The committee in charge of President Obama’s second inauguration is struggling to raise the $50 million needed to throw the relatively tame bash. In a conference call to major donors on Thursday — many of who believe that they’ve already enough to earn complete access to inaugural events — officials confirmed that they only have around $40 million so far. (Some donors tell the New York Times the real figure is closer to $30 million.)
With just a week left to go, the team has been discounting costly packages and sending “daily deal” e-mails to prospective givers with offers like cheaper tickets to a Katy Perry-headlined Kids’ Inaugural. Corporate donations, which Obama decided to accept this year after declining them in 2009, have fallen short of expectations, as well. Whether it’s donor fatigue or the stench of fiscal negotiations still hanging over Washington, D.C., it seems that an updated First Family photo op is no longer a must-have for many of the Democrats’ former big givers.
