McCain Campaign: Obama's Opting Out Of Public Financing Shows He's "Typical Politician"
The battle has begun over Barack Obama's decision today to take a pass on public financing, with the McCain camp slamming Obama as a "typical politican" who broke an earlier pledge not to do this...
"Today, Barack Obama has revealed himself to be just another typical politician who will do and say whatever is most expedient for Barack Obama."The true test of a candidate for President is whether he will stand on principle and keep his word to the American people. Barack Obama has failed that test today, and his reversal of his promise to participate in the public finance system undermines his call for a new type of politics.
"Barack Obama is now the first presidential candidate since Watergate to run a campaign entirely on private funds. This decision will have far-reaching and extraordinary consequences that will weaken and undermine the public financing system."
More on this in a bit.
Late Update: The Obama campaign is blaming the McCain campaign for its decision, saying that Obama advisers met privately with McCain advisers, who were not interested in reaching an agreement. Full statement from Obama spokesperson Bill Burton after the jump.
In the past couple of weeks, our campaign counsels met and it was immediately clear that McCain's campaign had no interest in the possibility of an agreement. When asked about the RNC's months of raising and spending for the general election, McCain's campaign could only offer its expectation that the Obama campaign would probably, sooner or later, catch up. And shortly thereafter, Senator McCain signaled to the 527s that they were free to run wild, without objection.
Obama's campaign IS publicly funded... by me and others like me.
June 19, 2008 10:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
And plenty of lobbyists.
June 19, 2008 10:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
umm.... no.
Did you see that John McCain has taken over $1 millions from big oil in the last year?? Now we know why he flip-flopped on the Windfall Profits Tax and Offshore Drilling.
June 19, 2008 10:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
2 mil from oil the day he came out in favor of drilling.
June 19, 2008 10:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
They both take a lot of money through lobbyists.
June 19, 2008 12:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yep - individual lobbyists like me and my wife.
June 19, 2008 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Uh, wake up before you post !!
June 19, 2008 10:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Meant for you justinh.
June 19, 2008 10:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
See below.
June 19, 2008 12:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Um...except he will not accept a dime from lobbyists. If you are a lobbyist and try to donate to him, you will find that your check is returned in the mail. He will not accept it. I know lobbyists this has happened to. You do not know what you are talking about.
June 19, 2008 10:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Published on Sunday, April 22, 2007 by Los Angeles Times
Obama’s Refusal of Lobbyists’ Money Has its Limits
by Dan Morain
But the Illinois Democrat’s policy of shunning money from lobbyists registered to do business on Capitol Hill does not extend to lawyers whose partners lobby there.
Nor does the ban apply to corporations that have major lobbying operations in Washington. And the prohibition does not extend to lobbyists who ply their trade in such state capitals as Springfield, Ill.; Tallahassee, Fla.; and Sacramento, though some deal with national clients and issues.
“Clearly, the distinction is not that significant,” said Stephen Weissman of the Campaign Finance Institute, a nonpartisan think tank that focuses on campaign issues.
“He gets an asterisk that says he is trying to be different,” Weissman said. “But overall, the same wealthy interests are funding his campaign as are funding other candidates, whether or not they are lobbyists.”
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/04/22/681/
June 19, 2008 12:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
7 days exactly after McCain said he couldn't and wouldn't do anything about 527s. Who's the old-style politician?
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/politics/2008/view/2008_06_12_John_McCain_on_impending_war_of_words/srvc=home&position=0
And of course McCains guys wouldn't negotiate, they wanted a hammer, any hammer, to hit Obama with. Of course, Obama has soo many responses:
"It is sad that a one-time leader on the issue of campaign finance reform has now embraced a flawed system so completely. He has publicly stated he will do nothing to reign in 527 attack groups. He says nothing when his opponents and their families are smeared by these shadowy organizations. He has hired numerous lobbyists to work on his campaign, and many still do. He violated the spirit, and maybe the letter, of his own campaign finance law in his primary campaign when he used the promise of public financing as collateral to borrow money, then opted out of public financing when his campaign was in better times. And now, he deigns to berate anyone who actually raises money through small donations of individuals, instead of his traditional method of using large bundlers and fund raisers. Well, I'm a believer in fixing campaign finance so that big money interests are not driving my White House. Thats why lobbyists are not part of my campaign team and are not bundling contributions or holding fund-raisers for me. I choose to enact campaign finance reform by actually doing it instead of just talking about it."
