$50K Gets You Inauguration Access to Romney

It's now clear that Mitt Romney is a shoo-in for the GOP nomination, but apparently he's pretty confident he's also a shoo-in for the presidency: For a $50,000 donation, the former Massachusetts governor is offering donors "preferred status at the first Presidential Inaugural retreat," according to a fundraising email obtained by BuzzFeed. The email was sent in connection with Romney Victory, a joint fundraising committee including Romney's campaign and the RNC.

The "Founding Members" who donate $50,000 or more to Romney Victory will also be invited to a retreat with Romney in California in June, and offered "yet to be determined access at the Republican National Convention in Tampa in August." It's "an unusual combination of promises of access and early measuring of the presidential drapes," notes Ben Smith on BuzzFeed, especially considering that presidents giving top donors access to official events has been a source of controversy for years. Click for more, including the full email. (More Mitt Romney stories.)