Bill Maher donated a cool million dollars to Obama’s Super PAC Priorities USA.

Full transcript via Newsbusters:

Obama Choom

BILL MAHER: I’m sorry, but if you missed it, I don’t know if you heard what happened this week, but his wedding anniversary was Wednesday, and that was the same day as the debate. He apparently had the sex first and was completely spent, had nothing left, and it wound up Romney looked like the big winner and he looked like the Big Lebowski. What the f–k happened there? No, I was fascinated to watch these two men, I mean the contrast in their demeanor. Now we know what Romney looks like when he’s all charged up, and now we know what Michael Jackson looked like when he was on the diprivan.

[Laughter, applause, boos]

You f–king liberals, let me tell you something, you got to get on the reality page! I’m sorry. He sucked. He looked tired. He had trouble getting his answers out. It looks like he took my million and spent it all on weed. No, really. I have not seen a black man look that disinterested and annoyed since I dragged Chris Rock to that Beach Boys concert. I’m telling you, at one point Obama looked so dead Romney tried to baptize him. Well. Oh, I kid Mitt Romney. Hey, it’s Mormon in America.

I typically find Maher to be quite revolting, but that’s funny.

Update: And he wasn’t the only one thinking that Obama got his buzz on before the debate: Rapper Ice T Tells Obama ‘No Weed Before the Next Debate, Homie’

Update 2: Jonah Goldberg: “Breaking Video: Obama explains why he wasn’t prepared“

“When you start running ads accusing your opponent of killing people, then you have lost your credibility.”
~ Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom

As if  Obama had an iota of credibility, before the Soptic scandal erupted. But I digress.
Watch:

What does it say about a president’s character when his campaign tries to use the tragedy of a woman’s death for political gain?

What does it say about a president’s character when he had his campaign raise money for the ad then stood by as his top aides were caught lying about it?

Doesn’t America deserve better than a president who will say or do anything to stay in power?

Update: Ed Morrissey adds perspective.

Meanwhile, BuzzFeed reported a few minutes ago that Romney had an opportunity to run a similar ad against Mike Huckabee in 2008 — and vetoed it:

And:

A source close to the campaign tells me that this ad will be a “real buy” in swing states.

Update 2: Because the title is so very clever: #OccupyResoluteDesk Sure Likes To Use The ‘F’ Word

CNN White House Correspondent Brianna Keilar (Aug. 9, 2012):

I guess it did not dawn on whomever at CNN Soptic revealed this nugget to, to ask him the exact time frame of the supah special invite. It would be enlightening to know if the solicitation came; before, during or after the Obama camp lies.

Update: Check out this video at The Right Scoop — AWESOME: American Crossroads does MSM job for them, exposes collusion between OFA & Burton’s Super PAC

Previously:

RNC Ad Demolishes Obama Camp On Joe Soptic Lies “What Else Are They Lying About?”

Obama For America’s Ben LaBolt Lies About The Lying About The Joe Soptic Lie [Update: O Camp Press Sec'y Jen Psaki Joins In]

Video: Anti-Romney Cancer Death Ad Steelworker Joe Soptic Admits Bain Capital Offered Him A Buyout His 401K Not Affected By Plant Closure [Updated]

Joe Soptic Star of Priorities USA ‘Romney Gave His Wife Cancer’ Attack Ad Also Starred In Obama Camp Ad Blaming Romney For Loss Of Health Insurance [Update: O Camp Blatantly Lies 'Joe Soptic Who?']

CNN: Obama Blessed Super PAC ‘Priorities USA’ Ad Blaming Romney For Women’s Cancer Death “Not Accurate” “Full Of Falsehoods”

Also see:

Video: Obama Was Vehemently Against Super PAC’s Before He Was For Them

Former Obama Operatives’ Obama Super PAC ‘Priorities USA’ Has Failed To Register With The IRS

Hoisting the Obama campaign on their own petard.

