May 6, 2008
Posted: May 6th, 2008 08:05 PM ET

From
President Bush tried to break election watchdog deadlock Tuesday.
President Bush tried to break election watchdog deadlock Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Senate Democrats accused President Bush Tuesday of withdrawing one of his Federal Elections Commission nominees to protect Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for president.

The president revamped his list of nominees earlier Tuesday in an effort to break a long deadlock that has paralyzed the election watchdog in the middle of a contentious campaign year.

But instead of withdrawing the name of Republican Hans von Spakovsky - a former Justice Department Civil Rights section lawyer some Democrats believe promoted policies that harmed minority voters - Bush dropped commission chairman David Mason, a Republican who has blocked McCain's attempts to abandon the presidential public financing system.

Bush replaced Mason on his list with Republican Donald McGahn, the National Republican Congressional Committee's lead lawyer and a former attorney for Rep. Tom Delay, the former Republican House Majority Leader with connections to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. DeLay resigned from Congress
after he was accused of corruption.

"By abandoning Mr. Mason and instead sticking by Mr. von Spakovsky, the White House has abandoned experience and independence for partisan loyalty," said Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada.

"That is the White House's choice. It is a regrettable one. Nonetheless, we will work towards the confirmation of the remaining nominees and expect to defeat Mr. von Spakovsky. We will work to ensure that the commission is constituted so that it will be able to function in this election year."

In February, Mason sent a letter to McCain saying the presidential candidate could not abandon the strict spending limits of the primary election's public financing system without first answering the FEC's questions about a loan he received last November to help keep his struggling campaign afloat. Mason wrote that McCain had to assure the FEC he did not use the promise of millions of dollars in public funds to obtain the $4 million line of credit.

McCain attorney Trevor Potter, a former FEC chairman, has maintained the candidate legitimately opted out of the federal system and thus is not limited to spending approximately $54 million in the primary season. If McCain is bound by the federal limits, he might have difficulty funding his campaign between
now and the Republican National Convention in September, when he can start spending general election funds.

"The only apparent reason for President Bush to drop Commissioner David Mason at this stage, an FEC candidate he had twice proposed for the Commission, is to prevent him from casting an adverse vote against Senator McCain on important enforcement questions pending at the Commission," said Fred
Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, a non-profit organization that promotes election finance reform.

Mason, originally nominated to the commission by President Bill Clinton and nominated twice by Bush, is one of only two members remaining on the commission. Democrat Ellen Weintraub is the other; other members of the commission, including von Spakovsky, were recess appointments whose terms expired when the new Congress took office at the beginning of the year.

Bush has also nominated Republican Caroline Hunter and Democrats Cynthia Bauerly and Steven Walther to serve on the six-member commission, which is required by law to have no more than three members of any one political party.

White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten informed Reid of the nominations by phone Tuesday, and followed up with a letter saying the nominations package "provides a clear path to our shared goal of a fully functioning six-member FEC" by Memorial Day.

Manley said that Democrats "appreciate the recognition by the White House that the FEC requires a full six members to accomplish its mission." But he said Democrats are disappointed that Bush decided not to drop von Spakovsky while nominating McGahn for the seat currently held by Mason.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, said Tuesday the nominations proposal is a "blueprint for a fully functioning, bipartisan FEC - a goal we all share - and an end to the bottleneck created by the Democrats' opposition" to von Spakovsky.

Filed under: President Bush


An American in Canada   May 7th, 2008 12:44 am ET

CORRUPTION RIGHT UP TO THE END.... POWER AT ANY COST

IT IS THE POLITICIANS CREED... ENOUGH SAID

Tanya Kujath   May 7th, 2008 12:44 am ET

Why would we expect anything but shady, sneaky, and down right disgusting tatics from our joke of a president? Anyone who defends this poor excuse of a leader makes the rest of us laugh. That is just the cold hard truth!

Mike Lorain, OH   May 7th, 2008 12:06 am ET

Freedom

Sorry man but 9 months is more than enough time to have stopped a terror attack which the FBI/CIA type agencies had already predicted was going to happen. Though I will concede, that both Clinton and Bush were responsible in various ways, according the 9/11 commision. Furthermore, look beyond 9-11 and notice how many terror attacks happened since we invaded iraq. It's rather lucky that we haven't been attacked since. Trust me though it isn't because Bush was in office, just shear luck.

kathleen retired Professional w/woman for obama   May 6th, 2008 11:58 pm ET

Oh, Pres. Bush go back to the Ranch and get some sleep.

