President Barack Obama's political team is raising $50 million to convert his re-election campaign into a powerhouse national advocacy network, a sum that would rank the new group as one of Washington's biggest lobbying operations. Giving or raising $500,000 or more puts donors on a national advisory board for Obama's group and the privilege of attending quarterly meetings with the president, along with other meetings at the White House. Moreover, the new cash demands on Obama's top donors and bundlers come as many of them are angling for appointments to administration jobs or ambassadorships.
