Obama decides to decline public financing

[Heisenberg]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/...ing/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama told supporters Thursday that he has decided not to accept public financing for his general election campaign.

In an e-mail message, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said the decision means that his campaign will forgo more than $80 million in public funds.

In exchange for taking public funds, candidates usually agree to a cap on the amount of money they can spend on their campaigns.

"It's not an easy decision, and especially because I support a robust system of public financing of elections," Obama wrote. "But the public financing of presidential elections as it exists today is broken, and we face opponents who've become masters at gaming this broken system."

Obama repeatedly broke campaign fundraising records during the Democratic primary season. Since January 2007, he has raised more than $272 million.

Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, raised less than half that amount, roughly $100 million, over the same period.

Obama's advisers argue that the Illinois Democrat has set up a "parallel" public fundraising system by soliciting small donations over the Internet.

Two months ago, McCain criticized Obama for appearing to backtrack from a previous commitment to accept public financing for his presidential campaign.

Steve Schmidt, a senior McCain adviser, called Obama's decision to opt out of public financing "a broken promise of staggering dimensions."

"Obama's candidacy is based on words, and it seems like every day that passes, those words look emptier and emptier when judged against his actions," Schmidt said.

[Heisenberg]

Not a surprise. He'd be stupid not to use his greatest advantage.

[Danny White]

Obama's former pledge... decide for yourself if he is flip-flopping here.

Originally Posted by Barack Obama

In February 2007, I proposed a novel way to preserve the strength of the public financing system in the 2008 election. My plan requires both major party candidates to agree on a fundraising truce, return excess money from donors, and stay within the public financing system for the general election. My proposal followed announcements by some presidential candidates that they would forgo public financing so they could raise unlimited funds in the general election. The Federal Election Commission ruled the proposal legal, and Senator John McCain (r-AZ) has already pledged to accept this fundraising pledge. If I am the Democratic nominee, I will aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmi...an_option.html

[Heisenberg]

Oh he's definitely flip-flopping and once you began to see the money he was raising just through donations, you knew he was going to opt to go that route.

[Danny White]

So now that he's raising tons of money, the "system is broken" but back when he didn't think he'd be able to raise this much, he was willing to take a bold step to reduce the impact of money on elections?

CHANGE!

[DFWJC]

That's real big of him....seeing that he has raised astounding sums already through the internet.

I promise you this---if he really needed the money he would use public funds.

[ninja]

He's a liar, plain and simple. I heard he is also saying that NAFTA ain't all that bad now. Anything to get elected. And his advisers have already said the troops in Iraq will probably be there into 2012, a gradual pullout. Obama knows he got the left wingers in his back pocket. They bought into his empty primary promises. Now he is making more empty promises to get the independents.

[ConcordCowboy]

I could care less whether he takes it or not...whether he's flip flopped or not.

Like he would be the first politician to change his mind on something...in order to benefit himself and get elected.


Do whatever you have to do to win Obama!

[Danny White]

Originally Posted by ConcordCowboy

I could care less whether he takes it or not...whether he's flip flopped or not.

Like he would be the first politician to change his mind on something...in order to benefit himself and get elected.


Do whatever you have to do to win Obama!

You are correct there. He's just like your typical politician... will do and say anything to get elected.


CHANGE!

[Bonecrusher#31]

Originally Posted by Danny White

You are correct there. He's just like your typical politician... will do and say anything to get elected.


CHANGE!

My retard meter needle just broke from stress..........

[ConcordCowboy]

Originally Posted by Danny White

You are correct there. He's just like your typical politician... will do and say anything to get elected.


CHANGE!

You have to get elected first...before you can make CHANGE!

Otherwise McCain wouldn't be for The Bush tax cuts now that he voted against before.

Or he wouldn't be for Offshore drilling now that he was against before.

I would put Obama changing his mind on taking public funding far below those two things when it comes to talking about flip flopping.

[Danny White]

Originally Posted by Bonecrusher#31

My retard meter needle just broke from stress..........

That's the best comeback since George Costanza's "jerk store."

[zrinkill]

Originally Posted by Danny White

That's the best comeback since George Costanza's "jerk store."

[DFWJC]

[quote=ConcordCowboy;2122846]I could care less whether he takes it or not...whether he's flip flopped or not.

Like he would be the first politician to change his mind on something...in order to benefit himself and get elected.


quote]

Have to agree with that. Same as the others, instead of something new.

[ConcordCowboy]

Originally Posted by DFWJC

Have to agree with that. Same as the others, instead of something new.

Bringing change to Washington once you get there is very different than changing your mind about something.

I know this is hard for some people to grasp...BUT there are people who do actually change their minds about some things once in awhile.

It's not always a bad thing.