Here’s another measure of how quickly Obama's political operation is springing into action for reelection: The President’s campaign manager and top fundraising director are set to hold conference calls today with his most influential donors, to personally brief them on Obama’s reelection plans. This comes only hours after Obama formally announced his reelection plans to supporters this morning via a video statement.
An Obama supporter forwards me a series of emails that went out inviting members of Obama’s National Finance Committee and other top supporters to particpate in private briefings today from campaign manager Jim Messina and fundraising chief Brad Thompson. New DNC executive director Patrick Gaspard is also holding a lunch this week with top financial supporters.
“It’s a very aggressive, across the board push,” the Obama supporter who forwarded me the emails says.
The gearing up of Obama’s money machine comes as some Dems are concerned that the outside infrastructure that’s springing up on the left to raise and spend on the 2012 elections will be badly outspent by the right’s infrastructure. While American Bridge, the group founded by David Brock, is staffing up, it remains unclear whether Brock’s group or another one being assembled by former White House adviser Bill Burton will be the White House’s favored outside operation. The gearing up of Obama’s own fundraising machine could reassure those worried about any potential spending imbalances and signals that the effort to woo top financial supporters is already kicking into high gear.
Also: Obama’s political operation has already sent a series of talking points to surrogates and outside allies, instructing them on how to discuss Obama’s reelection campaign on TV and elsewhere. You can read those after the jump.
Talking Points: Reelection Campaign
· The President has launched his campaign to be reelected for a second term.
· While the campaign gets off the ground, the President will be focused first and foremost on the important work the American people elected him to do.
· Over the next year and a half, we will create a grassroots organization that’s more far-reaching, focused, and innovative than anything we’ve built before.
· At its heart, that effort will be fueled by the energy and commitment of folks on the ground, community by community, neighborhood by neighborhood, house to house all around the country.
· Real change never starts in Washington – and from its earliest days this movement didn’t start in Washington. It starts with folks all across America who believe that despite all the problems we face, we can steer our country toward a brighter place. The President’s supporters have been working tirelessly over the past two years to promote his agenda in their communities. Without the commitment of the American people, without the work of grassroots organizers, volunteers and community leaders of all walks of life we would not have:
o Taken the economy back from the brink of a depression and gotten the economy growing again, now creating more than 1.8 million private sector jobs.
o Passed historic reform to expand health care and lower its costs, preventing insurance companies from discriminating against people with preexisting conditions.
o Held financial companies accountable and put reforms in place to prevent another taxpayer bailout.
o Cut taxes for the middle class and small businesses—the drivers of job creation.
o Torn down the walls of discrimination to allow gay Americans to serve their country openly.
o Ended combat in Iraq, bringing home 100,000 American troops.
· We’ve come a long way, but we have more urgent business to do for America — and we have more to do to change the way that business gets done in Washington. We believe we should live in an America where:
o Everyone who wants a job can find one.
o Anyone with a good idea can turn it into a thriving business.
o Our education system delivers results, and prepares all of our children to win the future.
o We are out-innovating the rest of the world, and creating the jobs and industries of the future, including in clean energy.
o Our government lives within its means so we can make investments in our future.
· America is moving forward. We simply can’t afford to go back.
· Winning the future is not a spectator sport. It’s something we have to fight for. We can’t protect the progress we’ve made — or make any more — if we fail to mobilize. That’s why we’re getting started now.
· As the President continues to do the important work of the American people, we need to start building our grassroots movement right away so that we are ready for 2012.