Obama Campaign Joe Soptic lies timeline via Yid With Lid:

• Obama Campaign Press Secretary Jen Psaki: “We Don’t Have Any Knowledge Of The Story Of The Family.” “But neither the campaign nor the White House passed judgment on the vicious commercial, which emerged from a super PAC backing Obama. ‘We have nothing, no involvement, with any ads that are done by Priorities USA. We don’t’ have any knowledge of the story of the family,’ Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters aboard Air Force One.” (Oliver Knox, “Obama Campaign: Don’t Blame Us For Ad Blaming Romney For Cancer Death,”ABC News, 8/8/12)

• Obama Deputy Campaign Manager Stephanie Cutter: “ I Don’t Know The Facts Of When Joe’s Wife Got Sick Or When She Died .” CUTTER: “You do know that we don’t have anything to do with Priorities USA. By law, we’re not allowed to coordinate with them, and by law, we don’t have anything to do with their ads. I don’t know the facts of when Joe’s wife got sick or when she died.” (CNN’s “Starting Point,” 8/8/12)

• Obama Campaign Advisor Robert Gibbs: “ I Certainly Don’t Know The Specifics Of This Man’s Case.” GIBBS: “This is an ad by an entity that’s not controlled by the campaign. I certainly don’t know the specifics of this man’s case. I do think there is a lot of concern in the country about what happens when people lose their jobs.” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 8/8/12)

• While Team Obama Insists It’s Not “Familiar” With The Story Of Priorities USA Star Joe Soptic, All They Have To Do Is “Check Their Own Campaign Archives.” “When President Obama’s aides said they weren’t familiar with former Missouri steelworker Joe Soptic’s life story, all they had to do was check their own campaign archives. Soptic, laid off from Bain Capital-owned GST Steel, stars in a Priorities USA Action spot this week in which he tells of how his wife died without health insurance after he lost his job.” (Reid J. Epstein, “Team Obama Says They Don’t Know Story Of Man Who Stars Of Its TV Ad, Conference Call,” Politico, 8/8/12)

• Obama Deputy Campaign Manager Stephanie Cutter Hosted A Call With Soptic In May.“But Cutter hosted an Obama campaign conference call in May in which Soptic told reporters the very story featured in the Priorities spot.”[see video above] (Reid J. Epstein, “Team Obama Says They Don’t Know Story Of Man Who Stars Of Its TV Ad, Conference Call,” Politico, 8/8/12)

• Joe Soptic, The Star Of The Priorities USA Ad, Was Featured In An Obama Ad In May That Called Romney A “Vampire.” “Joe Soptic, the star of a new Priorities USA Action ad attacking Mitt Romney and a former employee of GST Steel, implies that Romney killed his wife – but it’s not the first charge he’s leveled at the presumptive Republican nominee. Soptic was featured in the controversial ad aired by the Obama campaign in May that called Romney a ‘vampire’ – a charge that drew condemnation from Democrats, including Newark Mayor Cory Booker.” (Zeke Miller, “Man In Super PAC Ad Starred In Controversial Obama Ad,” BuzzFeed, 8/8/12)

• “Soptic Also Appeared, Wearing What Appears To Be An Identical Shirt, In A May Television Ad For The Obama Campaign.” (Reid J. Epstein, “Team Obama Says They Don’t Know Story Of Man Who Stars Of Its TV Ad, Conference Call,” Politico,8/8/12)

• “Soptic Was Also Featured On The Obama Campaign Website.” (Zeke Miller, “Man In Super PAC Ad Starred In Controversial Obama Ad,” BuzzFeed, 8/8/12; Grant Fuller, “Faces Of Romney Economics: Joe Soptic, American Steelworker,”Obama For America, 5/15/12)

Previously:

