Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Pana March 17, 2009, Mutungamiri Obama akazivisa kuti akanga aronga Rooney kuti ave mumiriri weU.S. anotevera kuIreland, achidudza kutsigira kwenguva refu kwomuridzi nokuda kwezvikonzero zvorupo zveIrish-America. Muna 2008, Rooney akapa $30,000 kukomiti yeDemocratic Party iyo yakabatsira mushandirapamwe waObama
, maererano neCQ MoneyLine, sangano risiri rezvematongerwe enyika rinoongorora mipiro yezvematongerwe enyika. Maererano naDavid Lewis, musayendisiti wezvematongerwe enyika paVanderbilt University uye munyori webhuku rinonzi "The Politics of Presidential Appointments", "kupa vatsigiri vezvematongerwe enyika zvinzvimbo zvevamiririri venyika inzira ine ngozi shoma yokuti vatungamiriri venyika vabhadhare zvikwereti zvavo zvokusarudza musarudzo".