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Obama a 'hypocrite' on super PAC stance?

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    All-Star panel weighs in

  • Duration 9:23
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-- the Supreme Court reversed a century of law.

That I believe will open the floodgates.

For special interest including foreign corporation.

-- -- -- I don't think American elections should be bankrolled by America's.

Most powerful interest.

Or worse by foreign -- We were faced with the situation as to whether we could afford.

To play by two sets of rules and the answer is obviously know that doesn't mean that we believe that this is.

The best way for the system to function the president is gonna continue to fight for ways -- To reform that system in the future but that's not gonna happen in this campaign.

Well the president once called super -- these outside groups that run ads in campaigns now.

They -- he called them wants a threat to democracy and he called out the supreme court for the ruling Citizens United back in that State of the Union Address -- 2010.

But as you saw Obama campaign officials say they just can't unilaterally disarm.

And now the president and the campaign are encouraging folks to support the super pac.

To try to help him get reelected let's bring in our panel Steve Hayes senior writer for the weekly standard AB Stoddard associate editor of the hill and syndicated columnist Charles crack.

Okay B I mean.

Lot of people are charging hypocrisy how far does this go and politically you know Republicans are.

Big industry were -- now to.

Well President Obama disappointed his sort of good government.

Base.

In the Democratic Party when he opted for about out of public financing in the 2008 cycle.

And went on to I'll raise more than anyone ever raised and and he he would much rather win on the low road and take the high road to -- that's clear.

What the administration had team Obama also is aware of that nobody cares and the 220.

Voters don't care about campaign finance stories -- they did they would have -- there would have been a backlash.

To the Citizens United vs a Federal Election Commission decision from the Supreme Court and there has not been a material backlash.

So what the administration sees as -- -- for the campaign is that nobody cares and he spent a few months or weeks before the 2010 mid term elections.

Trying to warn us at the US chamber of commerce has been foreign money to five the mid term elections and nobody was listening and they know that's I don't think it's gonna.

Steve apparently decision was made sometime last night -- to have this turn.

It coincides with perhaps the filing time of the New York Times.

-- a story about the Obama campaign.

Giving back several 100000 dollars collected by family members of the Mexican casino owner who skipped bail seventeen years ago after being arrested on drug and fraud charge.

Right some speculation that they released -- at that time to overwhelm that story in and cover up what could have been a difficult news cycle for them look you know.

I grew that he be -- political impact of this it is not something that if you ask voters should give them twenty options.

Campaign finance is going to be 9020.

In -- survey about.

Issues of political importance so in that sense I don't think it matters it.

Is it hypocritical of course it's hypocritical it's tremendously hypocritical and you now have you -- mainstream news outlets writing straight news stories.

Accusing the president either flip flops or a turnaround on the issue so.

To the extent that and you know -- it.

Wears away his ability to say I'm straight I'm principal on that's it hurts but this is this is not something that voters really care about November terms.

The reason is not gonna hurt him is because you don't do care about.

Campaign finance the ones who've been pushing it for a generation that -- liberals who believe that somehow you can take.

Money ahead of campaigns and do it in -- way that -- in the gross attack on the First Amendment.

Which is not so but nonetheless it's believed so by going against him by acting -- the -- in the name of expediency.

Which is exactly what Obama did hear the way he did in 2008.

The only people who could be offended -- liberals and we're gonna support Obama anyway.

So the net effect on the election is zero.

Something that is having an effect increasingly appears by the day is this.

Mandate under the president's health care law that the cost of female contraception be fully covered.

All employer health plans even a Catholic affiliated schools hospitals and charities.

Where that of course would go against and violate church doctrine the backlash here we've done a number of stores on another one with James Rosen tonight.

Charles it is it seems that it continues to -- game and that there was an indication today that there.

That the administration might back down but then Jay Carney the white house Press Secretary said they're not reconsidering it.

Well we had actually run this morning who began a -- a -- meaning to.

To look for a way out a compromise -- in case.

-- you as you said you get Carney who want to back to walk back.

Who seem to say we're not gonna change and -- I would predict that they're gonna have a third situation and gonna walk back the walk back of the walked back.

They are in any -- and the reason is this is a very powerful issue.

They might have imagined being liberals and secularist and will only affect the small minority of -- know a devout Catholics who themselves don't practice.

Contraception.

But in fact it offends everybody.

Well there and whatever your personal.

Look at the if you want contraception.

It's an assault on the church and on the good works and does and it doesn't respect.

That a church isn't only what happens in that in prayer.

It's also what happens when it deals with the -- and the poor.

And the hungry and it has to practice it's faiths and what he's doing what the administration -- done to ignore that.

And really curtail religious liberty -- that I think is a powerful issue other elements so gather in the administration I think in the end he's gonna have to capable.

-- -- shockwave really hit after Sunday when people Catholics around the country went to church and it was a topic of conversation in the -- Yes and and it is if -- -- right it has the potential to offend Catholics who voted for Obama on 2008.

And very important.

Pockets of of the country in Ohio.

And Michigan and Pennsylvania where the president really needs to win in a close election he can't afford to -- -- and he knows it.

Mitt Romney ensconced took this issue from Newt Gingrich we might mention.

And he has his own issues on this he was for what's called him he was called in 2000 -- emergency contraception which you know -- first was aborted pills.

So it is also going to be an issue in the presidential.

Top campaign.

Stage but for President Obama this is a big general election campaign issue for the Republican nominee knows that I think Charles Wright and I've that they could walk it back what are you saying that if Mitt Romney is the nominee.

That somehow President Obama he really has tested.

By Mitt Romney as governor his actions -- in pastures you know I don't know ultimately happened who will win that debate I know that the conservatives.

In the race -- were running -- Romney will use it against some ultimately -- Well they already -- Rick Santorum hasn't happened in Politico today in which makes precisely that charges says.

Mitt Romney is not the person who can make this argument against President Obama because he's compromised by his own actions.

In the 2005 time for -- it's similar to the argument that Santorum is making.

On health care and on the individual -- I think Charles is exactly right I would just broaden his point a little bit this this is something I think the Obama administration has been totally taken by surprise.

And it particularly taken by surprise and the attacks that they've gotten from the -- From liberal Catholics.

Who do we know are totally offended by this by this mandate in -- if you seem to me is it seems to be less say and issue.

Church a church state issue and much more size of government issue it beyond that it touches on the libertarian aspect and get the government out of any kind of religious activity any any activity for these different institutions right I think that's why do they -- these two groups on one hand you have.

Liberal Catholics who are offended abide by its infringement on the rights of of the church on the other hand you have -- it's the size of government issue for people who are Catholics who think.

What is the federal government doing mandate making these kind of mandates in the 2000 internally.

In the big issue was obamacare.

Which is a symbol of the intrusiveness and this is the perfect example the one example and others.

Emerged.

Something everybody understands it's not an abstraction big government intruding itself.

Taking over health care as you know theoretical -- This is an example of exactly how it doesn't and he hits as somebody who really -- to anyone which is religious liberties.

And and protection from the intrusion in the states and that's why it's a huge issue I think Obama administration.

Hugely underestimate how important you can actually sit on a panel with Mark Shields known liberal -- -- Catholic.

Cool he went ballistic on the show that we did -- last week and I took that.

As at least an index but I mean I've heard it from other people who are lay Catholics who aren't necessarily.

-- who who follow all of church doctrine even people like Catholic the idea that you would intrude on an important.

Doctrinal issue is an arrogance of Washington I think people had misunderstood.

Who built into Obama camp and imagine it was a dictate from the secretary.

HHS it can be done arbitrarily it's not even in the law.

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