Obama tests the line between campaigning and his official duties


By:Philip Klein | Senior editorial writer
07/21/11 8:05 PM.


At a tense period in debt limit negotiations, President Obama will travel to the University of Maryland at College Park for a town hall meeting on Friday, continuing a familiar pattern.

Back in February, Obama spoke about his economic plans at Penn State University. The following month, he and top Cabinet officials visited Georgetown University to outline his energy and environmental policies. A few weeks later, in April, Obama unveiled his new deficit-reduction "framework" at George Washington University.

Over the past several months, Obama and other top administration officials -- from Vice President Biden down through the Cabinet agencies -- have participated in more than 100 events at colleges and high schools throughout the country.

"It would appear to me as though this is a very earnest, sophisticated, targeted and coordinated effort to reconnect with young adults across the country," said Paul Conway, president of Generation Opportunity, a group for young Americans dedicated issues such as the economy and growing national debt.

"I think it is also a sign that young adults are frustrated with the level of unemployment and lack of opportunity," he said.

Young voters were a key part of the coalition that helped elect Obama in 2008, but their opinions of him have soured as the economic downturn hit them particularly hard.

During the Obama presidency, recent college graduates have had a difficult time finding employment, and many with jobs have had to settle for work that does not even require a college degree.

When Obama took office, he had a soaring 79 percent approval rating among those 18 to 29 years old. But by last month, it had dropped to 54 percent among the same group.

In a political context, Obama's aggressive outreach effort this far before an election indicates he's concerned about the erosion of support among this key demographic.

But the fact that he is using taxpayer money and government resources to dispatch his surrogates throughout the country raises additional questions about the fine line between campaigning and official business.

While launching a de facto campaign on college campuses itself may not break any laws, House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., has begun a probe into whether Obama is crossing over the line in other ways, and illegally using his office to benefit his presidential campaign.

Last week, Issa sent letters to the Democratic National Committee and the White House requesting documents related to Obama's use of his public office as part of his re-election effort.

"Recent media reports indicate that the Obama Administration may be engaging in an array of potential illegal fundraising behavior," Issa wrote. "These reports raise serious questions about whether the administration -- in its apparent push to raise unprecedented sums of money for the President's re-election effort -- is failing to comply with federal campaign finance laws, restrictions on official involvement in political events, and other federal laws."

Issa noted a March 7 event in the Blue Room of the White House that was billed as a meeting with business leaders about the economy. But the event didn't appear on Obama's public schedule, was attended by donors to his 2008 campaign, and it was organized and sponsored by the Democratic National Committee.

Issa also raised the issue of Obama's decision to provide donors with access to top White House officials -- including an opportunity to win a dinner with him and Biden. What's more, a video announcing the contest was recorded inside the White House, which in itself may run afoul of federal rules.

Whether or not Obama's actions turn out to be technically legal, they clearly represent a stark contrast to the image he sought in 2008 as the reform-minded politician who opposed the cynical old ways of Washington, such as trading money for access. No wonder young voters have become disillusioned.

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