• Obama For America Nat’l Pres Sec’y Ben LaBolt Lies About Lying About The Joe Soptic Lie [Update: O Camp Traveling Press Sec'y Jen Psaki Joins In]
• Video: Anti-Romney Cancer Death Ad Steelworker Joe Soptic Admits Bain Capital Offered Him A Buyout His 401K Not Affected By Plant Closure
• Joe Soptic Star of Priorities USA ‘Romney Gave His Wife Cancer’ Attack Ad Also Starred In Obama Camp Ad Blaming Romney For Loss Of Health Insurance [Update: O Camp Blatantly Lies 'Joe Soptic Who?']
• CNN: Obama Blessed Super PAC ‘Priorities USA’ Ad Blaming Romney For Women’s Cancer Death “Not Accurate” “Full Of Falsehoods”
• Video: Obama Was Vehemently Against Super PAC’s Before He Was For Them
• Former Obama Operatives’ Obama Super PAC ‘Priorities USA’ Has Failed To Register With The IRS

This January 2012 Joe Soptic-Bain whine fest predates both the Obama and the Priorities USA attack ads.

More from Beltway Confidential:

In January, Soptic complained to Democracy Now, a liberal non-profit TV station, that when the steel company he worked for was bought out by Bain, they tried to buy out his job.

“I guess the first thing I noticed that when the company was bought out by GST, They became very union non-friendly, they started looking for ways to eliminate jobs,” Soptic said.

“In my case in my department, they actually offered to buy our jobs out from underneath us,” Soptic said.

Why is Soptic upset? Primarily, its because his pension was cut. In this interview, Soptic clarified that his 401k was not affected but he lost $400 a month from his pension.

But in a January 2012 Reuters story, Soptic reportedly said that he only lost $283 per month from his pension. [...]

‘Ol Joe’s story is smelling fishier and fishier. And even if his wife needed insurance, which she didn’t. He had the funds to purchase private insurance for her. And if he had taken the buyout well… he would have been flush for sure.

H/T BC

Update: The plot thickens!

The steel plant was purchased in 1993 and closed in 2001. Mr. Romney departed Bain in 1999 and had no role in the decision to close the plant, his campaign said.

In an interview, Mr. Soptic said he thought the ad was fair. But he also said of Mr. Romney: “I’m not blaming him for her death. I wouldn’t do that.”

Mr. Soptic said that his wife was receiving health insurance through her employer at the time he lost his job at GST Steel, though she later suffered an injury, left her job and lost her insurance coverage. He could not say precisely when this occurred.

Mr. Soptic said that after he lost his job, he found work as a school custodian about six months later and had the option to put her on his insurance plan. But he opted not to, he said, because he could not afford the more than $350 monthly premium on the $25,000 salary he was making, on top of paying his mortgage and a daughter’s college tuition. Ilyona Soptic was diagnosed with cancer in 2006 and died that year.

Previously:

• Joe Soptic Star of Priorities USA ‘Romney Gave His Wife Cancer’ Attack Ad Also Starred In Obama Camp Ad Blaming Romney For Loss Of Health Insurance [Update: O Camp Blatantly Lies 'Joe Soptic Who?']
• CNN: Obama Blessed Super PAC ‘Priorities USA’ Ad Blaming Romney For Women’s Cancer Death “Not Accurate” “Full Of Falsehoods”

And as a matter of fact, the Obama campaign was so taken with former GST steel worker Joe Soptic he appears in the very beginning of the video, and reappears throughout.

This is a screenshot. Video link below.

From the video’s info:

Kansas City’s GST Steel had been making steel rods for 105 years when Romney and his partners took control in 1993. They cut corners and extracted profit from the business at every turn, placing it deeply in debt. When the company eventually declared bankruptcy, workers not only lost their jobs but were denied their full pensions and health insurance, and the government was forced to step in and provide a bailout.

Link at YouTube: http://youtu.be/ZMndjLIQUFw

Here is a screenshot of the video’s page on Obama’s ‘Truth Team’ starring Joe Soptic. That is him in the still frame below. Link: http://www.barackobama.com/romney/economics/gst/gst-intro

The Priorities USA video “Understands” featuring Obama video star Joe Soptic:

This is a screenshot. See video link below.

