Washington Post editors: Obama group should be called 'Paying For Access

Organizing for Action, formerly "Obama for America," is a nonprofit that technically has no direct ties to President Obama, other than continuing to promote any policy he favors.

The New York Times on Sunday called the group "disturbing" for essentially serving as a permanent campaign with endless money. Editors at the Washington Postfollowed suit today:

Judging by recent reports, Organizing for Action should be renamed Paying for Access. The Obama team has been talking about raising half the group’s money through $500,000 donations from the president’s top supporters. They will apparently be offered a spot on an advisory board with the privilege of attending quarterly meetings with the president. The White House has confirmed that while the president and his aides won’t directly raise money for the group, they will appear at its events. That will give big donors the chance to ask Mr. Obama about a pet project or appointment, behavior that has become all too common in this town and carries more than a whiff of influence-peddling. ...

The president ought to resist the sweet perfume of this money and grab the smelling salts. He was the one who a few years ago warned us of “a new stampede of special-interest money in our politics.” Now Mr. Obama seems to be leading the stampede.