Biden campaign: Super PACs needed to fight Trump

[highplainsdem]

https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/biden-campaign-super-pacs-needed-to-fight-trump-1881500/

Former Vice President Joe Biden will accept outside help from high-dollar super PACs during his presidential bid in order to fight a separate election battle against President Donald Trump, Biden campaign manager Greg Schultz said during a Tuesday stop in Las Vegas.

“The reality is Biden has to engage a primary against 20-something Democrats and a general election at the same time,” Schultz said.

-snip-

Schultz said the president is “willing to commit impeachable offenses to take down Joe Biden.” Trump’s campaign and allies have already spent at least $10 million to attack Biden more than a year out from the general and months before a Democratic nominee will be named, so the campaign must “use all resources that are legally available” to fight back, he said.

-snip-

The Biden campaign does not condone any super PAC money being used to target other Democrats, Schultz said.

-snip-

Schultz also said that "ideally" they "wouldn’t be in this situation."

He does understatement well.

I can't recall ever seeing an incumbent president use so much money and so many allies to try to eliminate one potential Democratic rival before the first primaries were held.

But they're doing so because they're terrified of Joe Biden's ability to beat Trump.

And I don't see anything wrong with Biden getting additional help in this extraordinary situation.

Schultz made it clear that the campaign isn't encouraging super PAC expenditures, though it's lifted its ban on them. And Biden continues to support a constitutional amendment to reform campaign finance that would abolish super PACs.

But in the meantime, he's smart not to disarm unilaterally.

[WheelWalker]

1. I agree. It is total war.

[Turin_C3PO]

2. True.

We need a huge war chest to go against Trump.

[pangaia]

4. Any candidate will...

[Turin_C3PO]

5. Yes.

[George II]

3. All we've been hearing for months, if not years, from some progressives is that....

...."you can't show up to a gun fight with a knife." But if you DO show up to a gun fight with a knife, you lose. Yet you get bashed as being "corrupt", "beholden", "in the pocket" of billionaires and corporate interests if you show up with a gun.

[Bradshaw3]

8. He's not in a gun fight with his Democratic opponents

Is it Ok to use a Super Pac with unlimited dark money to beat them?

[George II]

9. He is NOT "using a Super PAC".

[Bradshaw3]

10. Yeah whatever but please answer the question

There is no coordination between a campaign that just announced they will accept a Super PACs help and Biden supporters who just happened to form one.

Now for the question, is it OK to use one against Democrats?

[George II]

13. As far as that question is concerned, it's a moot point. There are other candidates who are using...

... Super PACs against Democrats. Not just Presidential candidates, but candidates down ballot.

[Bradshaw3]

15. What a dodge

It is NOT a moot point and you know it. And this facile "other candidates" dodge is just a deflection. Other DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES aren't using Super Pacs. The question is about Biden supporting Super Pac attacking his Democratic rivals for the nomination. That is it. For some reason you don't want to address that.

[highplainsdem]

19. You're sniping at Biden and Biden supporters for something that hasn't happened. And his campaign

manager made a clear statement on this.

[Bradshaw3]

23. And you are making a baseless accusation rather than address the problem

Which is super PACS and whether it is ok to use them to attack other Democrats. And is campaign manager has no control over the Super PAC, no matter how "clear" he was. At least they are not supposed to.

Again, I happen to be cynical about Super PACS as I thought all Democrats would be. It's not sniping to call attention to the problems they have caused in our democracy. I thought all Dems agreed on this but I guess if a candidate isn't doing well in the funding department, then it's get the big donor dark money and say who cares.

[George II]

20. Other "DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES" have been using Super PACs....

...in the same sense that Biden is being accused of "using" them, although to date none have done so. But the fact of the matter is that NO candidate can "use" Super PACs, that's illegal.

If you're on twitter, you'd see that almost every day both Our Revolution and Justice Democrats have been attacking Biden and other Democratic candidates that are considered "threatening" daily.

I presume you and others are okay with that.

[Bradshaw3]

22. No I'm not OK with it and you still won't answer the question

Why not?

The real threat from Super PACS comes from the big donors and corporations with their dark money. I doubt very much whether these little left wing groups you talk about have that kind of money and influence.

But that is a different topic and another deflection from the question. Strange you won't anwer it despite so many opportunities.

[abqtommy]

6. Let's put that super-pac money into buying a fair and secure election, then we don't have to

worry about candidate support so much.

[Bradshaw3]

7. Does he need them to beat Democrats?

I mean he's way behind in funding but all the Biden supporters are talking about here is how they are "needed to beat trump" even though Biden isn't the nominee. We haven't even counted a vote yet so the supposed justification for going back on what he said doesn't apply. Instead it looks like he needs the big mony guys just to win the nomination. Not a good look.

So are these Super PACS going to go after his Democratic rivals? Is that going to be justified by this "extraordinary situation"? And if so what else is going to be justified in the future. Attack ads? Misleading ads? Where does it end?

[highplainsdem]

11. Trump and the RNC have already spent $10 million on ads attacking Biden, with the obvious hope

that another Democratic candidate, one they're much less afraid of, will be the nominee.

What part of the need to respond to that don't you understand?

And that's just one ad buy. Look at everything else Trump is doing to attack Biden.

Joe Biden isn't just another candidate. He's the greatest threat to Trump's re-election, and Trump knows that.

[Bradshaw3]

12. Why won't you answer the question?

I wasn't asking for a lecture based on opinion, not fact. And I dont base my vote on what trump thinks and neither should any Democrat.

What I am asking is it ok to use the Super PACs to attack fellow Democrats?

[highplainsdem]

14. Why don't you read the OP before asking pointless questions? The excerpt from the article answered

that.

[Bradshaw3]

16. His campaign manager said that

Will the Super PACS go along? Do you think it is ok to do that?

[highplainsdem]

18. Yes, his campaign manager said that. Let it sink in. n/t

[Bradshaw3]

21. Campaigns can't coordinate with Super PACS. Let that sink in

Excuse me if I am cynical about Super PACS. They have been known to do things the campaigns can claim plausible deniability about. If Biden doesn't do well early I could definiely see them going on attack mode. But hey I'm sure all those dark money donors are all good guys with the best of intentions, right?

[evertonfc]

17. and then some.

[Cha]

24. Good on BIDEN.. he's not going

to be beholden to anyone. I don't care about any damn litmus tests.