Link at YouTube: http://youtu.be/Nj70XqOxptU

Note: Mr. Soptic is wearing the same shirt in both videos. 

And Joe’s wife continued to have health insurance through her employer. His termination at GST Steel and subsequent loss of health insurance had no effect on her health care what…so…ever.

Moving along: NewsBusters reports that Obama Campaign Press Secretary Jen Psaki refused to condemn the Priorities USA ad. Is it any wonder since the Obama camp danced around the same accusation back in May?

In the 6 pm hour, [CNN's] Blitzer brought on Obama campaign press secretary Jen Psaki and Romney adviser Bay Buchanan. Psaki refused repeatedly to condemn the ad:

WOLF BLITZER: Let’s take a closer look now, Kate, at what may be the harshest political ad so far of this political season. [Section of ad replayed] You want to associate or disassociate yourself with this pro- Obama super PAC ad?

JEN PSAKI: Well, as you know, we have about as much to do with the priorities ads, the super PAC ads, as Michael — as we do with Michael Phelps winning gold medals last week. I can’t speak to the ad. I mean, there’s a larger question here we’ve been discussing for months, which is what we do and don’t know about Mitt Romney’s time at Bain, how long he was there, what decisions he was involved in, you know, who he laid off, who he was involved with laying off, and what benefits were cut.

BLITZER: Brianna Keilar did a fact check of that ad, and it is — it’s full of falsehoods. So you don’t have to — obviously, you had nothing to do with it. The campaign is not associated with the super PAC. But you can say, “You know what? We want to disassociate ourselves from that ad, because it’s repulsive.” Do you want to say something?

PSAKI: Well, first, Wolf, we have nothing to do with the ad. We’re focused on our race. We’re focused on going to Colorado tomorrow, and that’s where we’re at from the campaign side.

KATE BOLDUAN: Do you want to have inaccurate ads, inaccurate information out there? If this was coming from a Romney super PAC, you guys would be all over this.

PSAKI: Well, look, I mean, we’re focused about when the president goes out there, and he’s talking about the campaign, he’s talking about the differences between himself and Mitt Romney, he’s going to be out there tomorrow, talking about women’s health care, and providing access to affordable health care for women. That’s what this race is about. We can’t speak to the super PAC ads. We don’t have anything to do with them. So I don’t have anything further on the super PAC ads.

BLITZER: Because it is pretty — pretty serious here when you’re not doing it, but the super PAC is making this allegation that Mitt Romney is responsible for the death of this woman when that’s simply not true.

PSAKI: Well, Wolf, you know, I didn’t — I wasn’t involved with making the ad. No one on the campaign was involved with making the ad. Let the super PAC speak to that.

Bay Buchanan just dropped a rhetorical bomb on Psaki:

BUCHANAN: This is typical. We have the most powerful man in the world, president of the United States, takes no responsibility for his campaign, no responsibility for his PACs, no responsibility for his cabinet members, who are out there raising money for this PAC so this ad can run. Takes no responsibility for the pain and suffering this country is suffering. The people in this country are suffering with the high unemployment, loss of homes, falling into poverty. The only thing he takes responsibility for is the businesses other people are building.

Did the Obama campaign collude with Priorities USA’s production of the Romney attack ad, as the maker of this video believes? I would not put anything past them. But, it is a FACT that not only do Obama senior campaign officials speak at and appear at ‘Obama supported’ Priorities USA’s fundraising events, so do Obama administration and Cabinet officials. As announced in this Barack Obama.com blog posting by Obama’s campaign manager Jim Messina: Link: http://www.barackobama.com/news/entry/we-will-not-play-by-two-sets-of-rules

Raising funds, that no doubt go towards producing Obama friendly/ Romney attack ads. Obama and Priorities USA are as snug as two bugs in a rug, that much is clear…

Update: RB of the The Right Sphere lays out the facts:

Here we have a case where one guy, Joe Soptic, appeared in an Obama ad, then told a story about his wife dying on a conference call hosted by Stephanie Cutter, then told the same story in an ad that was made by former White House Deputy Press Secretary, Bill Burton, who now runs Priorities USA – A pro-Obama SuperPAC. ……

Team Romney has put up a detailed chronicling of the deception here.

