Obama Flip Flops on Accepting Public Campaign Financing
Friday, June 20, 2008 at 02:16AM Barack Obama rejected public financing Thursday for his presidential campaign, breaking his previous promise to use only public finance for his campaign, which is limited to 80 million dollars. The rejection of public financing freed up Obama to deploy unlimited cash from his army of private donors against Republican John McCain.
Here is Obama’s public statement about his flip flop:
We’ve made the decision not to participate in the public-financing system for the general election. This means we’ll be forgoing more than $80 million in public funds during the final months of this election.
“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.”
Essentially Obama realized he can gain an unfair advantage with private donations from Hollywood types and the Democrat leftist elites who have a monopoly on the wealth in this country. To run a campaign with limited funds is too risky for him, but even MoveOn.Org supports the public campaign funds for fair elections that Obama now opposes
Maybe this is what Obama means by change we can count on.
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Reader Comments (13)
Change for Obama is another word for return... return to the Carter years!
"Hollywood types and the Democrat leftist elites who have a monopoly on the wealth in this country"
Rofl!!! Are you paranoid or what?
400 richest Americans.
Grumpy ... You aren't suggesting we address Belief with Fact, are you?
Also, shouldn't that read ... "the 400 (R)ichest Ame(R)icanz" ...!?
Snerd
Re: Obama flip-flops ...
So!?
Snerd
PadreSteve, thats' about it. I see an Obama/Carter ticket in the future.
Why should I be paranoid? Democrats are the ones always conspiring to redistribute wealth. I think wealth is fine, but Democratic politicans are richer than Republicans and oppulent Hollywood is overwhelmingly liberal.
What fact, Snerd? From that list can you tell who is republican and who is democrat?
Right, so on flip flops. I thought Obama touted himself as the anti-DC politician who wouldn't pander, wouldn't be sleazy, and would bring change we could depend on.
Obama is a politician. Like any other. Most of what he says are lies. Just like all politicians.
FLIP FLOPPING ...
True, Obama flip-flopped on public financing, but I have to wonder if in principle you oppose flip-flopping, or only when Obama does it?
For example McCain's flip-flops have driven the St(R)ait Talk Exp(R)ess into the "Valuez" ditch. For example:
* Embraced Hagee after denouncing him as an agent of intolerance and then denounced him again ... a flip-flop-flip, as it were
* now opposes his own immigration plan
* now supports Bush's tax cuts for the (R)ich, which he previously opposed
* opposed the undue influence of special interests, but now staffs his campaign with them
* supports off-shore drilling which he previously opposed
* opposed Gitmo, now criticizes the Supreme Court decision that allows detainees to challenge their imprisonment.
* opposed torture, now not so much
* was for 100 years in Iraq, now sayz she'll be all wrapped up by 2013
* used public funding to float a loan and boost his private campaign funding
* was against Bush, then for him and now is running against him ... another ... flip-flop-flip
So ....
Flippity floppity
McCain's made a mockery
With his St(R)ait Talk hypocrisy
And campaign hawkery
McCain's a ... err ...
... Can't get fooled again ...!
* etc ...
Snerd
Actually, Obama has not changed his position. His original statement said he would sit down with his Republican opponent to work out details in order to accept public campaign financing. When the Obama and McCain lawyers got together, no agreement could be reached -- possible because McCain has been opting in and opting out of public financing for the past 5 months.
Once again the media gets it wrong. And now the misinformation is spreading.
Nellie,
You would have a point if McCain really opted out, but you are just spinning. Last Thursday McCain said he would take a $84 million public financing grant.
Obama is just plain greedy and not sincere about campaign reform as he once postured.
Touche', Freedom Now, Touche'.
French-f(R)eedumb-Now: "... Obama is just plain greedy and not sincere about campaign reform as he once postured."
SG: Obama has already effected TRUE Campaign Reform, McCain-the-(R)egressive, hasn't.
The real purpose of campaign reform was to take the influence of big money outta campaigning. Ame(R)ica has become a 'Cash 'n Carry' democ(R)acy, particularly under the (R)'z K Street p(R)oject.
Obama isn't taking money from lobbyists. McCain IS ... to whom will each be 'indebted'!!!
Not only that, Lobbyists populate and run McCain's campaign ... or the ones he hasn't had to throw under the bus that is. The "St(R)aight Talk Exp(R)ess" has been havin' a bumpy ride as a result.
Obama is raising money from small donations from ordinary citizens. Sounds pretty democratic to me. Obama has, by definition reformed the influence of big money in campaigning.
McCain on the other hand is part of the co(R)po(R)ate "W"elfare cabal. He takes public money for the benefit of co(R)po(R)ate interests.
The other issue, is that Obama has saved the tax payers $84,000.000.00 (that's like 9 dayz of "W"a(R) spending in Iraq on stuff like on Halliburton no-bid cont(R)acts), AND Obama is still out raising McCain and his co(R)po(R)ate lobbyists. This is just another example, just like the Clintons, of how the (D)z 'do economy better'
Clearly Obama has already reformed campaign financing and unlike McCain, you can take that to the bank ... LEGALLY
Snerd
SG: Furthermore French-f(R)eedumb-Now ...
When is comes to 'politically expedien[cy]', McCain has thrown Hagee overboard "for being an agent of intolerance", then sent a search party out so he could haul him back in to get his endorsement, then had to interrupt chastising Obama for Wright, to sent Hagee to the other end of the boat when confronted with Hagee's 'hate speech', and then when McCain's hypocrisy was pointed out to him, he had to march down to the end of the Straight Talk Boat and thrown Hagee overboard, AGAIN!
I've heard Hagee is so water-logged, he's had to give up doing baptisms!
Obama is THE Campaign Reformer ... McCain is the Same Ole, Same Old, stuff, pretending to be a maverick.
Snerd
Well you can say it, but what exactly did Obama reform?
Proclaimations from on high dont amount to anything when there is no substance behind them.