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As we all know by now, John McCain applied for -- and was accepted into -- the public financing system for the primary. With that acceptance came certain requirements, one of those being that he can't spend more than $56,757,500 million during the primary.
As of February 29, 2008 McCain has -- by his own admission -- exceeded that amount. The FEC Chairman David Mason says McCain can't leave the public financing system without permission of the FEC, but John McCain is thumbing his nose at that. He has imperiously announced that the law doesn't apply to him, and is refusing to answer Mason's questions regarding a loan he took out that prevents him from opting out of the public financing system.
Since the FEC doesn't have enough commissioners to take action, having been gutted by Republicans in the Senate who are blocking the appointment of a quorum, the DNC's complaint about this matter has fallen on deaf ears. (We filed a similar complaint.) If the FEC fails to act, the law allows the DNC to file suit compelling them to do so -- which they did today.
From the complaint:
8. The violations committed by Senator McCain and the McCain Campaign before the November 2008 general election cannot be redressed unless this Court issues an order pursuant to 2 U.S.C. § 437g(a)(8), declaring that the failure to act on the DNC administrative complaint in these circumstances is contrary to law and that it is not curable by an agency wholly unable to act.
9. Under the FECA, the effect of such an Order will be to authorize the DNC as the administrative complainant to act in the place of the FEC in seeking from this Court a declaration that the law has been violated and a remedial order establishing any and all appropriate penalties. 2 U.S.C. §437g(a)(8)(C).
The DNC is asking the court to compell the FEC to investigate -- which they can't. So when they fail to do so, the DNC can (and most likely will) ask the court for an injunction against McCain. Essentially, this is the next necessary step in that process -- they can't ask for the injunction until they show that the FEC can't act.
In Free Ride, their book on John McCain and the press, Paul Waldman and David Brock say that "the press's affection for John McCain is built on three foundations: his Vietnam experience, his advocacy for campaign finance reform, and his style in dealing with reporters." But his commitment to campaign finance reform is a sham, and the DNC's actions go straight to the heart of exposing this deceit and hypocrisy. Let's see if the press picks it up.
We've now got nearly 38,000 cosigners to our FEC compliant against McCain. (You can sign it here, and tell you friends about it here.) When we get to 50,000 we'll do another delivery. I'm thinking Fred Wertheimer of Democracy 21 needs a chance to redeem himself for being AWOL on all of this. I think we should invite him to do the delivery honors.
He'd make a great YouTube star, don't you think?
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So!
There!
This is why we should donate to the DNC: Help the Good Doctor take on John the Scofflaw!
Never trust a man who breaks his own laws.
McCain is dangerous
Jane,
The weasel who lives in the rocks at the edge of our property asks that you pick on some other creature when identifying McInsane. He suggests some kind of snake…
Thanks Jane. I strongly suspect GOP is figuring out that “there’s a new sheriff in town.”
Agreed.
Will this lawsuit by the DNC be enough to cause the media to pay attention?
I don’t think so.
Jane, thanks for keeping on top of this.
But he’s a war hero and a maverick! He makes great ribs!
-G
Quoted for truth.
Stay The Corpse.
At ease.
“Laws?” he barked. “Ha! We Republicans don’t need no stinking laws! Haven’t you peasants been paying attention over the last six years?”
He turned away, shaking his head, muttering, “Laws! Geez, no wonder we’ve got problems…”
O/T but no less dispicable:
link – http://talkingpointsmemo.com/
Won’t let me link
A little piece of good news: Mr. Gnome reads newspapers for his political news. He doesn’t think that the written reporting has been kind to McSame. Mr. Gnome bought into that good ol’ maverick schtick until this year. Now he is on board with Obama, and was a delegate in our caucuses.
Hey! Snakes actually provide a valuable service-ridding the environment of vermin…
good on him. I honestly believe that given time, people would see through the shit veneer. But we don’t have that kind of time.
“That boy?” Can we be a little more condescending there, Senator Davis?
