Elizabeth Warren's fundraising hypocrisy takes center stage

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At last Thursday's Democratic debate, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized Mayor Pete Buttigieg for hosting a big-dollar fundraiser in a wine cave.  "The mayor just recently had a fundraiser that was held in a wine cave full of crystals and served 900 a bottle wine," she said.

From the sound of that criticism, it seems like Warren isn't an advocate for expensive fundraisers, especially one where expensive wine is involved.

However, a recent Associated Press story points out that the senior Senator from Massachusetts has used wine in her own fundraisers before. " The AP notes that " On a Saturday evening in June 2018, with temperatures in the 70s and the Red Sox playing at Fenway Park, supporters of Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren gathered at the City Winery Boston for a fundraiser." The article goes on to add that "For [top donors] and others who gave at least $1,000, there was also a gift: a souvenir wine bottle." 

If a bottle of wine costing 900 dollars was too much for Warren, wouldn't a "souvenir wine" bottle given out to people who spent over 1000 be even worse?

When faced with this hypocrisy, Warren told reporters that she's changed her ways. Even so though, there's no escaping the fact that Warren relied on huge fundraisers just last year to raise money.

President Obama's former adviser David Axelrod even noted the "unforced error" on Twitter, writing that "This was the danger in the @ewarren 'wine cave' attack on @PeteButtigieg. Her own past fundraising practices were pretty much in line with his, including even some of the same high dollar sponsors."

This was the danger in the @ewarren “wine cave” attack on @PeteButtigieg. Her own past fundraising practices were pretty much in line with his, including even some of the same high dollar sponsors. She invited stories like this. Unforced error.https://t.co/OpO7U9avP3

— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) December 21, 2019