NotSold   May 6th, 2008 11:24 pm ET

Oh please...take a deep breath.

If he's doing something illegal, let congress act. Hey check his fridge, maybe he's got $90,000 dollars in it too. If this is a political move, I'm shocked! Mr. Reid and Ms. Pelosi would never do anything simply for politics...would they? If this is his something the president is entitled to do, then why the "outrage"? He'll be gone soon and we may have someone who governs by polls again.

Bush says he's a uniter? Sounds like Mr. Obama's words...what evidence do you have that Mr. Obama will do any better? Let me help you...none.

Craig Nazor   May 6th, 2008 11:02 pm ET

As a resident of Texas, I watched as George W. Bush behaved this way through two terms of Texas Governor. He has continued true to character through both terms of his presidency. It is hard to imagine how he could ever truthfully conceive of himself as a "uniter, not a divider". Another possibility is that this was a statement calculated merely to win the presidency, and the truth of it was irrelevant. And that is precisely how he got us into Iraq. This is apparently what is meant by "leading by principle".

I am left with the small consolation that he never, for one minute, fooled me as to the true nature of his character. I am still shocked by how much damage he has been able to do to America.

Stephen David   May 6th, 2008 10:59 pm ET

Gee, GW doing something unethical. I am sooooo suprised!

Freedom   May 6th, 2008 10:58 pm ET

After Further Review,Texas

Right after Clinton left!! Bush had just gotten there!!

Ricardo Williams   May 6th, 2008 10:57 pm ET

Ooops, I guess I spoke too soon. Hillary is asking for a count of Miami and Michigan. So God must change the rules for Hillary. God didn't change the rules for Adam and Eve, but up comes Hillary and wants the rules she voted on change to accommodate her. Sorry Hillary, God don't change rules for humans.

aliou salam Florida   May 6th, 2008 10:56 pm ET

Count their vote? Follow the rules Clinton. The clintons want to lead by breaking all the rules, they expect everyone to follow.

Anonymous   May 6th, 2008 10:55 pm ET

Should anyone be interested, there is a way for Bush to remain the President and for a long as the powers that be would want. I have not heard anyone bring up this scenario but believe me it does exist. It is called Marshal Law. How does it work? First we have to have a catastrophic event; example a 9/11 with an atom bomb. Result Marshal Law is called, everything freezes. No elections. Prices are frozen. Commodities are put under the control of the government (military). Everything is controlled by the military and the President is the Commander-in-Chief. All freedoms are suspended until such a time as order is restored. Any disobedience will be treated as treason and a person can be shot on the spot. Of course the world economy would, if not collaspe, have to be readjusted to another currency. Why? Because almost everything is valued in dollars. Everything would have to be rationed (again ref. WW2).

This is just some more for you people to chew on. And it could happen with any President or any political party in control at the time.

Sleep well my little sheep.

aliou salam Florida   May 6th, 2008 10:54 pm ET

Kenturky and West Virginia, It's your turn to vote for Obama.

Ricardo Williams   May 6th, 2008 10:52 pm ET

Finally Hillary Clinton did the noble thing and accepts that defeat is looking her in the eyes and it is time to unite the Democratic party. Now we can all fall in love all over again.

After further review,Texas   May 6th, 2008 10:52 pm ET

FACT#1...9/11 Happened on the BUSH WATCH.

Jim in Ohio   May 6th, 2008 10:51 pm ET

No one should be suprised that the pattern of the last 7 years is repeated in yet another area. The Bush administration has been systematically dismantling a functioning government. By funding cuts and appointment of incompetents to positions of power they have rendered department after department useless; and then use their own failure to "outsource' another big contract to their buddies at Haliburton, etc. They have gutted the American economy to fill the pockets of the oil men and war contractors! What a suprise with a president (oil man) and vice-p (war contractor and oil man)!

aliou salam Florida   May 6th, 2008 10:51 pm ET

I read that in President Paul Biya of Cameroon's dictatorship book. What's new?

Don't just go breaking other countries because you are "bringing democracy".

The trick you are bringing to them, they taught the rest of the world about it.

mitchell   May 6th, 2008 10:46 pm ET

i'll be so glad when he hands the reins over to obama.

