This will probably be at least mildly controversial, but I think Barack Obama made the right call this morning by announcing that he would not stay within the public financing system for the general election. The senator made the announcement in a video released earlier today.
Not surprisingly, the McCain campaign isn’t happy. “Today, Barack Obama has revealed himself to be just another typical politician who will do and say whatever is most expedient for Barack Obama,” McCain campaign communications director Jill Hazelbaker said in a statement. The McCain camp added that Obama’s move “undermines his call for a new type of politics.”
At the risk of sounding picky, if Obama is doing something that’s never been done before, isn’t that necessarily consistent with “a new type of politics”?
Besides, it’s not like McCain is in a position to condemn from the moral high ground, given the way he played fast and loose (i.e., arguably illegally) with the public financing system during the Republican primaries.
As for Obama, today’s announcement probably won’t cost him too much politically — I doubt very much there are a lot of voters who’ll base their candidate preference on the public-financing system — and should benefit him enormously. Obama will be able to take full advantage of his fundraising edge over McCain, and compete aggressively everywhere. (Marc Ambinder noted, “The potential money gap in the general election is huge — Obama could raise as much as $300m, and the McCain campaign/RNC budget team doesn’t anticipating spending more than $150m.”)
Jonathan Singer also had a good item about the impact of Obama’s decision.
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Doesn’t this allow him to also accept donations from special interest and lobby groups?
I do realize that he has already accepted such donations, but perhaps today’s decision will open the proverbial flood gates. No?
You have to watch the Abrams report or whatever they call it now, yoiu have to watch it RIGHT NOW!! MSNBC..
And the media spin is flip flop. I’m turning it all off and going to vote in November, (crosses fingers). Oh, and — first?
I was listening to NPR this afternoon (around 3:00 pm edt). The reporter of course got it wrong saying that Obama pledge to use public campaign funds. I wish they could simply report the facts instead of shilling for the repugs.
Good for Obama that he can outraise the repug machine with small donations and not special interests. Now if he would come out against FISA and not support the blue dogs, he’d be perfect.
Obama’s special interest and lobby group is the people of the United States of America. And yes, the flood gates have already opened… for the times, they are a changin’.
angelina @ 4:
He voted against immunity for fisa the last time it went through senate.
McCain’s camp is already whining, “Waaaa! Why does he get more money than me, waaaa!!!!!” Please, John, stop drinking the whine.
i am glad obama is not taking any money that will
cause him to be even in the slightest possible manner
obligated to the special interests groups. this will be
the first time a candidate in my lifetime has done so.
it’s time that the interests of the American citizens, those who are flesh
and blood, be considered and not ignored. we are pay the
bills, we should be given more sway in the decisions
where this money is used………..period
Love the outrage by the Republicans over it calling it dishonest and breaking his word. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
OH shock! dismay! A politician broke his word! I’m stymied. Man! Just when Bush and Cheney made DC so squeaky clean honest, and of course McCain who NEVER changes his positions.
Excuse me, but a politician decides not to spend many millions of dollars of our tax money because he has enough from private donations, and the MSM doesn’t even once ask the McCain camp to justify wanting to waste 30 million dollars or more of the public money that doesn’t have to be spent?
I got a letter saying I was going to get a $300 dollar stimulus check this week.
Choke on it, Bush.
McCain and the right are in a tizzy! “You changed the rules! You don’t fight fair!” I almost pissed myself, I was laughing to hard!
…and let’s not forget that McCain wanted to end public financing of campaigns back in 2000 (remember McCain-Feingold?). Just like everything else, he was for it before he was against it.
Also, I find it hi-fucking-larious that so-called “fiscally responsible” conservatives are bitching about Obama not taking public money.
oooooooooh yeeeeeeessss!!! i am sooooooo glad he did’nt fall for that cockeyed, slippery, sleight of hand, ‘pschye!’ bait and switch, switch and bait okie doke trick! juvenile tricks from a juvenile playbook.
If the FEC had the requisite number of commissioners, McCain would have been fined for breaking campaign finance laws. I think I’d keep my mouth shut if I were him, but you know - IOKIYAR
YEAH! WE EXPECT this candidate to lie through his TEETH about almost EVERYTHING!!!! GOBAMA!!! KEEP ON LYING!!!
School me - what is public financing and why won’t he take it?
“a new type of politics”?
Hahahaha.
Hilarious.
If McCain won’t play fair why should Obama limit himself and tie and arm around his back?
Captain Obama’s Bitter Half Husein Kangaroo @ 2:
what happened on abrams?
Some former Bush mouthpiece — Brad Blakeman? — was calling Obama’s move “an abomination” on Abrams. What a laugh. Go, Obama, go! It’s fun to watch the Democrats raise so much more money than the Repo Party. Grab a surfboard, everyone, November will be a tidal wave.
It was a good message, but I was negatively distracted by his focus on the teleprompter; he didn’t look the camera (us) in the eye. It would have been much more effective had he done so.
Occam @ 1:
Excuse me? From which “special interest and lobby group” did Obama for America accept how much, when?
