The conservative super-PAC American Crossroads mocked an Obama-affiliated nonprofit group, which watchdog groups allege is offering donors access to the president, in a satirical Web ad released Monday.
The ad is produced like a late-night infomercial, with an over-the-top narrator promising access to President Obama and ambassadorships for “one easy payment of $500,000.”
“Now there’s a whole new way to buy access to the president: introducing ‘Organizing for A¢¢e$$,’ ” the ad says over pictures of credit cards being swiped and briefcases full of cash.
“For just one easy payment of $500,000 you too can get the privilege of quarterly meetings with President Obama. You could even become an ambassador,” the ad declares, over a picture of a man in a suit lounging in a hammock on the beach.
The ad also shows clips of Obama saying he intended to change how things were done in Washington.
“Thanks to Organizing for A¢¢e$$, change miraculously disappears. Incredible!”
Last week, The New York Times reported that the nonprofit group Organizing for Action (OFA), which was formed from the remnants of the president’s reelection campaign, was offering donors access to quarterly meetings with Obama if they donated half a million dollars.
The White House, though, has said that characterization was untrue and that OFA had never directly offered donors access to the president for a specific price.
White House press secretary Jay Carney insisted Monday there was no "set price" for a meeting with Obama.
"The White House sets the president's schedule. And there is no price to meet with the president," Carney said.
But the press secretary left the window open for regular meetings between the president and donors to the organization.
"As you know, Organizing for Action was set up to promote the president's public policy agenda. Therefore, as anyone would expect, the president would likely meet with their representatives to discuss his agenda," Carney said. "But again, any notion that there's a price for meeting with the president is simply wrong."