June 19, 2008 11:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
That sounds like the perfect response to me!
June 19, 2008 11:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yep 1.5 million 'public financers'.
Obama supporters - you know what we need to do.
Give up the latte's, buy birkenstock knock-offs, drive the Prius a little less and use the extra cash to DONATE DONATE DONATE to the Obama campaign. Let's make McCain sorry for not having the guts to shut down the 527s.
June 19, 2008 12:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Does anyone else feel like this is a softball lobbed over the plate for Barack to hit out of the park?
June 19, 2008 10:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Too easy. It's ALL been too easy. That's what worries me.
June 19, 2008 10:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
Too easy indeed. This morning's update at Election Projection has Obama up 160 electoral votes! I'm not overconfident - we've got a long way to go - but it's hard not to feel excited about Obama's prospect, even if it is an uneasy excitement.
Let's put it this way, I'd rather it be +160 in Obama's favor right now than the other way around!
June 19, 2008 10:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
You know what's even better about that projection. Even if all the weak obama flip to mcbush, which they won't, obama still wins. Obama is in very good shape right now.
June 19, 2008 10:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, this line in particular is a big set-up:
They're going to slam him on all of his flip-flops over the past few years.
June 19, 2008 10:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
And how, you senile fuck, did he do that?
Really? That is your arguement? By doing something no nominee has ever done before Obama proves himself "typical"?
June 19, 2008 10:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hehehe, I noticed that contradiction too.
June 19, 2008 10:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
McCain is just not a smart individual. How he ever got to where he is one cannot figure out. Money and connections I guess, sure isn't due to intelligence. IQ must be hovering around Bush's.
June 19, 2008 10:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Which may be part of the reason he finished near the bottom (894 of 899) of his class at West Point. (Wikipedia implies his ranking had a lot to do with disciplinary issues, but also says he was not motivated to do more than just enough to pass subjects he had no interest in, like math.)
June 19, 2008 12:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
exactly i dont this issue matters if anything it shows how the public doesn't want mccain because they wont finance his campaign.
http://sensico.wordpress.com/2008/06/19/sexist-radio-show-hosts-and-low-class-wife-attacks-michelle/
June 19, 2008 10:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
My friends. I find it amusing that he always throws in a reference to obama that reveals how freaking old he is. I bet 1/2 the country or more is clueless about the details of watergate. What they do know is that a republican president had to resign over the matter and it happened a long, long, long time ago. It's like the carter references. The fool and his campaign are totally tone deaf. It's like watching in slow motion a train wreck about to happen.
Also, his press releases sound like his green wall speech. I envision him saying this release with that creepy smile and the green background. He needs to get some new writers or something.
Thank you.
June 19, 2008 10:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
He needs to get a new candidate...
June 19, 2008 10:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
What do you call free flights from your wife's business jet? What do you call lobbyists who right your economic and mortgage policy? What do you call getting 2 million from Big Oil the day you offer offshore drilling as a proposal?
The list could go on forever.... feel free to add on....
June 19, 2008 10:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
forgive my typos (right/write, etc). ugh!
June 19, 2008 10:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
"I'll take Hypocrisy for 200 Alex"
A: Chris Dodd & Kent Conrad.
Q:"What do you call lobbyists who write your economic and mortgage policy?"
June 19, 2008 10:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
"I'll take Hypocrisy for 1,000 Alex"
It's... the Daily Double!
"I'll wager the 2008 Election"
If you responde correctly, that would make you the 44th President of the United States. The answer in the category "Hypocrisy": John McCain's Straight Talk Express.
Q: "What is a bus driven by, lead by, and filled with lobbyists from axle to axle, to the point where the reporters on board may well be former lobbyists and it might even be fueled on the blood of deceased lobbyists and the voice on the GPS is even a former lobbyist?"
June 19, 2008 10:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Presidential campaign, dumbass. Trust me you don't want to open the can of worms that is the Senate....
June 19, 2008 10:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Joseph, is McCain in Minneapolis today?
June 19, 2008 10:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes. 2 events.
http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/president/20559039.html?location_refer=$urlTrackSectionName
June 19, 2008 11:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
One sign of the state of Mc Cain's campaign is that he will be running a small invitation-only "town hall" down the street from the X-cell arena.
Obama not only filled the arena 2 weeks ago, but the lines of people waiting to get in wrapped around 6 city blocks.
