Obama Fundraising Schedule Draws Republican Ire

June 4, 2012 RSS Feed Print

President Obama has a full schedule of fundraising events this week, giving the Republicans more ammunition to argue that he is much too focused on campaigning rather than governing.

Obama heads to New York City for a campaign event Monday, then spends the night back at the White House.

On Wednesday, it's back on the stump for more fundraising, with campaign events in San Franciso and Los Angeles, where he is scheduled to spend the night.

[Read: Obama, Clinton to Headline Trio of NYC Fundraisers]

On Thursday, it's on to Las Vegas and a campaign event at the University of Nevada, then back to D.C.

Last Friday, Obama held three fundraising events in Chicago and three in Minneapolis, raising an estimated total of more than $7 million, campaign sources said. GOP strategists argue that Obama's political schedule shows that his top priority is collecting enough cash to win re-election.

[Republicans: Obama a Hollywood Hobnobber]

The Republican National Committee is running a new web video Monday, titled "Meanwhile," slamming Obama for being out of touch.

The ad criticizes the president for using Vogue editor Anna Wintour in a fundraisng appeal Friday, the same day that a new federal report showed the unemployment rate increasing again.

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus argues in an E-mail to reporters: "Millions are out of work, struggling to make ends meet, and all this president cares about is raising money with the rich and famous to protect his own job."

Frank Donatelli, chairman of the GOPAC conservative political action committee and former political director for President Ronald Reagan, told Politico that Obama is campaigning "virtually nonstop" and often "on the taxpayers' dime."

Ken Walsh covers the White House and politics for U.S. News. He writes the daily blog "Ken Walsh's Washington" and is the author of "The Presidency" column for the U.S. News Weekly. He can be reached at kwalsh@usnews.com and on Facebook and Twitter.