In a press release Monday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee goes after Republican 2nd Congressional District Scott Rigell, saying that he has “flip flopped” on his reason for donating to then presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Donates to Obama but Doesn’t Support Obama. “In March 2008, during the Democratic presidential primary, he gave $1,000 to then-candidate Barack Obama. ‘I had never at any point wanted Barack Obama to be president. It was to stop Hillary Clinton,’ Rigell said.” [Virginian Pilot, 3/01/10]
President Obama Moved Me to Donate. According to conservative magazine Human Events, “On a local blog, Rigell responded by saying that, “Yes, I was moved by his rhetoric and by the prospect of seeing a minority rise to the highest office in our land.” [Human Events, 5/12/10]
I saw that Human Events story last week. And I wondered which blog the comment appeared on. Thanks to Google, I was able to track it down. The comment comes from Rigell himself in this post from June 2009. The entire paragraph:
The only alternative on the Democratic side was Senator Obama. Yes, I was moved by his rhetoric and by the prospect of seeing a minority rise to the highest office in our land. If we were to end up with a Democrat president I wanted that person to be Obama, not Clinton; I was not indifferent to the two possible outcomes.
So yes, it appears that Rigell, an ardent Romney supporter, has changed his tune on the Obama donation. Does the reason for the donation make a difference to Republican primary supporters? I guess we’ll find out on June 8.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
don’t see change in tune.
In all I read there was consistency. Obama was a better choice than Clinton, in his opinion, so he sent a donation. How many folks donate to candidates, of both parties, for the same office. I don’t expect it is a rare occurrence.
Also looking forward to see what happens in June. Don’t think the donation should be THE reason to vote for or against.
It’s a parsing of the words.
as opposed to
Ever so slight, though.
And yes, it’s pretty rare for people (outside of lobbyists) to contribute to candidates of both parties, particularly large donors. Peruse vpap sometime and you’ll see what I mean.
Personally, though, I think the whole flap over the donation is silly. But then, I’m not a Republican primary voter.
Does Charlie Crist think his Obama hug was silly?
Is this the same DCCC that doesn’t have an issue with Blumenthal’s claim to have served in Vietnam? As a candidate, I’d much rather have this problem than that one.
Actually, I think that’s the DSCC (Senate)