McCain to Obama: keep your word on public funds

[BoogyMan]

Will Senator Obama keep his word on public campaign funding? We shall see.


Source: Link (http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN1142582820080411?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&rpc=22&sp=true)

DALLAS (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Friday accused Democrat Barack Obama of breaking his word on campaign financing and said he might turn down public money for his campaign if Obama does so.

McCain, a senator from Arizona, is trailing far behind both Democratic candidates -- Illinois Sen. Obama and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton -- in fundraising despite having wrapped up his party's nomination for the White House contest in November.

Obama, the Democratic front-runner, pledged last year to accept public financing and its accompanying spending limit of an estimated $85 million for the general election if he wins the nomination and if his opponent also agreed to do so.

But with monthly hauls of some $55 million in February and more than $40 million in March, Obama appears to be rethinking that pledge.
"The fact is that he (Obama) is saying one thing and he's doing another. I mean, that's indisputable," McCain told reporters in Dallas.

"He's always talking in his speeches about how we need to keep our word with the American people. Please keep your word to the American people on the commitment you made in writing."

McCain said he would decide later, if Obama beats Clinton for the Democratic nomination, how to proceed.

"If Sen. Obama is the nominee and decides not to take public financing then obviously we have to evaluate our options on it," he said. "It's possible that I still will (take public funds) and it's possible that I won't."
So far in the campaign, Obama has raised over $233 million, Clinton $189 million and McCain around $80 million. With over a million individual donors and a well-oiled Internet fundraising campaign, Obama could expect to have a significant money advantage over McCain for the election.

McCain raked in more than $15 million last month, but that was well short of the $20 million raised by Clinton and the more than $40 million collected by Obama.

Obama said on Friday he would discuss the issue with McCain if he won the nomination.

"I would like to see a system preserved and I intend, if I am the nominee, to have conversations with Sen. McCain about how to move forward in a way that doesn't allow third parties to overwhelm the system."

[Sublimating]

Maybe Obama took a look at how much money he could make and thought about the advantage it could give (a much needed advantage) and he CHANGED HIS MIND, it happens people do it all the time.

[ViolaLee]

McCain is the one who pledged, signed up for and borrowed money on the promise to use public campaign funds.

He's in legal trouble right now for spending over his limit and not using the funding.

Obama said if the Republican candidate does it, he will consider it as well.

The Republican candidate isn't doing it, and now he's bashing Obama?

Precious.

[Drocket]

Yep, what Obama said was that if the Republican nominee would go that route, he would too. You can call Obama a liar *AFTER* McCain decides to accept public financing and Obama doesn't. Until then, though, this is simply a bullshit hit job.

[BoogyMan]

I have not called Senator Obama anything Drocket. As a matter of fact, this is one of the few times I have made any kind of commentary on Obama at all and it was simply a question, "will Senator Obama keep his word on public campaign funding?"

If Senator Obama doesn't go the public funding route and McCain does, then you will hear some commentary on the voracity of Senator Obama's pledge.

[Trish]

I have not called Senator Obama anything Drocket. As a matter of fact, this is one of the few times I have made any kind of commentary on Obama at all and it was simply a question, "will Senator Obama keep his word on public campaign funding?"

If Senator Obama doesn't go the public funding route and McCain does, then you will hear some commentary on the voracity of Senator Obama's pledge.


Senator McCain has already begun returning donations he has received for his general election fund. It would appear this is a first step in getting things together to go the public funding route.

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/04/mccain_eyeing_p.html

[Drocket]

It makes perfect sense for McCain to go the public financing route: he is, after all, getting absolutely slaughtered in fundraising. I mean, Clinton doesn't have a chance in hell of getting the nomination at this point, and she still managed to bring in more than McCain. That's just a massacre. Add in the fact that only $4M of McCain's money came from grassroots (which are the people that can and will donate more later, as opposed to the big donors who gave the limit already) and McCain is dead in the water.

Of course, Obama never actually promised to take public financing - he only said that he'd consider it. Realistically, though, that's pretty much a meaningless difference since the media will crucify him for saying something he didn't say if he doesn't take public financing.

Of course, I'll predict right now that McCain is going to cheat like a bastard. Much like Bush did in 2000 and 2004, the Republicans will use 527's like they're going out of style. Sure, they'll later be fined for illegally campaigning for a candidate, but that'll be after the election is over.

Also, given McCain's performance in the primaries, I'm not going to be too surprised if/when he suddenly decides in October to retroactively opt out of public financing...

[ViolaLee]

Of course, I'll predict right now that McCain is going to cheat like a bastard. Much like Bush did in 2000 and 2004, the Republicans will use 527's like they're going out of style.

Well, he did hire Karl Rove, so the straight talk express is obviously gearing up for a dirty campaign.