Obama campaign to host conference on future plans

Former staff and volunteers for President Obama's successful reelection campaign will hold a conference in Washington over the inauguration weekend to solicit ideas on how to move forward with the sprawling organization developed over two presidential bids.

In an email to supporters Thursday, former Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said the group would host discussions with the goal of figuring out how to use the campaign's infrastructure and voter database to support the president in his second term.

"Issues like immigration, climate change, and gun violence will be debated over these next four years, and President Obama is ready to take them on — but he needs us by his side," Messina wrote. "Our goal is to help him get things done, but also to help change how things get done in Washington in the first place."

The event has been dubbed the "Obama Campaign Legacy Conference," and supporters across the country were encouraged to participate online. According to the campaign, participants will also have a voice in "the structure and leadership of the new organization." Links from the email also prompt supporters to continue to donate to the campaign, a sign that the president's record-shattering fundraising team could continue to be a major force in future cycles.

On Thursday, Politico reported that Messina would be opening the newly restructured group's office just blocks from the White House. While he is not expected to hold an official West Wing title, the former campaign manager will likely play a large political role in Obama's second term — especially with the expected retirement of senior adviser David Plouffe.

One possibility is that the campaign is converted into a super-PAC or issues-based nonprofit organization. Alternatively, the campaign could turn over its databases to the Democratic National Committee, although it has thus far been reluctant to allow other candidates access.

The former Obama campaign has already played a prominent role in policy debates since the president's reelection. During the debate over the "fiscal cliff," the campaign frequently emailed supporters in an attempt to rally them around the Democrats' tax plan. After a deal was struck, the president recorded a video celebrating the deal that was released in an email to the campaign's listserv.

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