White House doubles down on Chamber criticism over donors

President Obama is not backing off his attacks on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, according to White House press secretary Robert Gibbs.

Obama has been intensifying his assault on the Chamber, accusing the group of using foreign money to fund its advertising against Democratic candidates.

{mosads}But at fundraisers in Miami on Monday night, the president avoided the now-familiar part of his stump speech, leading some to question whether intense push-back from the Chamber, Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie was having an effect.

Gibbs said “the president didn’t do a bunch of his stuff last night,” but Gibbs said that with three weeks to go until the midterm elections, Obama will still target the Chamber going forward.

“The president will continue to make the case that we don’t know where this money comes from and entities like the Chamber have said they get money from overseas,” Gibbs said.

The Chamber, and well-known Republicans Rove and Gillespie, have been fierce in their push back, accusing the White House of ignoring soft money contributions to the president’s campaign and ads run by liberal and union groups.

Gibbs said the president wants all donors to all groups disclosed, and any attempt to blur those lines is a “very convenient Rovian trick.”

Rove, a key adviser to former President George W. Bush and an enduring boogeyman to Democrats, also  accused the White House of keeping an enemies list like former President Nixon.

“I’m releasing our enemies list,” Gibbs said Tuesday morning, holding up a blank piece of paper. “Nobody’s on it. Now can we see the Chamber’s donor list?”