The Wall Street Journal editorial board dismissed as a “nonbombshell†the questions about John McCain’s relationship with a female lobbyist. But it joined the hypocrisy argument in pointing out McCain’s “continued machinations within the election-finance rules that he did so much to create.†An editorial Friday noted how his campaign used its fundraising lists as collateral to borrow $3 million in November, and that it looked into borrowing another $1 million in January by pledging its eligibility for federal matching funds. This last maneuver caused the Federal Election Commission to warn McCain Thursday that he may not be able to withdraw from the presidential public financing system, which could significantly hamper his campaign. The Journal’s editorial observed: “It appears that Mr. McCain has been employing lawyers to game the campaign finance rules he hails as a defense against ‘corruption.’â€
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64 Comments
You don’t ask the man who benefitted the most from decades in Washington to reform the system.
The Republics ran the guy most like Bush to be their champion in November.
Let’s see how that works out for them.
Hello Mr. Pot, meet Mr. Kettle.
When anyone, especially a Republican, plays the rules according to how they are written, but with finesse and succeeds, the opposing party cries foul and wants sanctions, never admitting they simply weren’t smart enough to do the same.
Straight Talk = Sleaze Machine. Is anybody surprised?
Still, one expects that his shameless hypocrisy, phony image, and serial lying ought to rally hesitating Republicans to his side. He’s proven he’s one of them, after all.
Boxlock,
Bullshit. When somebody tries to have it both ways–raising money privately if his campaign is successful, sticking the public with the debt if not–Democrats cry foul.
Repubes love the letter of the law. The spirit, not so much.
SWEET! Mr ’squeeky-clean’ isn’t so clean after all.
“The Journal’s editorial observed:”
Boxlock – the WSJ is HARDLY liberal. They are about as Right-wing as you can get.
So where is anything illegal?
Anyone?
Anyone?
Another Brownlee Bunghole Bomb…
The guy’s campaign is loaded with lobbyist “donating” their time. He doesn’t have a chance in hell.
Since it seems lost to the Dems, I repeat myself;
“When anyone, especially a Republican, plays the rules according to how they are written, but with finesse and succeeds, the opposing party cries foul and wants sanctions, never admitting they simply weren’t smart enough to do the same.”
Dems are always crying foul, and when not….. just crying!
And a very good, straight forward question by Regular;
“So where is anything illegal?
Anyone?
Anyone?
Another Brownlee Bunghole Bomb…”
We’re waiting…………
I would just LOVE to see McCain forced to abide by public financing rules because he used his future eligibility for financing as collateral for a loan to his campaign.
That would be hilarious – McCain would be limited to approximately $54 million by law, whereas Obama raises nearly that much in a single month.
Obama could go private and outspend McCain three to one.
McCain is going to have an uphill battle against Obama to begin with and to have just a third of the money will sink his boat in no time.
Boxlock,
As I said before, you’re wrong. And a snivelling whiner to boot.
If McCain opts out of the financing system, he breaks the law. Breaking his agreement to participate isn’t HIS decision to make; it’s the decision of the FEC commissioners.
“First, McCain opted in to the public finance system for the primaries last year. It meant that his struggling campaign would get $5.8 million in public matching funds in March. Now that he’s effectively the Republican nominee, he wants out, because the system entails a spending limit of $54 million through the end of August. He’s almost spent that much already, according to the Post.
So the McCain campaign sent the Federal Election Commission a letter (pdf) earlier this month saying that he was opting out. But there’s a problem. And FEC Chairman David Mason, a Republican, made it plain in his letter (pdf) yesterday: McCain can’t tell the FEC that he’s out of the system. He can only ask.
And the FEC, which normally has six commissioners, can’t give him an answer until it has a quorum of four commissioners. It currently only has two. That’s because the Senate has been deadlocked over four nominees; Democrats insist on a separate confirmation vote for vote-suppression guru Hans von Spakovsky, and Republicans insist on a single vote for all nominees.
The second issue has to do with McCain’s tricky loan and whether the FEC will conclude that it locked him into the system. But for now, that’s really ancillary to the first issue.
It is a serious issue. As the Post reports, “Knowingly violating the spending limit is a criminal offense that could put McCain at risk of stiff fines and up to five years in prison.”
It’s really unclear as to what might happen next. McCain’s lawyer says he’s out of the system and that’s that. It’s unclear if they’ll respond to Mason’s letter. And it’s unclear if the FEC can do anything or be forced to do anything, without the necessary quorum. It’s literally an unprecedented situation.”