Anne   May 6th, 2008 10:26 pm ET

to Republican NC I think you are in some kind of dream world cos Bush has the worst rating of any president. He has made this country more of a threat to terrorism and he is off his rocker. I guess history will remember what a lying coniving weasel he is and that to me does not translate to history being good on him.

Freedom   May 6th, 2008 10:23 pm ET

WILLIAM...working harder at it lately?? We always work harder at everything. Bush won because more people voted for him. It was the democrats who could not handle that fact and made up stuff like dangling chads!!! Get a grip! Republicans would never be so lazy...

Rick FL   May 6th, 2008 10:21 pm ET

Corruption and cronyism at its worst–enough of this injustice! America is better than that.

Dem '08

Todd   May 6th, 2008 10:21 pm ET

Are any of us surprised that Bush would attempt this?! LOL What is more surprising is that anyone still supports him! Are they all as dimly lit as Bush? The only task left on this checklist for fascism is to find a minority to persecute – then we'll build a few statues of Chenney and we're done!

Juan Grain   May 6th, 2008 10:20 pm ET

It is a disgrace and should be against the law, when Americans vote for a nominee in a primary and the only intent is to throw the primary election so that the candidate that is elected can be beaten by "their real" candidate from the party that they came from.

This skews the polling data (e.g. white blue collar voters, etc.) and gives false impressions. It is done with mal intent (to throw an election), no different than voter fraud and or voter intimidation. The Democratic party Super delegates/un pledged delegates are in need to protect the integrity of the Democratic party and the process.

It is imperative that analysis is conducted on all of the primary season contest, to either determine that indeed the primaries were breached and the results are skewed or it is not enough to worry about.

At the very least, it is something to consider in rule changes for future elections. If indeed they were, then it is the responsibility of the Super delegates to consider the projected outcome minus the skewed data when considering the Democratic Nominee.

Freedom   May 6th, 2008 10:17 pm ET

YES!!! We have been safe. Why,democrats are you not thankful for that?? Oh, yea you never are. You just take,take,take. All studies show republicans give more to charity every year than democrats and you still want to take more of our hard earned money for your causes through taxes, it's OUR money. Make your own.

Be thankful we have been safe. A democrat will not do the same. They fight all that our military wants to do to keep us safe. Phone tapping, give me a break, who cares if we do not have another 9/11?

JP   May 6th, 2008 10:16 pm ET

CNN BLOWS i am going to FOX!

linda from South Dakota   May 6th, 2008 10:14 pm ET

oh my,, bush tatics again,, if it doesnt go their way,, they change the rules,, does he think he god??? he better look in the mirror again,,,,, bush no more,,,, obama!!!!!!!,, bush go play in the sand,, and make imaginary castles,,you may need one soon,,,,,,

mobee   May 6th, 2008 10:09 pm ET

Where's McInsane to agree with this?

Chris in Va.   May 6th, 2008 10:02 pm ET

George, PLEASE just sit in the corner and you and Dick play with your little green plastic army men.

Republican NC   May 6th, 2008 10:01 pm ET

Thank you Mr. Bush for keeping us safe the last 8 years. History will look good on you.

McCain '08.

william   May 6th, 2008 9:53 pm ET

People don't need to be surprised by Bush. He and the entire Repups all will do anything to win, and they are working harder at it lately, because they will need to.

Ohio for Obama   May 6th, 2008 9:51 pm ET

COWARD!

OBAmanian   May 6th, 2008 9:49 pm ET

What an Idiot!!!

georgia   May 6th, 2008 9:49 pm ET

So what else do you expect from W.He certainly is not displaying new behavior.

cal   May 6th, 2008 9:44 pm ET

mr bush stole the last 2 election why would he change now cheating so we scrwed with mccain bushs third trem

After further review,Texas   May 6th, 2008 9:43 pm ET

A good criminal until 01/21/09

Norm   May 6th, 2008 9:41 pm ET

How pethatic and low...it shows how corrupt and disgraced our president is. What happened to all those "values" that he was claiming to have. Surely, the president wants to cast the seeds of corruption and indignity in the government.

REPUB OF LA.   May 6th, 2008 9:29 pm ET

THANKS PRESIDENT BUSH AND GO MCCain

tigerakabj   May 6th, 2008 9:26 pm ET

So Bus is trying to cheat. What else is new? He'll get his.

Ron   May 6th, 2008 9:25 pm ET

He has other issues that need to be addressed like MISS and LA. rebuilding. Please help America, charity begins at home

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