Bill and Hillary Clinton were famous for selling everything, including access to the president, for a price. A night in the Lincoln bedroom netted $5.4 million for the Democratic National Committee back in 1995 and 1996. Then there were the White House coffees for $50,000 to $100,000.
But now, we have the spectacle of Barack Obama making history by asking media outlets to pay for access to his Election Night party.
The best-funded political campaign in American history says news organizations will have to pay — in some cases almost $2,000 each — if they want to cover Barack Obama’s election-night celebration in Chicago.
A memo sent to news organizations on Tuesday by the Obama campaign says credentials will cost $715 to $1,815, depending on whether electrical and phone lines are needed and whether an indoor or outdoor seat is requested for the event, which is expected to be held outside the evening of Nov. 4 in Grant Park.
The only free admissions are for a “general media” area. But, the memo says, “Please note that the general media area is outdoors, unassigned and may have obstructed views . . . standing room only.”
The area also does not include access to top Obama campaign officials, whose statements likely are to be in hot demand on Election Night. They apparently will be available only in the “press file” tent, to which an additional admission fee of $935 per person is being imposed.
If Obama wins, will he start charging media outlets for spots at press conferences? Maybe an extra fee for asking questions?
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