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/mccains_fec_problem.php
Typical Republican: try to hold other people to the rules you, yourself, get to break.
Oh my …
“A sworn deposition that Sen. John McCain gave in a lawsuit more than five years ago appears to contradict one part of a sweeping denial that his campaign issued this week to rebut a New York Times story about his ties to a Washington lobbyist.”
http://www.newsweek.com/id/114505
Ben,
BINGO. “Straight Talk” is looking less Presidential by the second.
That’s the problem with being a serial liar in public: it’s hard to remember what you said to whom, and your own words–under oath in this case–are always waiting to come back to haunt you.
Like I said: McCain has the ethics–and the skin–of a reptile.
Ben, I read that earlier today. From memory, there is some appearance of a contradiction in the deposition as compared to the statement of yesterday. It isn’t any “smoking gun” or anything like that.
“And it’s unclear if the FEC can do anything or be forced to do anything, without the necessary quorum. It’s literally an unprecedented situation.
“For now, however, the consequences for the dispute are mostly political for McCain, as election law expert Rick Hasen writes:
He may be able to make technically correct arguments that he is not in violation, but the smell is bad.”
“Note: Hasen cites Mark Schmitt on a certain irony. Pretty much everyone agrees that the public financing system for the primaries is broken — the spending limits are too low and the payouts are too late (March). As Steve Weissman of the Campaign Finance Institute put it to me, the primary system in its current state is “basically only for losing candidates” — candidates without the fundraising wherewithal to really compete.”
Looks as if the system is non-functional and however it looks he has not broken the law and will will be fine with it.
But keep grasping at straws.
McCain “I do not re-call” would ring hollow if he joined the mile high club on the corporate jet junket.
Hell if we could just get rid of the damn lobbyist, this doesn’t bother me half as much as all the senators who have family members working as lobbyist, hell Harry Reids 3 sons are Lobbyist. tell me that is corrupt as hell.
The Lib Media Spin begins!
The Media praises McCain for 8 years, then after he secures the nomination:
POUNCE ON HIM!
It really is sad to see everyone picking at McCain like vultures and road kill A man well respected and honored for his almost life time service to the country —- he should have quit when he was ahead and eventually retired as senior senator from AZ or maybe VP or cabinet post (Sec Def.?) I don’t think anyone can spend 25 yrs in DC and not get at least a little dirt on his hands —
There should be a ban on politicians relatives being lobbyist, as well as former politicians. Forget revolving door rules; put up a wall.
republicans have been saying for years this dumb ass McCain Feingold bill would come back and bite him in the ass. I say Goody. Obama will use this towards his advantage in the General election. the bill was stupid in every aspect anyway.. Goody
Campaign finance rules, beyond being questionable, under the First Amendment, are also stupid.
When has the media ever worried about campaign finance problems in a Democrats campaign?
Democrats can take in millions from China, or from Buhdist Monks, or from Chinese bus-boys, and the press never goes after them.
The primary purpose of all campaign finance regulations is to hurt Republicans.
Democrats will just ignore the rules, anyway!
I would note from the article that Sen. McCain could not apply for the “public funding” for the general election, and be free to accept all the private funding he might raise therefor. The limitations that were discussed were, as I recall, only for the primaries.
“The primary purpose of all campaign finance regulations is to hurt Republicans.”
So that is why McCain co-sponsored the bill with Feingold – to screw Republicans?
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm? Isn’t Johnny the REPUBLICAN Senator from Arizona?
Seems I read that somewhere…….
“The Lib Media Spin begins!”
So the Wall Street Journal is Lib Media?
Shades of Keating Five!
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican U.S. Rep. Richard Renzi of Arizona, a state co-chair for Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign, was indicted on corruption charges stemming from land deals in his state, Justice Department officials said on Friday.
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The 35-count indictment stemmed from plans by Renzi and a business associate, a real estate investor, to benefit from a land-exchange deal in Arizona in return for Renzi’s support for necessary federal legislation, according to court documents.
McCain, who faced new scrutiny about his ethics this week, reacted to Renzi’s indictment and told reporters in Indianapolis, “I’m sorry. I feel for the family. As you know he has 12 children.”
There was no indication McCain was connected to the case.
Those that don’t learn from history, are doomed to repeat it! And, in Arizona yet.