June 19, 2008 12:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
LOL, no biggie, GOP idiocy often affects my typing as well. I think just standing next to those clowns can actually lower your IQ. At least, that's what I heard on Faux News....
June 19, 2008 10:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
The "see, he's as bad as me" attack doesn't seem like a particularly strong one.
June 19, 2008 10:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
LOL!
Well not shit.
June 19, 2008 10:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
Someone's lost his bearings again. Where's Whispering Joe?
June 19, 2008 10:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
I thought Kerry and Bush foreswore public financing in 2004. Or was that just for the general election?
June 19, 2008 10:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
Saw that coming...
And I'm sure Obama was just waiting for McCain to walk right into that before unleashing another epic smackdown.
This isn't gonna be pretty (for Republicans). Somehow I think it will include McCain's scamming public financing to secure loans, McCain's failure to do anything about 527's, McCain's lobbyist connections and Cindy McCain's corporate jet.
June 19, 2008 10:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Do we know how many individual donors McCain has?
June 19, 2008 10:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Two. Cindy mcbush and barney.
June 19, 2008 10:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
Barney?
http://gofree.indigo.ie/~vcahill/huntstown/barney.jpg
June 19, 2008 10:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
Too funny. I was talking about barney the king's dog. I figured laura wouldn't want to contribute, so the only one left would be barney.
June 19, 2008 11:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
So, Barack isn't going to be using my tax dollars to buy airtime, or put fuel in his jet, and for some reason McSame thinks I'll be mad about that? Umm, ok. I know I'm prolly the first guy to point this out, but McSame is frakkin' senile. He's not Ronald Reagan, he's Ronald McDonald. Grimace is handling strategy, and The Hamburglar is is doing his accounting. My Friends, this is gonna be a good year for the Dems.
Obama 09
June 19, 2008 10:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
"I'll take Hypocrisy for 200 Alex"
A: Chris Dodd & Kent Conrad.
Q:"What do you call lobbyists who right your economic and mortgage policy?"
June 19, 2008 10:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
Posting it twice doesn't make it either on-topic or clever.
June 19, 2008 10:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
The first time it didn't attach to the comment it was intended for...it would be nice if we could delete double posts.
June 19, 2008 11:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ahh, we agree on something.
June 19, 2008 11:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
See, there is hope...now back to the offshore drilling thing...lol
June 19, 2008 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
It would be nice if we could delete you, Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld, Rice.....
June 19, 2008 12:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
...ah, more from the party of tollerance...
June 19, 2008 1:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
June 11, 2007: Republican Senator Larry Craig is arrested for lewd conduct in the men's bathroom of an airport
June 19, 2007: South Carolina Republican state Treasurer and South Carolina Chairman of Giuliani for President Thomas Ravenel is indicted by a grand jury on cocaine distribution charges
July 2, 2007: President George W. Bush commutes the sentence of former Cheney Chief of Staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby following Libby's conviction on obstruction of justice and perjury
July 3, 2007: A grand jury report declares that the sale of public land to Republican Congressman Ken Calvert and his business partners violated the law
July 11, 2007: Republican state Representative and Florida co-Chairman of McCain for President Bob Allen is arrested for soliciting a male undercover police officer, offering to pay $20 to perform oral sex
July 16, 2007: Republican Senator David Vitter holds press conference acknowledging being on the D.C. Madam's list and past involvement with prostitutes
July 16, 2007: Story breaks that Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski was involved in a sweetheart real estate deal
July 19: Republican former state legislator Coy Privette is charged with six counts of aiding and abetting prostitution
July 24, 2007: Michael Flory, former head of the Michigan Federation of Young Republicans, pleads guilty to sexual abuse
July 26, 2007: Media report that Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski will sell back land purchased in a sweetheart deal, following close scrutiny of the shady transaction
July 29, 2007: Glenn Murphy Jr., recently-elected Chairman of the Young Republican National Federation, is accused of sexually assaulting a sleeping man
July 30, 2007: The FBI and IRS raid the home of Republican Senator Ted Stevens following investigations into Stevens' dealings with the corrupt VECO Corporation
August 2, 2007: Bush administration senior adviser Karl Rove disregards a Congressional subpoena and refuses to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee
August 6, 2007: Investigation called for after House Republican Leader John Boehner leaked classified information regarding a secret court ruling over warrantless wiretapping
August 8, 2007: Republican Senator Larry Craig pleads guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct following his June 11 arrest
August 9, 2007: Major Republican donor Alan Fabian is charged with 23 counts of bankruptcy fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice, and perjury
August 15, 2007: Republican state House candidate Angelo Cappelli is arrested for perjury and grand theft
August 22, 2007: Republican political consultant Roger Stone resigns his role with the New York state Senate Republicans after reports surfaced that he made a "threatening, obscenity-laced" phone call to the 83-year-old father of Governor Eliot Spitzer
August 27, 2007: Story breaks that Republican Senator Larry Craig was arrested and pled guilty - he had not publicly disclosed the events to that point
June 19, 2008 10:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Republican corruption in 2007 (I posted from June up):
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/8/30/143517/145
June 19, 2008 10:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Dude, you know if it were any Senate Republicans you'd be storming the castle with pitchforks and torches right now...since it's your boys it's no big deal. That's hypocrisy.
