Video: "I have cleared this with Michelle," President says...President Obama made a $5,000 donation to his own campaign, his first in support of his re-election effort, he announced on Tuesday via e-mail and video. The amount isn't enough to earn admission to one of Mr. Obama's pricier dinner fundraisers (like last night's shindig in New York), but it *does* qualify him to enter the current 'Dinner with Barack' contest.
"I want to make sure folks know that I'm not just talkin' the talk, I'm walkin' the walk," Mr. Obama said in the video, which shows him sitting in his shirtsleeves at a laptop, making his donation online.
There is no legal restriction on the amount Mr. Obama as a candidate can donate to his own campaign, but the $5,000 is theoretically the federal maximum that can be by individuals to one candidate (there are ways to legally go far above this, such as by donating to a Super Pac). The President said his donation is designed to spotlight the small-dollar donations his campaign is aggressively pursuing from "grassroots" supporters.
"On its own, what I gave won't be enough to surmount the unprecedented fundraising we've seen on the other side, both from our opponent's campaign and from the outside groups and special interests supporting him," the President wrote in his e-mail. "But we have always believed that there's nothing we can't do when we all pitch in. That includes me."
"I have cleared this with Michelle," President Obama said in the video.
"Employer: United States of America. And my occupation: President," Mr. Obama said in the video as he entered his information onscreen.
President Obama has had the backing of celebrities for his fundraising efforts, which have included separate dinners hosted by George Clooney in Los Angeles, by Sarah Jessica Parker and Anna Wintour in Manhattan, and with President Bill Clinton in Manhattan and Virginia. He relies heavily on the Super Pac Priorities USA for million of dollars; the organization has hosted dozens of high-dollar fundraisers and events.
Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney raised about $106 million in June, while Mr. Obama took in roughly $71 million across committees. In May, Romney beat the President, taking in more than $76.8 million compared to President Obama's more than $60 million. (Above: A screenshot of the President entering his "occupation" and clicking "enter")Today is 98 days until Election Day, and OFA's end-of-month deadline for fundraising.
