The Reformers As Fundraisers
McCain and Obama Juggle Dual Roles

By Matthew Mosk and Michael D. Shear
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain are turning their undivided attention to the general election this week, loading their schedules with fundraising events that will fuel their campaign through the summer. But advisers to the White House hopefuls are also working feverishly to square their carefully crafted images as campaign finance reformers with the need to gather tens of millions of dollars.

For McCain (R-Ariz.), that meant opening his fundraising events to reporters and television cameras for the first time, ending what had been a strict closed-door policy when the candidate mingled with donors.

For Obama (D-Ill.), it meant passing up the chance to sock away funds for the general election and continue to collect only half the amount he is legally allowed as he dashes to fundraisers in New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Los Angeles and Jacksonville, Fla., in the next two weeks. Aides to Obama said that for now he will continue to forgo the chance to raise $2,300 per donor for the general election on top of the money he is raising for his primary-season account.

Obama's campaign has delayed a decision on whether to accept public financing for the general election, but top donors and aides have urged him to become the first candidate in three decades to turn down public funds. The $85 million federal grant to the candidates is intended to remove questions about the influence of private donations on the presidential contest, and candidates who accept are barred from raising other funds for the fall campaign.

"The campaign hasn't officially made a decision as to whether it will do that or not," said Mark Gilbert, a top Florida fundraiser for Obama. "My guess would be, if they decide to forgo the funds from the government, we would not have any problem raising money for the general."

Should Obama pass up the public funds, an initial infusion of general-election money could flood in from supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), Gilbert said, noting that under federal election law, she will need to return to donors the $25.8 million her campaign received that was earmarked for spending on the November contest. Gilbert said he expects Obama to ask those donors to redirect that money to his bid after Clinton makes her refunds.

Clinton's donors appear to be slowly warming to her former rival. The Clinton and Obama camps are putting the finishing touches on plans for her to introduce her top backers to Obama at a gathering in New York, possibly followed by a similar get-together in Los Angeles, according to sources involved in arranging those events. Obama will also welcome a number of top Clinton donors at the June 19 meeting of his national finance committee after they have committed to raising $250,000 for the campaign, the price of admission to the select group of bundlers.

For some Clinton faithful, though, it might take longer to come around.

"There is no question that the predominant feeling is 'We have to do what's necessary to win in November.' But it's just, we're tired," said Alan Kessler, a Philadelphia lawyer who raised money for Clinton. "We just need some downtime to figure this all out."

Kessler said he plans to sit out a Philadelphia dinner with Obama, scheduled for Friday, for which participants are being asked to "write $10,000 per person or raise $20,000 per person." The event will benefit both Obama and the Democratic National Committee's Victory Fund.

No names have yet been attached to a June 24 Obama event scheduled for the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles -- a venue that can hold 3,000 people. But Andy Spahn, a Hollywood political adviser, said he does not expect Obama to have any trouble filling the space.

"There's huge pent-up demand," Spahn said. "Barack has not been here since the end of January."

McCain held his first on-the-record fundraiser in Richmond yesterday morning and later traveled to McLean and Washington for two more open-door events.

The decision to open the door to future events was intended to blunt Obama's ability to exploit a potential campaign issue. The news media have been given access to Obama's fundraising events for some time, and McCain -- who made his reputation in part as a crusader working to reform the campaign finance system -- was eager not to appear to be the more secretive of the two candidates when it comes to raising money, GOP strategists said.

McCain is scheduled to hold a high-dollar fundraiser tonight in Manhattan at the 21 Club. The event, hosted by billionaire buyout specialist Henry Kravis, is one of five McCain is holding this week. Tomorrow, he plans to travel to Boston for another event. He raised about $800,000 for his campaign and the Republican National Committee at the event in Richmond, advisers said.

Before yesterday, the campaign had blocked access to McCain's fundraisers, shuttling reporters and TV cameras to nearby hotels while holding closed-door events with donors.

McCain's five-minute talk at a high-dollar reception and his 15-minute speech to 240 donors who each gave at least $1,000 was open to a handful of reporters who later wrote up his comments for use by all of the campaign's reporters. McCain also took questions from the donors, turning the fundraiser into a mini-town-hall forum, and teed off on an economic speech Obama was making in Raleigh, N.C.

And yesterday's effort appeared to work, keeping McCain in the storyline. By the early afternoon, CNN and other major news organizations were reporting on McCain's criticism of Obama during the fundraiser for opposing a summer suspension of the federal gasoline tax.

His speech to the donors also gave him a chance to test a new theme for his stump speech. He said his campaign would focus on "reform, prosperity and peace," a phrase he hadn't used before to describe his top priorities as president.

At the fundraiser in Richmond, which was a joint event with the Republican National Committee's Victory operation, McCain touched on his offer to hold joint town hall meetings with Obama and pledged not to take Virginia for granted in the general election.

"I will be here. I will be here," he said to applause.