I was ready to answer with a sincere response by pointing out that he has always been free to accept such donations, but by choice has not done so, and will not do so. However, the bulk of your post suggest you are nothing more than a troll, so that type of response is not warranted.
If you actually manage to provide substantial and verifiable evidence to back up your flippant accusation, I will withdraw the charge - but I’m not holding my breath.
He’s all over on tape saying he will take public financing. This before he knew how much $$ he could raise. Now, not so much, we misunderstood what he said, he really didn’t say that! More BS from BO. He’ll do anything to win. Change we can all believe in. This is the biggest con job in history.
Matt in Texas @ 22:
Yeah, having worked with a prompter before I could tell that he was too close to the camera in this case, if he was using a reflective over-the-lens prompter. It almost looked more like it was off-axis though. Kind of distracting.
send in a contribution– i sent in another small one today…
if we help obama set some new fundraising records, the media might stop repeating mccains lies about obama and public financing, and will have to acknowledge that, by opting out of public financing, obama was in fact putting his election in the hands of the little guy…bringing the people into politics, shutting out the special interests
Mo’ money, Mo’money
rreddy @ 23:
stop listening to limbaugh for a few weeks, and maybe you’ll get your facts right
maybe i’m looking at this incorrectly he changed his strategy with a very fluid situation….public financing won’t offer enough money for him to beat 527’s…..mcChanging on several policies is bigger deal to me
secularhumanizinevoluter @ 16:
Please troll elsewhere. Everything you said was right out of the right-wing smear manual. I am always amazed to witness, people who are lobotomized at an early age, still figure out how to type.
Scott Hussein M @ 11:
That would be worth $300 to watch
McCain: “Waaaaahhhhhhh!!! Obama’s raising more money than I am!
Waaaaaahhhhhhh!!! 1.5 million + Americans love him more than me!
Waaaaaahhhhhhh!!!! All I get in the mail is PoliGrip coupons!!!!!!
Waaahhhhhhhh!!!! Bob Dole!!!
OLD MAN YELLS AT CLOUD
Wash621 @ 32:
and hopefully McCain and the other GoOPers are getting plenty of monopoly $20 bills in donations.
Wash621 @ 32:
LOL - That last line made my day!
Since McCain decided to use public financing is his campaign allowed to solicit funds?
Okay, this is a joke, right?
McNugget decided to accept public funding?
McNugget’s $84 million vs. Obama’s $250 million +?
BWAHAHAHHAHAHAH!!! He’s making this toooooooooooooo easy!!!!
yeah, let’s get into a debate about who really broke a pledge… or the spirit of the pledge of campaign finance reform.
Mr. Straight Lies Express himself.
Can Cindy “rX-stealing” McCain be considered a 527 all by herself?
Obama skips the oil lobbyist and takes it directly from the CEO’s. So there is your special intrest group. http://www.latimes.com/news/po.....3458.story
This month my $25 went to fight the FISA capitulation. It would have gone to Obama but since he has yet
to show leadership in vigorously opposing the FISA capitulation I was left with no choice but give my meager amount to Act Blue.
Hey Obama if you see this take heed, don’t let your most faithful supporters (or the Country) down.
Republicans crying because someone isnt going to feed on the governments teet? My they have fallen.
If Steven Rosenbaum is right that McCain will drop out in August when the Republicans decide that the race is lost, then Obama will need every penny he can scrape together to battle the faux change white knight puppet that the republicans will trot out at their convention- this, of course, after McCain uses all of his federal funds to soften Obama up for the real candidate. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....07236.html
sent all my money to kucinich and edwards but youall can take up the slack ,
My understanding about this misunderstanding is that Obama agreed to use public financing IF his Republican opponent agreed to do the same. Up until AFTER Obama decided to forego public financing McCain had not agreed to do so, but filed papers AFTER Obama’s announcement today. I understand today was the deadline. Does anybody have a different story? (Please exclude any story you heard in the Corporate Media, i heard them and they are false.)
McCain is desperate avoid that CostCo-sized can o’whoopass!
kbass @ 38:
Oh Bull crap.
He took no money from “Oil Companies” nor their Lobbyists. To say he did is a lie. Yes he took private donations from workers of oil companies as he has from every walk of life and even some Republican I’d wager who are tired of the Bush’sheet.
Well he’s going to get hit by this but he did the smart thing and got in front of this instead of letting this just come out. That was smart and it lets him control the dialogue. What I find funny is that the Republicans are mad at Obama for not taking taxpayer dollars to fund his election while McCain has his hands out accepting what amounts to welfare. Too funny!
Line those pockets, Barry.
why not 5 hrs a month of free media time, monthly debates, and a nominal travel stipend and leave it at that. no outside money for the candidates.
Funny how the Obamatons on crooks and liars defend this Criminal and Liar.
The “right thing” for Obama to be doing right now is putting an end to the House Dems caving instead of defending the Fourth Amendment.
Obama and campaign finance reform
http://thinkonthesethings.word.....he-senate/
POdVet @ 49:
Criminal and Liar? Are you talking about bush? BTW what are you pissed off about? Are you pissed that your fellow troops died for a lie? Did you sign up to die for oil? Did they?
so, i guess the richest man wins as always.
Dr. Girlfriend @ 53: