After President Barack Obama announced the launch of his reelection campaign on Monday, it didn't take long for Republicans to go on offense in responding to the news.
The Republican National Committee came out swinging with an ad titled "Hope Isn't Hiring." The one-minute spot was debuted alongside a website requesting donations in support of GOP efforts to defeat Obama in the next election cycle.
"It's official. President Obama's reelection campaign is off and running, meaning once again the president is putting politics ahead of the work of the people," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus in response to the campaign announcement. "Despite a looming government shutdown, a new military operation in Libya and Tax Day around the corner, President Obama made the decision to focus on kicking off his billion dollar campaign. As the debt and reckless spending championed by this administration threatens to snuff out the recovery and future job growth, the President's conscious decision to take a back seat on leadership is downright irresponsible. Simply put, America can't afford four more years of Barack Obama."
Obama is expected to shatter fundraising records and amass an eye-popping $1 billion in his reelection campaign. Reuters reports:
President Barack Obama is no longer the outsider candidate who fueled his bid for the White House in 2008 with a flood of small donations from new and young voters inspired by his message of hope and change.
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This time, the former Illinois senator is no longer the fresh political face seeking to become the first black U.S. president. His 2012 campaign will be a bigger, slicker machine likely to dwarf that of his eventual Republican opponent.
The Washington Post reported over the weekend:
Facing an energized Republican Party and deep-pocketed conservative groups, President Obama is kicking off his 2012 reelection campaign with a concerted push for help from wealthy donors and liberal groups unbound by spending limits.
The strategy -- which could begin in earnest as early as Monday with the formation of an official presidential committee -- suggests a notable shift in emphasis for a president who has long decried the outsize role of money in politics.
Click here to watch Obama's video campaign announcement, which was sent to supporters early Monday morning. Below, the attack ad released by the RNC responding to the news.
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