Top Obama Donors Witholding Money Over Executive Order Punt

I noted this morning my cynicism over the Joe Biden/Barack Obama song and dance over gay marriage and my feeling that it was a planned ruse to try to get the GayATM running at top speed once more.  Pam Spaulding reached a similar conclusion here.  And now a column in the Washington Post gives ammunition to my categorization of Obama as a slick, principle challenged politician who plays with peoples' lives with no consideration beyond securing votes and money.  It seems a number of heavy donors are none too happy with Obama's punting of the entry of an executive order that would bar federal contractors from discriminating based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity.  And these would be donors are demonstrating their wrath in a way that Obama (like the morally bankrupt Catholic hierarchy) understands: they've stopped handing over money.  Some of us can figure out when we're being played.   Here are some column excerpts:

Some leading gay and progressive donors are so angry over President Obama’s refusal to sign an executive order barring same sex discrimination by federal contractors that they are refusing to give any more money to the pro-Obama super PAC, a top gay fundraiser’s office tells me. In some cases, I’m told, big donations are being withheld.

Jonathan Lewis, the gay philanthropist and leading Democratic fundraiser, is one of many gay advocates who has been working behind the scenes to pressure Obama to change his mind. When Obama decided against the executive order last month, arguing that he would pursue a legislative solution instead, advocates were furious — such a solution will never pass Congress, the executive order has been a priority for advocates for years, and the move smacked of a political cave to conservatives who will not support Obama no matter what he does.

Now these and other donors are beginning to withhold money from Priorities USA, the main pro-Obama super PAC, out of dismay over the president’s decision.

Paul Yandura, a political adviser to Lewis, emails me a statement:

A number of gay and progressive donors, unsolicited, have indicated to us that they aren’t considering requests to donate to the Obama SuperPac because of the president’s refusal to the sign the order. And those are high-dollar asks, some in the seven digits. We have heard from at least half a dozen major gay and progressive donors that they stand united with us. There is still time for the President to do the right thing and sign this executive order, our great hope is that he does so immediately.

He declined to name names.

This comes as the White House is on defense on gay rights today, after it furiously clarified Joe Biden’s vague but supportive comments about gay marriage. The walkback is mystifying to donors and advocates who are already miffed about the executive order, and could stiffen their resolve to keep their wallets closed.