June 19, 2008 11:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
No, I think it is a problem and I am very disappointed in Dodd and others. I believe all of Washington needs to be cleaned up. I would add, however, that it seems clear from the evidence that Republicans have much more of a corruption problem than Democrats.
June 19, 2008 11:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Is Chris Dodd a lobbyist?
June 19, 2008 10:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
No, but the guys who cut him a deal on his loans while he's the Senate Banking Committee Chairman are.
June 19, 2008 11:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
Is Kent Conrad a lobbyist?
June 19, 2008 10:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
(See above...on the committee)
June 19, 2008 11:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
Did either, or both, actually write Obama's mortgage and economic policies? I think you're being misleading here. They're both Obama supporters for sure, but can you give me a link that shows they actually helped write these policies?
June 19, 2008 10:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
They didn't.
June 19, 2008 10:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
The FBI is also scrutinizing Young's dealings with Alaska oil services company Veco Corp. At issue is whether he accepted bribes in exchange for political favors over the course of his long friendship with former Veco CEO Bill Allen. In January, Young tried to make amends by returning $38,000 to Allen for the decade-worth of pig roast fundraisers the executive held in Young's honor each year in Anchorage. From 1996 to 2006, when Allen played host to the pork gala, Veco and its employees gave Young at least $157,000. Young was chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for six of those years.
It's unclear what Young might have arranged for Veco in exchange.
June 19, 2008 10:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
From TPM.
June 19, 2008 10:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Based on analysis conducted to date, it appears likely that over a period of several years Ward made several hundred thousand dollars in unauthorized transfers of NRCC funds to outside committees whose bank accounts he had access to, including joint fund-raising committees in which the NRCC participated," Cole said in a written statement.
...
An official with the campaign committee said on condition of anonymity that "several" members of Congress are likely to have been affected as well.
The official said Ward was the "go-to guy" for candidates wishing to navigate complicated campaign finance regulations. He was an expert on the administrative side of fundraising, according to the official, and several candidates asked him to oversee their bank accounts.
From CNN.
June 19, 2008 11:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Somebody call a waaaaahhhhmbulance.
As noted elsewhere, if you take McCain's cash, the RNC war chest, and the money the conservative 527s have at their disposal (in addition to their potential to raise even more) and compare it to the relative amounts held on the Dem side, McCain's available funds, at this point, are probably greater than what Obama and the Dems have. This could change, of course...we've seen that Obama can raise crazy amounts of cash. But this is certainly no "poor John McCain" moment here. And hell, the Dem's have faced a big money disadvantage for years, only that disadvantage was caused by huge corporate donors dumping millions of dollars into the RNC. Obama's advantage comes from folks like us and our $50 donations.
And McCain could have been a bit stronger in his message about the 527s. I don't think that would have changed Obama's decision but at least it would have made McCain's case stronger.
Finally, the most Americans, this is inside baseball. The MSM concern trolls will talk about how this is a BIG from for Obama and great news for McCain, but for most voters, it won't resonate.
June 19, 2008 10:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed.
I'm a political junkie and I haven't followed this campaign finance thing at all closely cause I didn't care. I just wanted Obama to have enough money to run a winning campaign.
So I doubt many Americans care any more than I do - since most of them probably don't know what this is really about.
June 19, 2008 10:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Tina, exactly. You ask the average Joe or Jill, they have no clue. They just want to know how they are going to pay for their medical costs.