Again, to make it really simple:

1) The Obama campaign used Joe Soptic in an ad.

2) The Obama campaign hosted a conference call where Joe Soptic told his story.

3) Joe Soptic tells the same story in an ad made by a former White House senior staffer.

4) The Obama campaign refuses to denounce the ad and even claims they have no knowledge of Soptic’s story.

5) Busted.

Update 2: Lookie here, another Obama camp connected Joe Soptic sighting! This time in a BarackObama.com blog posting.

Link: http://www.barackobama.com/news/entry/faces-of-romney-economics-joe-soptic-american-steelworker

Update 3: Audio of Joe Soptic’s conference call with Obama’s Deputy Campaign manager Stephanie Cutter.

Cutter LYING trough her teeth:

(CNN) –On CNN’s Early Start Wednesday morning, Obama for America Deputy Campaign Manager Stephanie Cutter also denied that she knew the details of Soptic’s story.

“Well, you do know that we don’t have anything to do with Priorities USA,” Cutter told CNN’s John Berman. “That by law, we’re not allowed to coordinate with them, and by law we don’t have anything to do with their ads. I don’t know the facts of when Joe Soptic’s wife got sick or when she died.”
……
On a May 14 Obama campaign conference call featuring both Soptic and Cutter, he even told an almost identical story to the one he tells in the new Super PAC ad.
……
At the end of his remarks, Soptic turns the call back over to Cutter.

“We really appreciate you sharing your experiences,” Cutter said.

Update 4: Yet another Joe Soptic sighting on Barack Obama.com!

Link: http://www.barackobama.com/romney/economics/gst/gst-intro

In related news: Politico Catches Obama Campaign In Lie… and Buries It

Also see: CNN: Obama Blessed Super PAC ‘Priorities USA’ Ad Blaming Romney For Women’s Cancer Death “Not Accurate” “Full Of Falsehoods”

Video: Obama Was Vehemently Against Super PAC’s Before He Was For Them

Former Obama Operatives’ Obama Super PAC ‘Priorities USA’ Has Failed To Register With The IRS

Followup here: Star of Inaccurate Priorities USA Ad Also Starred In Obama Camp Ad Blaming Romney For Loss Of Health Insurance

Also see:
Video: Obama Was Vehemently Against Super PAC’s Before He Was For Them

Former Obama Operatives’ Obama Super PAC ‘Priorities USA’ Has Failed To Register With The IRS

The Super PAC that Obama has given his blessing to.

"We (Priorities USA) are committed to the reelection of President Obama.."

Link: http://www.prioritiesusaaction.org/about

(Fact Check.Org) –Priorities USA and its sister organization, Priorities USA Action, were formed in April [2011] by ex-White House staffers Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney as a Democratic counter to American Crossroads/Crossroads GPS. Burton was President Obama’s deputy press secretary and Sweeney was a senior adviser to Obama’s first chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel.

Priorities USA Action is a so-called “super PAC” registered with the Federal Election Commission. It can raise unlimited amounts of money but must disclose the source of its donations. It filed statement of organization papers on April 28 and raised $3.2 million in its first two months, according to the group’s midyear report. Most of that money came from film producer Jeffrey Katzenberg of DreamWorks, who donated $2 million. Katzenberg is also a major fundraiser for the president’s reelection. He has raised more than $500,000, according to the Obama campaign.

