Pro-Obama Group Runs Into Early Trouble
Volunteers not thrilled that they're expected to put up their own cash
President Barack Obama's new advocacy group exhibited a few startup pains on Sunday, as some volunteers took issue with a requirement that they raise their own money to gain access to voter lists and other assets that once formed the core of Mr. Obama's presidential election campaign.
The group, called Organizing for Action, will be built on the election machinery that drove Mr. Obama to victory in 2008 and to a second term last year. Its goal is to use Mr. Obama's voter-contact operation to promote his legislative agenda, building public support for gun control, immigration and other priorities that face a challenging road in Congress.
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The group, called Organizing for Action, will be built on the election machinery that drove Mr. Obama to victory in 2008 and to a second term last year. Its goal is to use Mr. Obama's voter-contact operation to promote his legislative agenda, building public support for gun control, immigration and other priorities that face a challenging road in Congress.
I like this, turning election volunteers into profit centers. It's about the only pro-market action taken by Obama.