DNC to File Complaint Against McCain Campaign for Ignoring FEC Law
February 24, 2008
The DNC announced today that it will file a complaint with the FEC against John McCain’s campaign Monday, calling on the FEC to investigate whether the McCain campaign violated or is about to violate the law by ignoring the spending limit agreement and other conditions Senator McCain agreed to when he became eligible to receive federal matching funds.
According to McCain’s latest campaign filing, he has already spent $49.6 million and given that a month has passed, he has exceeded or is about to exceed the approximately $56.8 million spending limit.
“The crucial issue here is John McCain’s integrity. John McCain poses as a reformer but seems to think reforms apply to everyone but him,” said Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. “He used taxpayer money to guarantee a loan so he could raise money from lobbyists and special interests — it’s the height of hypocrisy. This is just the latest example of his do as I say, not as I do double standard, and it’s unlikely to be the last. McCain financially benefited from this legally binding contract — he got free ballot access, saving him millions of dollars, and he secured a $4 million line of credit to keep his campaign afloat by using public financing as collateral. He should follow the law.”
The McCain campaign has incorrectly stated that McCain is doing what Dean did when he withdrew from public financing in his presidential bid, but they have the facts wrong. Dean did not use the promise of matching funds as collateral for a loan. Dean withdrew before the FEC determined eligibility for funds, unlike McCain. And he spent millions of dollars to get his name on the ballot after withdrawing, unlike McCain, who had free ballot access in many states because he pledged to accept matching funds.
In order to receive matching funds, John McCain signed a binding agreement with the FEC to accept spending limits and to abide by the conditions of receiving those funds. The FEC makes clear that any request to withdraw from the agreement must be granted by the FEC. In other words, McCain can’t just unilaterally withdraw. FEC Chairman David Mason made this clear in a letter to McCain advising him that the law requires the FEC to approve his request to withdraw from his contract.
According to past Commission rulings, the McCain campaign would not be allowed to withdraw from matching funds because it has already violated a key condition for being let out of the program — pledging matching funds as collateral for a private loan. McCain obtained a $4 million line of credit — drew $2,971,697 from it — and documents make clear that the promise of public financing was used to secure his loan.
In the complaint, the DNC says “the Commission should (1) find reason to believe, pursuant to 2 U.S.C. Section 437g(a)(2), that Senator John McCain and the McCain Campaign have committed, or are about to commit, a violation of Chapter 96 of Title 26 and of the Commission’s rules, and should conduct an investigation; and (2) pursuant to 26 U.S.C. Section 9040(c), petition the appropriate U.S. District Court for injunctive relief to implement and enforce the provisions of Chapter 96 against Senator McCain and the McCain Campaign.”
This is rediculous. McCain is trying to weasel his way out of following the rules JUST LIKE HILLARY! Except he isn’t trying to “change” the already agreed upon rules for delegates. He is trying to justify his actions by saying “well Howard Dean did the same thing”. And even that argument is fundamentally flawed because he has already breached the terms of his contract!
How his campaign will attempt to spin this is anybody’s guess??? What I do know for sure is, that he has enough terror-fied, uninformed, ignorant followers to continue his way to the GOP nomination. Unfortunately that speaks to our ignorance as a nation. Honestly, trying to have an intelligent conversation about politcs with most people is like talking to a monkey.
Obama’s words in an article on cnn.com
“The way I will respond to it is with the truth: that I owe everything I am to this country,” he said. Obama said it was a speech about his love for this country that put him in the national spotlight. He shot down the idea that failing to put his hand over his heart during the national anthem makes him unpatriotic.
“If that were the case, that would disqualify about three-quarters of the people who have ever gone to a football game or baseball game.”
If it was Hillary giving such a response voters would be up in arms and Hillary would lose even the last remaining vote.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/24/obama.patriotism/index.html
PS. I have seen the photo where he did not fold his arms.
Maybe the three-quarters people who are ignorant according to him can by his theory become Presidents . Why not ?
When will this stupid silliness stop???. We, Americans by our diversity and history of tolerance,why can you morons accept that one day, any American of any religion,race,gender or political belief will stand and win the Whitehouse???.That is the ultimate expression of the the American Dream that any borned American native,white,black,hispanic,Asian,etc can stand and be elected the highest office in the field,the presidency!!!.So who are those who are unhappy, the racists,the right & left-wingers,fanatical partisans and the morons.
Jesus was born as a Jew and was circumcised as a Jew.But, he was “Christ”, the anointed and the beloved of our “FATHER” in Heaven.Barack was was borned and raised by a white, christain family.His mother was a white christain and his father was a black Moslem from Kenya.He never had a choice in choosing his father or mother like “Jesus” didn’t have a say in choosing his mother and father!!!.
But he choose to follow “Jesus Christ” and prayed to Jesus for all his life as his Lord.So who are you to question the Lord’s Miracle that is Barack Obama???.