June 19, 2008 10:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ohhh boo hooo hoooooooo! I can't raise enough money from small money donors to compete with Barrack!
Boooo hooo! I can't use special interest money and corporate donations to steal this election.
Boo Hoo!!!
...And then he crapped his Depends. What an ugly morning!
June 19, 2008 10:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
New motto: John McCain, A Leader With Depends on!
June 19, 2008 10:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Depends on what?
:)
June 19, 2008 11:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
This is so simple it's complex again. McCain secured a loan during the Primary with the promise of public funds as collateral in the event that his campaign tanked. Does he really wanna go there?
If I were Romney or Rudy or any of those other clowns, I would feel genuinely despondent that I lost to this guy. "You mean you guys think I'm even more lame than John McCain? Seriously?"
June 19, 2008 10:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Just like how John McCain opted in then out of public financing to get him through the primaries?? hmmm.... at least Obama never actually opted in. he said he would CONSIDER it. However, John McCain has done NOTHING to show he would work in good faith if they both took public financing. McCain is all but begging the Republican attack dogs to be let loose, while Obama has heavily urged his supporters to NOT support 527 attack groups.
Did I mention McCain adviser Karl Rove runs a 527? hmmm....
June 19, 2008 10:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
You're breaking my heart, Johnny. Looks like those "uncoordinated" slimings financed by your party's fatcats won't have to go unanswered by the campaign for lack of funds.
And Johnny? His contributions will still be subject to the 2300.00 per contribution limit. Even on the dubious assumption that all who contribute are trying to buy influence, the more he raises, the less clout each individual contributor, or even bundler, would have. (And, actually, that's going to piss off a few people in the Democratic party who are used having the ability to make it sit, roll over and speak on command as well.)
As long as per-contributor limits exist, the Internet has undermined both the purpose and the practicality of public financing for presidential campaigns. It's obsolete.
June 19, 2008 10:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
However McCain can make the case that he needs to encourage donations to 527's now, because that's the only way he can combat Obama's vast money advantage.
McCain will simply have his lobbyist money men donate millions to a certain "unconnected" 527 group is all that will happen.
June 19, 2008 10:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Please read, old article from feb. when this issue first started to heat up. Thoughts?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/15/AR2008021503639_pf.html
June 19, 2008 10:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sounds a lot like:
"Had the reverend not retired and had he not acknowledged that what he had said had deeply offended people and were inappropriate and mischaracterized what I believe is the greatness of this country, for all its flaws, then I wouldn't have felt comfortable staying there at the church,"
June 19, 2008 11:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sounds like a shitty quote you made up. Gooper.
June 19, 2008 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Nope...even went to one of your sources.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/28/obama.pastor/index.html
June 19, 2008 11:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/29/us/politics/29watch.html
I stand corrected.
June 19, 2008 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Mr. McCain, who has been on a steady search for support among conservative and evangelical leaders who have long distrusted him, said he was "very honored'' by Mr. Hagee's endorsement. Asked about Mr. Hagee's extensive writings on Armageddon and about what one questioner said was Mr. Hagee's belief that the anti-Christ will be the head of the European Union, Mr. McCain responded that "all I can tell you is that I am very proud to have Pastor John Hagee's support.''
The Caucus, NYTimes.
Of course, Hagee also called the Catholic Church the "the great Whore" and likened Hitler to God's Hunter.
June 19, 2008 11:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
Barack Obama's campaign said yesterday it is "flattered" that Hamas' endorsement of the Illinois senator compared him to John F. Kennedy, though it objects to any diplomatic contact with the terrorist group.
"I like John Kennedy, too," said chief Obama strategist David Axelrod. "That's about the only thing we have in common with this gentleman from Hamas. We all agree that John Kennedy was a great president, and it's flattering when anybody says that Barack Obama would follow in his footsteps."
Of course Hamas straps bombs onto themselves and blow up innocent people on busses.
June 19, 2008 11:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
Um, and that's controversial how? Sounds like they found the question silly.
June 19, 2008 11:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Has about as much to do with Obama's campaign as Hagee does with McCain's.
June 19, 2008 1:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
June 19, 2008 10:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'll just say this: the real fight hasn't begun. This is all footwork, dodge and parry. The Republican slime machines are gearing up for the full assault in September and October. The way things are going, they'll have to uncover or fabricate something really spectacular. Stay tuned.
