The announcement from President Obama’s reelection committee that the president would no longer discourage supporters from contributing to independent spending only political action committees (super PACs) is a reversal of his position in this election cycle and conflicts with the practice he followed with respect to independent spending in the 2008 campaign. His willingness to live with and even encourage super PACs working on his behalf and that of his party also contrasts starkly with the strong stand he has taken against Citizens United and the explosion of activities by these new campaign entities to raise super-sized contributions from wealthy individuals and corporations and to flout the legal requirements of disclosure of donors and non-coordination with candidates and their campaigns.
via brookings.edu