McCain could no doubt call in some markers from his lobbyist ‘friends’ to fund his presidential bid.
Maybe McCain could get a list of Hillary’s bundlers since it appears she won’t be needing them for the general election.
The conservatives tried to keep him from an alliance with Feingold and he insisted. Now he has that chain around his ankle.
Any dem on here that throws stone at the GOP about campaign financing is indeed gullible at the least or hipocritical at the worse.
Phantom:
The Post is already reporting this, as well as reporting that his chief spokesperson Black is transacting business for his lobbying firm while on board the “Straight Talk (sic)” Express.
Same old McCain… say one thing, do another.
WS
McCain Feingold is an abomination.
It was a HUGE mistake.
No candidate is ever perfect.
McCain was and is wrong on campaign finance.
Bush signed it. Thompson voted for it. Republicans were hopeful that the courts would strike it down.
That was wrong.
Presidents and members of Congress have every bit as much authority to interpret the Constitution as the Courts.
All were wrong to delegate this authority to the Courts.
“Presidents and members of Congress have every bit as much authority to interpret the Constitution as the Courts.”
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…………………..
I guess I must have misremembered that stuff about THREE co-equal branches of government as intended by our Founding Fathers.
Silly me.
I guess President Obama will take full advantage of this authority to determine the Constitutionality of law.
Cool.
Econ this will be one year I won’t be proud of my vote whichever way it goes. If Obama’s innocence on how to run a country didn’t scare me so badly I would just set out this one but I’ll just hold my nose an vote for McCain.
WS the point he was making I think is that this piece of legislation was no openly attacking the freedom of speech in the rescritions it placed on when/what an ad could say that those who should have voted against it because it was wrong chose instead to vote yes and let the supremes strike it down. Their cowardice cost both parties because the supremes ruled against them.
And
WS
WHERE does the Constitution ever say that all three branches of government are “co-equal”?
In fact, the Courts have virtually NO authority when it comes to matters of war.
Also, Congress, with a simple majority vote, and signature of the President, can limit the jurisdiction of the Courts, ANY time they want to.
Our political leaders LIKE telling us that the “courts” keep them from doing the right thing.
That is not true.
They just want to toss hot button issues to the Courts, so they don’t have to deal with those issues, themselves.
This is changing, however.
Eww a pic with creepy Cindy!
Hey editors? Run a side by side of Cindy and the lobbyist who pulls the strings of John McCain!
And NOW John finds himself in MORE trouble?
Heh The con convention is gonna be like a dirge.
Oh great! Another thread attacking the republican frontrunner.
Such a wonderful news media we have. Can you sleep at night?
When will we see threads about Hillary? The only first lady EVER to have a subpoena for her involvement in Whitewater and hiding facts.
The only first lady, who claims ZERO financial knowledge, to make 10,000 percent on her ONE TIME investment in the stock market.
When will we READ about the 500 FBI records which SHE lost? Hmmmm?
Nothing on that?
So beat up on McCain for what? YOu got nothing.
Thread everyday AGAINST MCCAIN. It will not change the red state end game. Republicans rule.
And, therein lies America’s problems.
“WHERE does the Constitution ever say that all three branches of government are “co-equal”?”
Maybe you should have taken CIVICS 101 instead of ECON 101, Rossell.
Legislative = makes law.
Executive = enforces law.
Judicial = interprets law.
Phuck off, Rossell.
“This is changing, however.”
That’s great, Rossell, with a Democratic Congress and a Democratic President, we can just freakin’ outlaw the Republic Party.
Cool.
“WS the point he was making I think is that this piece of legislation was no openly attacking the freedom of speech in the rescritions it placed on when/what an ad could say that those who should have voted against it because it was wrong chose instead to vote yes and let the supremes strike it down. Their cowardice cost both parties because the supremes ruled against them.”
Huh?
“Republicans rule.”
Not Congress, and in November, not the presidency either.
You Republics are SCREWED.
And Rossell said that the Congress can tell the courts to butt out anytime they want, so we’re going to have all you Republic put to death and we are going to take your cars.
So Captain, Monkeyhawk, et al…
Here is the crossover vote you all were SO proud of earlier.
“Econ this will be one year I won’t be proud of my vote whichever way it goes. If Obama’s innocence on how to run a country didn’t scare me so badly I would just set out this one but I’ll just hold my nose an vote for McCain.”
First she says if Hillary is the nominee, she’ll vote for McCain, but if Obama is the nominee, she’ll cross over and vote for Obama.
