[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/06/20/art.moveon.cnn.jpg caption="MoveOn.org is getting out of the 527 business."]WASHINGTON (CNN) - The political advocacy group MoveOn.org is getting out of the 527 business.
"While MoveOn Political Action has always been funded exclusively by small donors like you, we've held open the MoveOn.org Voter Fund – a separate "527" organization – which can raise money from big donors. We haven't actually taken any big-money checks since 2004," MoveOn.org Executive Director Eli Pariser wrote in an email to the group's members. "In light of the new politics offered by Barack Obama, I've come to believe it's time to close the 527 forever."
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has said he does not want "527s" and outside, independent groups advertising on his behalf in the general election. A "527" is an political organization that can raise money in high dollar amounts and launch political advocacy campaigns, including television ads.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.l.cnn.net/cnn/2008/images/01/16/art.blitzeriowa.cnn.jpg caption="Blitzer: Obama, McCain are at odds over tax policy."] WASHINGTON (CNN) - There’s nothing wrong with people changing their minds. We all do it – all the time. But as Luke Russert reminded us at his father’s funeral this week, politicians have a hard time admitting that they ever change their minds. They are apparently afraid that they will be accused of flip-flopping, which supposedly is bad for a politician.
Luke said that Tim Russert would also point out that the Americans are a very forgiving people. They will certainly accept politicians changing their minds as long as they are up front about it. What’s wrong with political leaders simply saying they’ve had a change of heart? “I used to think one way, but now think another.”
I was reminded of this when Barack Obama announced this week that he was opting out of the public financing of his general election campaign despite earlier expressing support for the public finance system. His decision certainly made financial sense, given that he could probably raise at least $300 million for the campaign compared to the roughly $85 million available in public financing.
In explaining his decision, Obama insisted the current presidential general election finance system was “broken,” something Democratic Senator Russ Feingold, a leader in campaign finance reform, denied. Would it have been so bad politically for Obama if he would have just said: “The country needs me in the White House and this decision will help make that happen. We can’t take any chances. As a result, I changed my mind”?
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/06/20/art.macfbpork0620.jm.jpg caption="Users rack up millions in tax dollars by shooting vetoes at flying pigs in the McCain camp's latest Facebook application."]
(CNN) – Anyone who thought John McCain’s campaign – which launched its very first Facebook application just two days ago – would make a major push on the social networking Web site when pigs fly… is right.
McCain’s new “Pork Invaders” application, launched Friday, is a video game that requires users to dodge incoming projectiles from flying pigs. If a user takes a hit from one of the application’s pigs, the user loses one of the three lives granted at the beginning of the game.
How do you kill the flying pigs? By shooting off vetoes. With each pig killed by a veto, users rack up millions of tax dollars as their score, and progress to the next level - but only after the game lays out campaign talking points like comparing the respective records of Sen. McCain and his rival, Sen. Barack Obama, on earmarks.
Recent Comments