(AP) Both President George Bush & Bill Clinton used the White House for fundraising purposes. Bill Clinton had the Lincoln Bedroom fundraising flap. Overnight guests contributed $5.4 million during the 1996 political campaign.
George Bush has the Pioneer, Ranger and now Super Ranger designations. The benefits include virtually unlimited access to the White House and its staff. Pioneers raise $100,000, Rangers $200,000 and Super Rangers $300,000.
Twenty four of President Clinton’s overnight guests gave $100,000 or more. It appears only four would have made Ranger by donating over $200,000. President Bush had 568 Pioneers donating to his 2000 and 2004 campaigns. 221 Rangers ponied up for the 2004 campaign while 69 achieved Super Ranger status.
The most recent Bush fundraisers charge $10,000 for contributors to have their picture taken with the President. As both parties grovel at the campaign trough it seems worthy of recalling the Republican stance on the Lincoln bedroom “scandal”.
Republicans accused the president of using the White House to raise campaign funds and sought an independent prosecutor to investigate the fund-raising. Bill Clinton’s defense was “We got strict advice about -- legal advice -- about what the rules were and everyone involved knew what the rules were. Did we hope that the people that came there would support me, particularly after we got into a political season? Of course we did. But there was no solicitation during the events and the guidelines, which I believe were made available to you also yesterday in the documents, made it clear that there was to be no price tags on these events." Republicans disagreed with this assertion citing the use of government property and government assets for political purposes.
The Associated Press reported in March 2004 “President Bush opened the White House and Camp David to dozens of overnight guests last year, including foreign dignitaries, family friends and at least nine of his biggest campaign fund-raisers, documents show.”
Why aren’t the Republicans up in arms about the use of the Presidency and the White House for their fundraising? Isn’t what’s good for the goose, good for the gander?
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