June 19, 2008 11:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
June 19, 2008 10:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
I like the obama response. Total set up. It's great having an efficient and intelligent campaign for the dems for once. Holy cow! These guys are good. Total set up.
June 19, 2008 10:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'll say - since McLame is the one who threw every single ethical principle in the garbage and voted in favor of torture.
What principles? The man is hollow - intellectually, morally and ethically bankrupt.
June 19, 2008 11:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
I LOVE IT!
John McCain: A Leader With Depends on!!!!!!
am stealing that from you nisleib!
GENIUS Hahahahahahahaha
June 19, 2008 10:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
The biggest question for me is if the MSM will always make sure to try explain the context of Obama's "pledge" like they do whenever they discuss McCain's 100 years in Iraq comments.
If they bother to throw in the important part about regulating 527's then this becomes a win/win for Obama. Alas, in our world of "fair and balanced" coverage with Mccain getting it so bad this week I just bet all we hear is about Obama's "broken pledge."
June 19, 2008 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Don't hold your breath. It will be up to obama and the obama campaign to get the message out through ads and interviews. This will die down in any event and won't be an issue. Maybe since mcbush referenced watergate they'll do an expose on watergate and the foundation of the public financing of campaigns. Hmmmm, that would be helpful.
June 19, 2008 10:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
Now the McCain camp is contesting what Bill Burton said:
June 19, 2008 10:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Not surprising, then we will get an e-mail from the obama camp that a bunch of people talked to a bunch of different mcbush people and kept getting the brush off. I highly doubt that burton would make the statement without tons of back-up knowing what the mcbush claim would be.
June 19, 2008 11:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
Lying is their campaign motto.
June 19, 2008 11:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
"The true test of a candidate for President is whether he will stand on principle and keep his word to the American people."
Yes, J. McCain, and you fail miserably. EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH.
June 19, 2008 10:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
The fun part of this is going to be watching all of the McCain-Feindgold hating pundits somehow finding a way to slam Obama for financing his campaing however the heck he wants
June 19, 2008 10:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
I've actually been concerned about Obama's opting out of campaign financing. I think the Repubs will make a pretty effective issue out of this, but I think Obama has framed it right. He can't let the 527s run rampant and McCain has his own campaign financing issues. It's not like McCain has the moral high ground here. I especially liked the last line about putting his campaign in our hands. Nice touch.
June 19, 2008 11:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obama is an opportunistic hypocrite.
He will follow the most money and clarify later.
June 19, 2008 11:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think the Republicans can make a "pretty effective issue" out of anything, but especially not campaign finance.
Do you honestly think most people give one good goddamn? I don't think most people care one bit or even know what this is about.
June 19, 2008 11:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
You may be right, Tena. But I think people will hear that Obama once pledged to take public financing and now he is opting out. That will be the message they get, and it sounds bad. I support his decision to do so; I think he'd be putting himself at a vast disadvantage if he didn't; but I also think it will play badly with some Independents and swing voters.
June 19, 2008 11:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
We'll have to give the ol' timer a pass on this one. After all, he is computer illiterate so it would be very difficult for him to understand what has been atypical about Obama's ability to use new tools like the internets to fund his campaign through voluntary donations rather than taxpayer money, all without accepting PAC or lobbyist donations. It is a little ironic, however, for McCain to be leveling the charge of "typical politician" when he is down in Texas groveling before Bush's oil buddies for dough and flip-flopping on his positions on offshore drilling and climate change.
Hey, wasn't Ron Paul really successful fund raising online? Why doesn't McCain get some tips from Paul. They're both Republicans, right?
June 19, 2008 11:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Boo hoo, Mccain.
Sucks to be you.
June 19, 2008 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
I hate to be the bearer of bad news here, but this is pretty good news for McCain and bad news for Obama. This allows McCain to get on his soapbox about honesty to the American people while trying to make Obama look no different from any other politico who does whatever is politically expedient at the moment. Please realize this is a very pro-Obama crowd on this board so we're a little tone-deaf to such an argument (as noted numerous times above, all that comes to mind are the many times the same argument could be applied to McCain and Bush) but this sort of thing plays very well with independents and 5 o'clock news type voters. The type of folks who aren't watching cnn, msnbc, or fox and blogging religiously are gonna simply hear 'Obama pledged to take public financing and is now breaking that pledge' and think 'I can't trust what he says, he broke his pledge!'.
