FUNDRACE -- White House Doors Open To Obama Donors

By Paul Blumenthal

Carrying on the long tradition of providing donors with special perks, the New York Times reports that donors to the campaigns of President Barack Obama have been frequent White House visitors, especially if they helped to raise more than $100,000. According to the Times, "...those who donated the most to Mr. Obama and the Democratic Party since he started running for president were far more likely to visit the White House than others. Among donors who gave $30,000 or less, about 20 percent visited the White House, according to a New York Times analysis that matched names in the visitor logs with donor records. But among those who donated $100,000 or more, the figure rises to about 75 percent. Approximately two-thirds of the president's top fund-raisers in the 2008 campaign visited the White House at least once, some of them numerous times. The reasons someone might have gained access to the White House and made a donation are wide-ranging, and it is clear that in some cases the administration came down against the policies being sought by the visitors. But the regular appearance of big donors inside the White House underscores how political contributions continue to lubricate many of the interactions between officials and their guests, if for no other reason than that donors view the money as useful for getting a foot in the door."

Sheldon Adelson, the king of super PAC donors, and his wife gave $5 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC supported by the House Republican leadership. This is Adelson's first contribution to a super PAC not supporting Newt Gingrich in the 2012 cycle and indicates his move towards backing more establishment interests after pumping money into the volatile Gingrich campaign.

The Wall Street Journal finds that incumbent House Republicans are outraising Democrats in tough races across the country. The Fix sorts out the winners and losers after first quarter fundraising numbers were released yesterday. Meanwhile, the president announced that he and the Democratic National Committee combined to raise $53 million in March.

A Mitt Romney super PAC donor was fined millions of dollars for manipulating commodities markets, according to Politico.

The Houston Chronicle profiles the Campaign for Primary Accountability to show how super PACs are changing political campaigns.

Just days before Rick Perry dropped out of the presidential race an Oklahoma tribe with gambling interests dropped $100,000 into the super PAC supporting his campaign.

Mitt Romney let slip some policy specifics when speaking to a room full of campaign donors.

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Candidate Opposed: Barack Obama
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Committee: Joe Donnelly for Senate
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TRACKING INDEPENDENT SPENDING IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE:

These numbers represent spending by independent groups, like super PACs and non-profits, to support or oppose a particular candidate for the presidency in 2012. Fundrace will update this spending daily to help show which candidates are gaining from the proliferation of independent groups in this coming election.

Newt Gingrich (R), $13,014,518 to support, $18,885,161 to oppose.
Rick Santorum (R), $7,548,235 to support, $20,923,379 to oppose.
Mitt Romney (R), $3,317,306 to support, $6,940,290 to oppose. (+$13,000)
Rick Perry (R), $4,167,697 to support, $1,404 to oppose.
Ron Paul (R), $3,748,218 to support, $214,158 to oppose.
Jon Huntsman (R), $2,453,204 to support, $0 to oppose.
Barack Obama (D), $294,895 to support, $979,322 to oppose.
Herman Cain (R), $501,717 to support, $954 to oppose.
Gary Johnson (R), $518 to support, $0 to oppose.

RECENT INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES

FreedomWorks for America, $26,500 to support Evan Feinberg for Congress in Pennsylvania's 18th District.
American Action Network, $15,000 to oppose Richard Mourdock for Senate in Indiana.
American Action Network, $4,042 to support Orrin Hatch for Senate in Utah.
FreedomWorks for America, $22,585 to oppose Orrin Hatch for Senate in Utah.
Senate Conservatives Fund, $17,259 to support Don Stenberg for Senate in Nebraska.
Worker's Voice, $1,822 to support Mark Critz for Congress in Pennsylvania's 12th District.
American Action Network, $297,538 to oppose Richard Mourdock for Senate in Indiana.
MoveOn.org, $13,000 to oppose Mitt Romney for President.

RECENT POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE REGISTRATIONS

Hancock Holding Company PAC, New Orleans, La., Treasurer: Teresa Z. Lygate.
Conservatives Acting Together, Dallas, Texas, Treasurer: Jill Mellinger. (Super PAC)
Liberty or Death, San Diego, Calif., Treasurer: Daniel F. Peters. (Super PAC)
California Cattlemen's Association PAC, Sacramento, Calif., Treasurer: J. Richard Eichman. (Super PAC)

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