Now? The “inexperience” factor of Obama is causing her to “hold her nose” and vote for McCain.
Gee, I hate to be an “I told ya so” but…
I TOLD YA SO!!!!!!
I dont give a buggered rat who she votes for. The point is that you fell for a repuke trick, again. I wonder how many of these phoney crossovers will do the same. At least she went to the republican caucus and not the democratic one.
How does it feel Charlie Brown? Flat on your back again?
Let that sink in… as you said to me when germie first promised an Obama vote.
With any luck we can get a Democratin President AND a solid Democratic Congress. Then we can appoint enough Justices to the Supreme court (and judges to other courts) to change the direction of our country. 8 years of control might give us an opportunity to repair at least some of the damage the Republics have caused.
kfg on the “I told you so” smack down scores vital Blog points. :D
10,000 points to kfg. :)
…and it looks like Peggy Noonan, who, until recently, was Obama’s best friend…
Is cranking up the right wing spin machine now to clock him. Charlie Brown. Football. Lucy.
From you know where.
” Fri Feb-22-08 10:22 PM
Original message
Peggy Noonan has started in on the Obamas
Advertisements [?]Edited on Fri Feb-22-08 10:34 PM by ruggerson
I was perusing the WSJ today, and I noticed that the Queen of Obnoxious Filth wrote an absolutely scathing piece ripping both Barack and Michelle to shreds and tarring them with much of the same bad rightwing pseudo pop psychoanalytical crap she has used on Bill and Hillary for many, many years.
I’m not going to post it here. Because it’s dreck whether she writes it about Hillary or Barack Obama. Now it even has an added twist of not so subtle racial jabs.
Let’s just say to those Obama supporters who regularly dragged her, and other rightwinger’s, anti-Hillary diatribes to DU as proof of how evil the Clintons are – the worm has started to turn.
Your newly found rightwing best friends are just starting to crank up the slime machine. “
Cap’n,
“You don’t ask the man who benefitted the most from decades in Washington to reform the system.”
Is the alternative to nominate a sinless celebate saint who hasn’t got a clue how to actually get something accomplished in government?
and the moral of the story is that the repukes will slime the democratic nominee. No matter if it is Hillary or obama. To think otherwise is, well…
Very charlie brown like.
Democrats will take their enthusiasm and motivation to the polls in record numbers this fall and elect the next president.
There will be NO crossover votes. I never believed it; no one should have believed it.
The youth vote and turnout will make the difference.
When Republicans talk about how unifying and motivating Hillary is to them they ignore the affects of seven years of bushco.
linda – agreed 100%. I’m sure you recall the mood that snowy Tuesday evening: “I don’t care if it is me joining you or you joining me but we have some serious butt to kick this November.”
I disagree with you however about crossover votes. I have met many “Kassebaum Republicans” who will be with us in November.
We probably need to have another gathering, or maybe several, to make sure every person has the opportunity to experience that pervading attitude. It was just as you say — everyone in agreement about the final goal come November.
I hope you’re right about the crossover votes. Not because I think they will be needed, just because I question the sanity of those who wish to continue doing what has been done under bushco.
Ben while I too think the appointment of judges is important I guess I don’t remember the damage the supremes have caused. Can you refresh my memory?
Two comments, “ksfarmgrrl” –
In Kansas, a signficant number of moderates (and even liberals) are registered to the Republic Party simply to vote in state and local primaries; Democrats in Kansas have fewer contested primary races.
When we discuss crossover voting in the national general election, you and “J R” try very hard to cite obvious extremist Cons as unlikely crossovers. For sure, posters such as “ksgrm,” “Econ101,” “Nathan,” “Regular” et al, are going to slime any Democratic candidate.
But consider the case of Mark McKinnon – the chief media adviser and strategist for presumptive Republican nominee John McCain – says he will stop working for McCain if Obama is the Democratic nominee. McKinnon did the media for ShrubCo in Texas and in 2000 and 2004 and so, knows his way around slime. He doesn’t want to be a part of sliming Obama.
Full story here:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/022008F.shtml
Okay, three things:
Remember how everyone called Reagn the “Teflon” president? By comparison, Senator Clinton tends to be the Velcro candidate. Yup, they throw a lot of slime, but everything seems to stick to her. She got booed by Democrats for that Xerox zinger this week.