June 19, 2008 11:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Your analysis makes sense to a certain extent with a different candidate and in a different time. However, I am sure that obama will get out in front of this and point out that mcbush wouldn't agree to limit the soft money of 527's and their impact on the campaign. Without that obama would be defenseless. He's got to be clear and concise and explain the situation, like the gas tax bs. The fact that obama would totally smack down that pander gives me confidence that he will be able to do the same with this situation.
June 19, 2008 12:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hope you're right but I think it gives McCain an opening to start hammering away at Obama's character and trustworthiness forcing Obama to keep playing defense. I think it's beyond time for him to get on offense and really start taking it to McCain on a range of issues across the board. He's beginning to fall for that same trap of allowing the republicans to frame the debate and define the democratic candidate that has caused the party so much trouble in the past few elections. How about a major campaign event in Phoenix or Tucson showing the inconsistencies in McCain's record? Not only putting him on defense but doing so on his home turf!
June 19, 2008 12:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
...and Obama was going to try to stop Sorros and Moveon.org from running their attacks?
June 19, 2008 1:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Excuse me, but it seems to me that you have done some interpreting/rewriting that is amiss. Obama did not pledge to use public financing, he promised to negotiate about it with his opponent. Reminds me of the debate in which Obama said he was 'willing' to meet with rogue leaders......but that got interpreted/rewrote to 'Obama pledges to meet with rogue leaders'.
June 19, 2008 12:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you! Obama promised to discuss the matter. At the end of the day, this was a no brainer as Obama had the advantage and would not cede it the McCain. McCain does not nor will have any advantage of this one; Obama will likely have 2 million plus individual campaign contributions, with the largest portion being from donors who do not max out. McCain will be foolish to spend much time on this one, as 500,000 individuals for McCain is an impossible dream.
June 19, 2008 12:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree that he didn't pledge to do so. What I said was that by opting out he allows himself to be open to attacks that say he did and is now not doing so. These attacks are directed at more casual voters who don't follow every new political tidbit every day and aren't reading multiple blogs. Those voters won't know the full story regarding his agreement to negotiate but will rather hear a talking point about 'Obama breaks pledge to accept public financing...' and then make a judgement based on that.
June 19, 2008 12:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
What will sink McCain on this issue is his list of the "fat cats" and the 527 outfits; Obama will point to his 2 million or so individual campaign donors. Basically, their in not too much spin in this for McCain as you suggest, and ,yes, Republicans will play their games but to little effect. Folks will make judgments of the difference between the two not the Republican spin; the Republican brand cannot take to much discussion on money given the passed eight years.
June 19, 2008 12:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
...like George Sorros and MoveOn.org...?
June 19, 2008 2:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
The mccain campaign dug themselves a nice little hole. Mccain now has to take public financing or risk becoming a "typical politician".
June 19, 2008 11:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
McCain has already failed that test spectacularly. How many issues is it now that he has already flip-flopped on? Proving that he "will do and say whatever is most expedient for [John McCain]."
Typical Rove-inspired Republican politician, engaging in projection, pointing the finger at others to accuse them of what he himself is flagrantly guilty of.
Top of my list of Reasons Why I Hate Republicans.
June 19, 2008 12:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
BARACK IS QUIENTLY TELLING THE IRAQIS'S THAT HE HAS NO INTENTION ON GETTING US OUT IN 16 MONTHS.
this is wayY to unbelievable. not only has OBAMA lied to the country when he said one thing to us and another to canada regarding NAFTA, he is now discretely telling the IRAQ foreign ministry he has no plans to remove US troops in 16 months and that this is just campaign rhetoric. Now, add the fact that he has also just announced he lied to the american public regarding taking public financing over private and you can better believe what i have been saying all along is that OBAMA is a snake oil salesman and you folks have been taken.
http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&brand=&vid=fe86c872-82f5-4525-afc7-e85d3ca13bd5
June 19, 2008 12:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
In honor of Michelle spamming this comment on at least 7 different posts, I hereby award a $10 donation to the Obama Troll Bowl!!!!
http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TrollBowl
June 19, 2008 2:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just donated again. This time in honor of the chess masters on the Obama team . . . The McSame group just sound like a bunch of babies anymore, unprofessional, desperate, unmoored, and outdated. Think strategy, not tactics: This is a great opp, and the Obama folks know exactly what they are doing.
June 19, 2008 1:05 PM | Reply | Permalink