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Barack, We Hardly Knew You!
Mark Shields
Barack Obama made history this week. He announced he will become the
first major-party presidential nominee since Richard M. Nixon in 1972
to fund his general election campaign solely by private contributions.
By rejecting the public-finance law, under which the last eight presidential elections have been run, with its equal dollar grants to the Democratic and Republican nominees, Obama -- with his prodigious fundraising juggernaut -- all but guarantees that he will be the first presidential nominee since the aforementioned Nixon to have a better than two-to-one spending advantage over his November opponent, John McCain.
For more than four decades, the Democrats' argument in support of campaign finance-public funding has been constant: We must assure "a level playing field" between the two parties. Why? To prevent money -- and a candidate's access to it -- from determining who wins and who loses. That was the Democrats' and Obama's mantra when deep-pocketed Republicans consistently outspent Democrats.
But not this year, when Obama with his 1.5 million contributors and their 3 million contributions has, according to the most recent reports, raised almost three times as much money as McCain and had twice as much cash on hand. Obama, it is now clear, was all for a level playing field until the 2008 playing field tilted overwhelmingly in his favor.
But no reformer can admit he's simply refusing to surrender his huge dollar advantage. So as Sheila Krunmholz of the Center for Responsive Politics perfectly puts it, "Barack Obama is taking the high road all the way to the bank."
The Illinois Democrat argues the "public financing system as it exists today is broken." But indefatigable campaign reformer Fred Wertheimer of Democracy 21 notes Obama "knew the circumstances surrounding the presidential general election when he made his pledge to use the system."
Obama also charges his GOP opponent's campaign and the Republican National Committee "are fueled by contributions from Washington lobbyists and PACs." And what about those "so-called 527 groups who will spend millions of dollars in unregulated donations?"
Sounds good until you check the facts. McCain has raised a grand total of $650,000 from the lobbying industry (Obama pledges not to accept lobbyists' or PAC money), according to the Center for Responsive Politics, and just 1 percent of his contributions are from PACs. Talk about a paper tiger.
But everybody remembers the most famous 527 group of all, the 2004 "Swift boats" attack ads questioning John Kerry's bravery in Vietnam. Here are the numbers: The 527 spending has heavily favored Democrats over Republicans in every election cycle since 2000. In 2004, Democratic-leaning 527 groups spent $316 million to Republican-leaning 527s' $113 million. So far in 2008, the 527 spending has been $116 million to $69 million in favor of the Democrats.
Obama complicated his current situation by publicly proposing in March 2007 an agreement between the two major party nominees to rely exclusively upon public financing for the general election. John McCain immediately agreed. Last November, Obama stated: "I will aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election," and on Feb. 26, Obama told the late Tim Russert, who had asked him if he might "break your word" on his public financing pledge, "I will sit down with John McCain and make sure that we have a system that works for everybody."
Obama has long acknowledged and accepted the basic reality that you cannot change Washington until you change the way we finance our politics and our campaigns. True, his campaign has done what was considered impossible by bringing in so many new, small contributors, which is healthy for American democracy. But don't, as some Obama folks do, call this a different form of public financing. It is not. Public financing imposes spending limits.
Obama did not "aggressively pursue" any agreement. He did not sit down with John McCain.
He did not do what he told us he would do. He may very well win the White House. But even if he does, Barack Obama will still be just one more politician who broke his word.
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To find out more about Mark Shields and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com. Distributed By Creators Syndicate Inc.
Copyright 2008 Mark Shields
This news arrived on: 06/21/2008
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Posted Comments:
07-08-2008 09:50
wrote:
Obama
Sassy, No you go to the senate site and while your at it check all of them background. You had no problem voting those who are already in office. But time a black person run for president you get upset.
07-08-2008 09:47
wrote:
Obama
Scott, your a trail of lies now are you?
06-24-2008 05:32
Larry wrote:
Obama
He is so much the typical politition! Say what the people want to hear. Break his word, whenever it is to his advantage, and always explain the change as a misunderstanding. I'll admit he is very polished. That in itself, will be a welcomed change. I just question where he wants to take this great nation? Ask yourself? When you talk about energy, you need a plan that can help soon, as well as sometime in the distant future. Since we only produce about 40% of our oil needs, no one idea will bring us up to 100%. Conserve yes,drill more yes , find alternatives yes,but also don't create other problems along the way. Obama's solution is too far off. We need to take all the actions possible, as soon as possible, so the OPEC nations can't control us any longer than absolutely necessary. If we had done that back in the 70'S , when the problem became obvious, then today we would be enjoying polution free vehicles,(electric, hydrogen, whatever) that only cost a penny or so a mile. We need to lead the world by example, not force, to a greener , more efficient, more economical way to use and produce the needs of a great nation.WAKE UP AMERICA! We can do this, the technology is here, the time is over due. LET'S JUST DO IT !
06-23-2008 21:57
sassy wrote:
Obama
Do your homework and go to the senate site you will be serprised that Obama was payed for not showing up to work.Most of the time he was off bull s people into giving him there money so he gould wast it on bad tast in clouthes for his wife.He also bought her a 1st lady neclice so she can pretend she lives in the white house.Obama is changing the offical seal our American Egal has been defaced How much more are we going to put up with before you WAKE UP AMERICA and see who B.H.O. realy is.
06-23-2008 21:18
QT LEX wrote:
.......
The only Savior that I am aware of is Jesus Christ. Granted,it will take Barack quite awhile to clean up the mess left by Bush but keep the faith and stay prayed up.
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