More from the “Straight Talk Express” (sic):
“Renzi, who is one of 24 co-chairmen for Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign in Arizona, has denied wrongdoing. His attorney, Kelly Kramer, issued a brief statement saying Renzi would “fight these charges until he is vindicated and his family’s name is restored.”
The congressman had been considered in political peril ever since FBI agents raided his wife’s insurance business in the southern Arizona town of Sonoita in October 2006. He immediately stepped down from the House Intelligence Committee, and followed that by taking a leave of absence from the House Financial Services and Natural Resources committees.
Authorities accuse Renzi of using his position as a member of the Natural Resources Committee to push land deals for Sandlin. Renzi wanted Sandlin to make money so the congressman could be paid for an earlier land deal they made together, according to the indictment.
“Renzi was having financial difficulty throughout 2005 and needed a substantial infusion of funds to keep his insurance business solvent and to maintain his personal lifestyle,” the indictment reads.”
http://www.kansas.com/wireupdates/story/319066.html
“I question the sanity of those who wish to continue doing what has been done under bushco”
On that we agree linda. The group I am referring to are the moderate Republicans who are in despair at what Bushco has done to their Party. The ones PaulTheCon derides as “idiots” and “RINOs”
Has it occurred to you Monkeyhawk WHY Obama may be getting crossovers?
I say it is because the cons see him as malleable. THEY can work ON him.
Maybe it’s a sucker play on Obama’s part. But given some of his recent remarks, I am inclined to doubt it. His remarks on child health care are very telling.
Monkeyhawk, that was not a general post. Germ expressly said she would vote for Obama if it were a McCain-Obama race.
Captain’s post to me was “let THAT sink in”. Meaning, it was a BIG deal for germ to say she would vote for Obama. All hail Obama for the crossover. And I noted at the time that republican blood would be thicker than crossover water.
And now?
I rest my case.
Probably too late now, but you obamabots will come to regret not nominating Hillary. The repukes will indeed slime any democratic nominee. They will vote for any republican nominee.
No matter WHAT they say in YOUR primary.
Charlie Brown. Football. Lucy. You know the drill.
We’ll see in November. Too bad there is so much riding on this election. And too bad you were blinded by sebelius and obama.
But I doubt you will ever admit you were wrong.
… and didnt Pelosi and Reid promise they would pull over MODERATE republicans? They extended a hand and said they could work with the middle?
How did THAT work out?
“The repukes will indeed slime any democratic nominee. They will vote for any republican nominee.”
On that we agree ksfg. However I do know some Republicans (the ones Paul likes to call idiots) who are turned off by the extremists.
McLiarCain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gEROVh8zK4
I guess, “ksfarmgrrl,” the only reason I persist in this dialog is that I think you are a rational person and might get it.
The candidate of the Democratic Party who will best deliver the White House for progressive thinkers is Barack Obama. Hillary might do it, but with less of an electoral margin. She might be best equipped to run the country but not without a landslide victory (which she’s not likely to get) and there’s not a lot of evidence she’d run the Oval Office all that better than her husband did.
I don’t believe for a minute that an Obama landslide could result in FDR’s first 100 days as in 1933. Nor Hillary’s. But we’re closer to that with an Obama Landslide than we are with “Hillary Ekes Out a Victory” in newspaper headlines on the Wednesday after election day. And we’ll all progress if we avoid “McCain Wins” headlines.
Agreed?
MH – I would add that a ticket led by Obama is more likely to get us 60 in the Senate. That breaks the Republic filibuster.
kscitydude – SWEET!!!!!
Well Monkey, once again, I didnt think we were having a dialog. I think you just lecture me.
Obama landslide? We’ll see. In ALL the polls he barely beats McCain. And the reich wing has been so busy trashing Hillary, they are just now starting on Obama.
No one is going to win a landslide. Obama has NEVER faced an election with a real republican opponent.
never.
The country is still about evenly divided, and at the end of the day, election day that is, I think folks will go “home” to their party and vote that way. Polls show NO landslide or coattails for obama. If they do, please provide a link.
We’ll see. I wonder if you will be back here on November 5 if Obama “ekes” out a victory or loses. It isnt in the bag yet.
And the only reason I continue trying to talk to you is because you are a pie in the sky idiot and the more you post, the more folks will question their blind support of obama. I have NO hope you will “get it”.
The democrats will regret not having nominated Hillary.
WOOF. That “crossover” thing, obamamania, isnt even holding up in KANSAS fer cryin’ out loud…