Fw: Washington Post: Pro-Obama super PAC Priorities USA positions itself to support Hillary Clinton

From:sfxsweeney@msn.com To: john.podesta@gmail.com, CBaker@deweysquare.com, mwhouley@deweysquare.com, jim@themessinagroup.com, mmoore@deweysquare.com Date: 2013-08-29 14:04 Subject: Fw: Washington Post: Pro-Obama super PAC Priorities USA positions itself to support Hillary Clinton

Craig and I were aware these guys have been nosing around this week. I did not speak with them, and Paul declined to comment, so they made a lot out of not much, and quick. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry ----- http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pro-obama-super-pac-priorities-usa-positions-itself-to-get-behind-hillary-clinton/2013/08/29/16cc98c6-1019-11e3-bdf6-e4fc677d94a1_print.html Pro-Obama super PAC Priorities USA positions itself to support Hillary Clinton By Philip Rucker and Matea Gold, Thursday, August 29, 11:23 AM Priorities USA Action, the pro-Obama super PAC that led the attacks against Republican Mitt Romney, is quietly positioning itself to become the main independent group funding a media campaign for Hillary Rodham Clinton in the 2016 presidential race, according to Democrats familiar with the plans. Strategists and donors to Priorities are in discussions about how best to help Clinton should she decide to run again for president, three Democrats familiar with the talks said. The emergence of Priorities as a pro-Clinton ally would introduce a heavyweight player into the rapidly intensifying effort by super PACs to shape the 2016 landscape. The people familiar with the plans said Priorities is developing a different mission than Ready for Hillary, a group started earlier this year by ardent Clinton supporters and now backed by longtime Clinton associates. While Ready for Hillary is focused on grassroots organizing, Priorities is planning to become what one of the sources called "the big money vehicle" that would produce and air expensive television advertisements. The sources requested anonymity because the plans for Priorities have not been finalized. Priorities strategist Paul Begala, a former Clinton White House adviser, declined to comment on behalf of the super PAC. One of the sources said Priorities is not planning to become active in the race until Hillary Clinton "gives a definite nod that she's going to run." Already, however, conservative super PACs such as the Stop Hillary PAC have jumped into the fray with attacks on Clinton - activities that could prompt her allies to launch a media response before she even decides whether to get in the race. Priorities, started by two former Obama White House aides, was widely regarded as one of the most effective independent groups in the 2012 presidential race. After a sluggish fundraising start, the super PAC ended up raising nearly $80 million - money it poured into a relentless barrage of television commercials that portrayed Romney as an elitist corporate raider. Unlike federal candidates, super PACs can accept unlimited contributions, as long as they do not coordinate their strategy directly with candidates or political parties. While Priorities spent far less than the pro-Romney super PAC, Restore Our Future, the group's early and consistent focus on Romney's record at Bain Capital put a negative cast on his business experience that proved hard for the GOP nominee to shake. "They got off to a slow start, but they had a really strong finish, and ultimately they received a lot of credit for the negative messaging that was most effective against Romney," said Phil Singer, a Democratic strategist who ran the war room for Clinton's 2008 White House bid. "Priorities has been able to establish credibility." Refashioning itself as a pro-Clinton super PAC would be a natural fit for Priorities, which already has strong ties to both Clintons. Sean Sweeney, who was the top aide to then-White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, helped launch Priorities with former White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton and continues to steer it. Sweeney worked as a legislative assistant for then-Sen. Hillary Clinton and people in Clinton's orbit described Sweeney as a trusted loyalist. Begala, who remains an adviser to Priorities, was a strategist on Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign and later served as a political counselor in his White House. Harold Ickes, the super PAC's president, has been as a top adviser to both Clintons, while Geoff Garin, who was the group's pollster and strategic adviser last year, was a top strategist on Clinton's 2008 campaign. Priorities also has relationships with some of the top Democratic givers, including DreamWorks Animation Chief Executive Jeffrey Katzenberg, one of its founding donors, who ultimately gave the super PAC $3 million. Katzenberg remains committed to working with the group, according to a person familiar with his plans. Hedge fund manager James H. Simons, who contributed $5 million to Priorities and hosted a fundraiser for the group, is a longtime Clinton backer. Chicago media baron Fred Eychaner, who gave $4.5 million to Priorities, is one of the biggest supporters of the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation, giving the nonprofit more than $25 million so far. Texas trial lawyers Steve and Amber Mostyn, who donated more than $3 million to Priorities, are actively supporting Clinton's potential 2016 candidacy and are founding members of Ready for Hillary's national finance council. And Qualcomm founder Irwin M. Jacobs, who gave $2 million to Priorities last year, is an early Clinton backer. Jacobs and his wife Joan each gave the maximum $25,000 to Ready for Hillary. Some fundraisers who bundled donations for Clinton's 2008 White House bid, such as entertainment executive Haim Saban and producer Steven Spielberg, were also big donors to Priorities in 2012. Since last year's election, Priorities has been quiet about its plans. The super PAC has kept on Begala and made a few donations this spring, including $250,000 to the pro-Democratic Senate Majority PAC, which was used by the group in its campaign against Republican Gabriel Gomez in the Massachusetts special Senate election, according to Senate Majority PAC spokesman Ty Matsdorf. Priorities also gave $100,000 to EMILY's List, a group that works to elect pro-choice Democratic women and has launched a "Madam President" campaign to lay the groundwork for Clinton. As of the end of June, Priorities still had nearly $3.4 million in the bank left over from the 2012 cycle and no debt. Priorities would play a distinct role from Ready for Hillary, which has stressed its focus on grassroots organizing. Ready for Hillary intends to be financed by low-dollar contributions - going so far as to cap donations at $25,000. With a strong social media presence, its profile has risen rapidly, amassing 700,000 supporters on Facebook so far. The super PAC now has eight paid staffers, including Alissa Ko, a newly hired organizer who will run a team of youth and regional directors. Several longtime Clinton aides are supporting Ready for Hillary; the group is being advised by Ickes and former Clinton White House political director Craig Smith, among others. It remains unclear if the super PACs would work together. Ready for Hillary officials declined to comment. A Democratic source familiar with Priorities' plans said there is "a lot of chaos right now" among the party's operative class to get in place to help a possible Clinton campaign. "It's like a bunch of kids under the hoop trying to get the ball and everybody's jockeying for position and nobody's shot the ball yet," the source said. The plotting by Democratic operatives intent on getting in on the 2016 action early speaks to how differently outside groups are viewed on the political left since just a few years ago. When Priorities USA launched in 2011, it initially struggled to raise funds, rebuffed by liberals who were dismayed by the reemergence of big money in politics that followed a series of federal court decisions in 2010. "The pragmatic elements of the left have recognized that you can't unilaterally disarm," said Singer, who noted that just having a well-funded super PAC as an ally is no guarantee of success. "The big X factor is the group knowing how to read the candidate and make smart decisions."