McCain hits Obama on public financing commitment
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/04/11/art.mccain.ap.jpg caption="John McCain hit Obama on public financing Friday."] (CNN) - John McCain criticized Barack Obama on Friday for appearing to backtrack from a previous commitment to accept public financing - and the spending caps that come with it - for his presidential campaign.
"He committed to it," McCain told reporters Friday. "So in direct contradiction to his rhetoric, he’s now saying well he may not do it. So facts are facts. Facts are stubborn things." "I repeat my commitment to public financing if he will, and I call on him to keep his commitment that he made a year ago, and not flip flop," McCain also said.
The Arizona Republican's comments are in reference to those made by Obama earlier in the day, when he called America's public financing system "creaky" and suggested it need to be updated in light of the rise of internet fundraising.
"I think that it is creaky," Obama said of the current system that is financed by $3 dollar check-offs in tax returns. "The amount of money raised through the public financing system may be substantially lower than the amount of money that can be raised over the Internet, which presents candidates then with some pretty tough decisions in terms of how they want to move forward if they want to compete in as many states as possible."
Obama has raised over $230 million from about 1.3 million donors on the internet since his campaign began last year. McCain has raised approximately $80 million in the same time period. Should Obama accept public financing, he would be granted $84 million by the federal government and would be unable to spend any more, according to the Associated Press.
Obama has got caught in another lie... He ain't so "golden"
I support Obama, but I'll vote for Hillary quite happily over McCain.
Even so, McCain will be much better for the country than Bush/Cheney, so the downside isn't as bad as 2004. I think there's a good chance the Democrats will increase their margin in congress, so there won't be the lunacy of total Republican control that led to the disaster this country ended up in. If they were Real republicans it wouldn't have been so bad, but these new republicans that want to grow the government, borrow money like crazy, invade other countries without good reason, and invade personal privacy are scary.
Bottom line...Obama is about change and this is one thing he said he would change...now he has changed his mind because he is benefiting from it...
OBAMA is like every other politician...a lier...he's no different...out of the three of them, he is the most dangerous for AMERICA..
PA I hope you are paying attention...There are too many RED FLAGS
Barack H Obama has only one gear. Reverse.
McBushHill is so JEALOUS of Obama. LOL!!
The rep's think that everybody is stupid. They know that they have a way of getting around that public finance spending should they go that way. Their trying to squeeze Obama into a trap. The Repub's will still spend a ton of money from other sources and they know it. Suck it up Mccain, Obama's not falling for it.
Obama is just another typical politician. I think Obama should be ashame of himself for saying one thing and doing another things. SHAME,SHAME,SHAME and SHAME on you Barack Obama. Fool me once shame on u,fool me twice shame on me.
Obama all the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Obama is correct by saying many people are bitter,that is,the real America
Your bones creak, Mr. McCain. We don't care that Obama gets
his money from us. He is a fair man and he will play fair, and you
won't your a jealous coniver, taught by the best, Bush. Mr. McCain
now, do you remember Mr. Bush. Oh, now, he is your President.
Remember Him?????You can't forget him that fast. He is not
even gone yet, Mr. McCain!!!!! Let's retrace your memory!!!
I hope he turns down public financing, this will save taxpayers millions of dollars. It will put him at the mercy of the swift boaters, with all their millions.
Warren Richart
We don't care. Mind your Business and the voters for Obamaman
will mind ours. You clean up your side of the street because ours
is already clean, Mr. McCain.
THATS OLD NEWS WE ALL KNOW HAS A FORKED TOUNGE SAYS ONE THING MEANS ANOTHER!LIKE WITH THE NAFTA THING!
OBAMA CONTINUES TO BE A THREAT TO NATIONAL MATURITY!
IS BARACK HUSSAIN OBAMAS NAME SUNNY OR SHEITE?
Boo ...boo ...boo McHypocrit! At least Obama didn't use the guarantee of public financing to get loans from the bank and then sneakily try to back out of the public financing commitment that he already made.
Why should Obama accept his prior committment? He is not a man of his word. He has outspent Hillary 4 to 1 and cannot lock this thing up. With comments such as, "And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations," He is going to need lots of money to over come those kind of things. At least the people of Pennsylvania are not anti-American like Rev. Wright?
Once again Obama proves himself to be a hypocrite. This man should give all of his supporters a refund. Vote Clinton!!
KOR, you're a dope. "Bundlers" have been around for years. GW Bush was relying heavily on bundlers back in 2000. Hillary has bundlers (she calls them "Hillraisers"). McCain has bundlers. But if you think bundlers are making the difference in Barack Obama's campaign, you should look at how much money has been raised and how many people have donated. The impact of "bundlers" is nothing compared to the impact of individuals like myself going to his Web site and kicking in a few bucks now and then. You're a disgrace.
YOU STUPID, STUPID AMERICANS: OBAMA IS LYING TO ALL OF YOU ABOUT HIS PASTOR...AS SOON AS HE GETS ELECTED HE IS GOING TO HAVE HIS PASTOR WRIGHT AND HIS TWO PENTIGON BOMBER FRIENDS OVER FOR DINNER IN THE WHITE HOUSE....
HE WAS TAPED IN A PHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE PASTOR BY HIS PHONE COMPANY.........WAKE UP PENN ST....DON'T LET HIM WIN WE ARE ALL DOOMED......
McSame is just worried because Obama will have 200 times more money than he will...
Just add it to the long list of lies and back tracks from Obama...especially his re-statements of things is ridiculous.
At least with McCain you know what you are getting. That gives me comfort.
I DO NOT want my president to sit down with Iran and sip tea.
When Barack Obama made that Pledge, I'm sure he had no idea he would be raising the boatloads of money he has been getting. The fact is he gave his word in the interest of being fair. If he believes in his message than he should keep his word. Obama's canpaign managers are screaming at him to not accept the public financing but then he would be just another politician: saying one thing to look good but doing the opposite to gain an advantage. But why should we care so much about backing out of a pledge. Their JUST WORDS, right Barack.
And speaking of "JUST WORDS", when Baracks MENTOR, Rev. WRIGHT, was going off on America and the White population for the last 20 years. Do you believe Barack was disgusted or jumping up and down screaming "AMEN!!!" like everybody else you see in those videos? But those were "JUST WORDS" too, right? I know I'm not going to forget those "WORDS" com November. WAKE UP AMERICA!!! CNN probably won't include my comments since I'm obviously not a Obama fan.
What the heck does Obama have against playing on a level playing field with McCain?? What a loser, with all the money he's been outspending Clinton sometimes 5to 1in the Democratic contest so far and he's not been able to put Clinton away yet?
I hope Obama doesn't take Public Financing. I've devoted $25 every two weeks to Obama's campaign, and I hope that I can do that all the way through the general election. Obama has re-invented the way a campaign should be run. His campaign makes you feel involved and a part of the movement that he continues to talk about. McCain knows he doesn't have much of a chance come Novemeber if he can't put a cap on campaign spending. Unlike that flawed system, Obama's money comes from true supporters and the 'everyday' hard workers of America.
It is not that MC and Obama, the value go to Tasha. Why we don't know. . How many Hussain's relatives gave money? bitter pen state people but no money . MC has a kid too. I support Obama.
Obama 08
Good luck with that one John. Maybe you should be giving Ron Paul a call and seeing what his secret is. I can tell you that part of it is actually following the Republican platform.
The definition of Maverick? "Someone who refuses to conform to established standards of conduct". In other words, you are not Republican!!!!!