The PAC also received $500,000 each from the Service Employees International Union and Chicago media mogul Fred Eychaner, founder of the Newsweb Corp.

Priorities USA is a 501(c)(4) organization registered with the IRS. It can raise unlimited amounts of money and does not have to disclose its donors.

(The IRS maintains records online for political organizations, but there is no record of Priorities USA. Burton said the group did register with the IRS and has started to raise money.)

The FactCheck.org article is dated September 18, 2011 and as of today (Feb. 8, 2012) the IRS still has no record of Priorities USA’s (formed in April 2011) registration. That for the mathematically challenged, is nearly a year in.

Screenshot Feb. 8, 2012: Zero results found re: Priorities USA IRS registrationÂ

[http://forms.irs.gov/politicalOrgsSearch/search/basicSearch.jsp]

Theodore “Teddy” Johnston, a lawyer who headed Obama’s Florida fundraising committee in the 2008 campaign, serves as the executive director of both groups and oversees the fundraising operation, Burton told us. Until recently, Johnston was chief of staff to the International Trade Administration in the Department of Commerce.

Burton and Sweeney both hold the title of senior strategist. Paul Begala, a longtime Democratic consultant and CNN political contributor, is also a senior adviser to the groups, Burton said. [...]

http://www.factcheck.org/2011/09/priorities-usapriorities-usa-action/

BTW SEIU not only donates to Priorities USA, the two work in tandem creating attack ads: http://www.prioritiesusaaction.org/blog/2012-01-release-in-new-florida-ad-campaign-seiu-and-prioriti

And here is the WhoIs info on the domain PrioritiesUsaAction.org:

Domain ID:D162135085-LROR
Domain Name: PRIORITIESUSAACTION.ORG
Created On: 27-Apr-2011 15:56:48 UTC
Last Updated On: 06-Jan-2012 00:25:29 UTC
Expiration Date: 27-Apr-2015 15:56:48 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar: Network Solutions LLC (R63-LROR)
Status: CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Registrant ID: 51980240-NSI
Registrant Name: Megan Brencarth
Registrant Street1: 1101 15th St NW Suite 205
Registrant Street2:
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City: WASHINGTON
Registrant State/Province: DC
Registrant Postal Code: 20005
Registrant Country: US
Registrant Phone: +1.2027287780
Registrant Phone Ext.:
Registrant FAX:
Registrant FAX Ext.:
Registrant Email:
Admin ID:51980240-NSI
Admin Name: Megan Brencarth
Admin Street1:1101 15th St NW Suite 205
Admin Street2:
Admin Street3:
Admin City: WASHINGTON
Admin State/Province: DC
Admin Postal Code: 20005
Admin Country: US
Admin Phone: +1.2027287780
Admin Phone Ext.:
Admin FAX:
Admin FAX Ext.:
Admin Email:
Tech ID: mmr-105712
Tech Name: Domain name Administrator
Tech Organization:  Priorities USA Action
Tech Street1: 1201 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Tech Street2:
Tech Street3:
Tech City:  Washington
Tech State/Province:DC
Tech Postal Code:20004
Tech Country:US
Tech Phone:+1.2083895740
Tech Phone Ext.:
Tech FAX:
Tech FAX Ext.:
Tech Email:
Name Server:NS1.DNSIMPLE.COM
Name Server:NS2.DNSIMPLE.COM
Name Server:NS3.DNSIMPLE.COM
Name Server:NS4.DNSIMPLE.COM
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
DNSSEC:Unsigned

Does the name “Megan Brencarth” ring a bell with anyone?

Linked at Repubx…thanks!

Obama’s SuperPAC Super Flip Flop

BreitbartNews

Obama 2007: ‘You can’t be against Super PACs one day and for them the next’

GOPICYMI

H/T The Right Scoop

Dan Riehl has more here.

Also see: Former Obama Operatives’ Obama Super PAC ‘Priorities USA’ Has Failed To Register With The IRS