Venue for Obama's convention speech draws criticism

(By NBC's Michael Isikoff) - The Democratic Party's decision to move President Obama's acceptance speech to the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte has surprised some party activists -- and stirred criticism -- over the use of a venue named for a company that has been at the center of the financial crisis.

"God almighty, I can't believe it." said one top Democratic fundraiser when he learned of the decision to move the speech to Bank of America stadium, where the NFL Carolina Panthers play their football games. "This is an amateur’s mistake."

Convention officials vigorously defended the decision today, saying the use of the open-air 74,000 seat stadium would help excite supporters and enable far more people to see the speech, "That allows for greater participation by Americans from all walks of life," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.

But party officials privately confirmed that the move can help with fundraising despite what one called "an obvious optics" problem. And the use of a stadium -- whose naming rights belong to a bank that has been engulfed in controversies over foreclosures, bank fees and bailouts -- was denounced by some watchdog groups.