Scott rightly points out that, after the GOP (and then-candidate Bush) laid into the Clintons for “selling” sleep-overs in the Lincoln Bedroom to major contributors, it’s more than a bit hypocritical for the Bushes to do the same.
President Bush played host to dozens of overnight guests at the White House and Camp David last year, from world leaders to some of his most loyal supporters, including friends who double as campaign fund-raisers.
Bush and first lady Laura Bush have invited at least 270 people to stay at the White House and at least the same number to overnight at the Camp David retreat since coming to Washington in January 2001, according to lists the White House provided The Associated Press.
Of course, the Clintons opened the doors to White House stays to about twice as many (according to the article) (though that was for four years, rather than the three so far), but it was a both a stupid thing to criticize them for in the first place, and still more stupid to then turn around and do the same.
Mark Kleinman, hardly a Bush fan, notes that the Bush vs Clinton cases are not all that similar — and that Clinton’s is worse. Not sure I agree without further consideration, but it’s a perspective worth considering.
So…
Quid pro quo is ok as long as it wan’t “promissed”, No nudge-nudge, wink-wink that anybody can remember, Or as long as a bunch of pundits don’t make a big deal about it and speculate about for weeks on end and it’s ok.
Well as long as we know what the rules are up front we’ll be fine.
And it’s always nice to have friends like these:
Mercer Reynolds, an Ohio financier, former Bush partner in the Texas Rangers baseball team and former ambassador to Switzerland. Reynolds is leading Bush’s campaign fund-raising effort. He was a guest at the White House and the Camp David retreat in Maryland’s Catoctin Mountains.
Brad Freeman, a venture capitalist who is leading Bush’s California fund-raising effort, has raised at least $200,000 for his re-election campaign and is also a major Republican Party fund-raiser. Freeman stayed at the White House.
Roland Betts, who raised at least $100,000 for Bush in 2000, was a Bush fraternity brother at Yale and a Texas Rangers partner. Betts stayed at the White House and Camp David.
William DeWitt, a Bush partner in the oil business and Texas Rangers who has raised at least $200,000 for Bush’s re-election effort, stayed at the White House.
James Francis, who headed the Bush campaign’s 2000 team of $100,000-and-up volunteer fund-raisers and was a Bush appointee in Texas when Bush was governor. Francis was a White House guest.
Joseph O’Neill, an oilman and childhood friend who introduced Bush to Laura Bush and raised at least $100,000 for each of Bush’s presidential campaigns, stayed at the White House.
Colorado Gov. Bill Owens and New York Gov. George Pataki, who each raised at least $200,000 for Bush’s re-election campaign, were White House guests.
James Langdon, who raised at least $100,000 for Bush, is a Washington attorney specializing in international oil and gas transactions. Langdon, whose clients include the Russian oil company Lukoil, is a member of Bush’s foreign intelligence advisory board and served on Bush’s 2000 presidential transition team on energy policy.
P.S. Dave your previewer is still hosed.
Okay, to be argumentative (since I can’t decide, as a primary question, whether this sort of thing is really all that despicable or just part of the political game/process):
Is it better (or different) to offer sleep-overs in the Lincoln Bedroom with the idea of getting donations afterwards, or to reward those who have donated (or fund-raised) with sleep-overs?
Much of the focus on the Clinton era was over the Lincoln Bedroom specifically. Is that better, or worse, than a less differentiated stay at “the White House” (not knowing what other guest rooms there are), Camp David, or the Crawford ranch?
Part of the problem in my figuring out how reprehensible this all is (regardless of who we’re talking about) is on what basis is it appropriate for folks to stay over at the White House? Do we limit it just to visiting dignitaries? If someone is an associate of the President — an old college buddy, an old business partner, someone on an advisory board, a political ally — is that approprate? Moreso or less so than someone who’s been involved (financially and/or otherwise) in presidential campaigning?
My grandfather knew Dick Nixon in his youth, and later received an invitation to visit the White House (never, alas, cashed in before it became moot). Would that have been an proper use of the facilities, of the President’s time, or not?
I feel an instinctive distrust of the quid pro quo of money equating to access. But it’s a rare case when it’s solely a monetary association we’re talking about, as the examples above show.