Nice to see the DNC jumpa all over that complaint you filed.
Cough Cough.
Snaps to you, Jane and FDL, for really dogging this issue!
That’s why I think McCain is undead. We have to think in terms of entities that have no place in a natural ecology.
The media and especially PBS will dismiss this as a beltway issue. The people doesn’t care about this kind of minutia so it won’t gain traction. What they fail to grasp is that this didn’t from the journalists, the media or even the DNC but from citizens.
Good Citizen Jane has lit a firecracker in McInsane’s britches. Now that the DNC has it’s teeth in it Dean can be the bulldog clasping his jowls around McInsane’s campaign finance reform. We’ll see how nice he is dealing with reporters who take up his hypocracy.
I thought the last post was about “an entity that has no place in the natural ecology” - Mary Matalin….
Hi Jane, slight error: $56,757,500 million
That’s a hell of a lot of money ;-)
My question: Can we get anything resembling action prior to the election? It sounds as though all those that could act are out to lunch and we have to PROVE that before we can ask for an injunction.
Once we ask for an injunction, McBush does what is needed to make sure it isn’t addressed before November. Then when he’s FINALLY found in the wrong, his friends pay his fines and he claims bad legal advice.
Boxturtle (Somebody tell me how we can stop that)
Yeah, the ‘boy’ comment is what really wrinkled me. Not that he has any idea what anyone would do under the nucular circumstance. What a weenie
McReform
McHealthcare
McHonesty
the three things you’ll never hear Tweety say.
is eight house having McCain still harping that he is in touch with the riff raff?
Aw, hell, let’s just admit it…right wing politics has no place in a natural ecology.
EPU’d from last thread, but Gollum might apply here, too!
If he were undead, he’d at least be looking for brains. Knowledge seems to frighten him.
Boxturtle (He’s whatever an Evil Baptist becomes upon death)
jane–”The DNC is asking the court to compell the FEC to investigate — which they can’t. So when they fail to do so, the DNC can (and most likely will) ask the court for an injunction against McCain. Essentially, this is the next necessary step in that process — they can’t ask for the injunction until they show that the FEC can’t act.”
is there a ball park estimate on how long will it take to get that accomplished?
=====
busted–left you a link and an article about the edible shotgun pellets a couple of threads back…..economics thread maybe? and a good preserving veggies book for those who were commenting on that.
bbl
For McVain:
I dub thee “Eight-House John”…
Is there a cost effective way to get his campaign so jammed up with lawsuits on this one issue, that it becomes debilitated? Doesn’t each person who donates to his campaign have grounds for a suit based on having been asked for their donation under false pretenses? Can we get donor lists and start making phone calls? My weasel will volunteer, in an effort to clear his name.
Thanks!
Now that it’s lunch time I’ll go check it out.
I don’t think so. You’d have thought the Keating 5 scandal would have done that years ago, sadly, no.
Keating 5… how to get that playing again, is one of the key questions for this election year.
Already signed that petition once. I think that’s my limit. Thanks for keeping after this, though. Mr. Straight Talk needs all the debunking we can throw at him.
I am sickened by the fact that “boy” and “uppity” has seemingly been approved for use in describing a Presidential Candidate lately.
It’s bad enough when the mouth-breathing callers on C-Span use it - but someone in Congress??
allow me -
in a move widely perceived as partisan wrangling, the DNC today filed suit. . .
Ledes ‘R Us - open 24/7/365 - helping beltway lemmings for over 30 years ! - Home of the Bottomless Cocktail Weenie
Jane Hamsher:
The Post, unsurprisingly, has been really odious on this. Today’s lead editorial chastises Obama for reneging on his “pledge” (a predictable follow-up to their “bundling” article).
A couple weeks ago they mentioned the FEC stalemate and made McCain out to be the victim of it with no mention of his fraudulent filing.
yes, snakes are good guys. I think cockroach would be the best term, nasty little critters slither thru the littlest cracks & crevices, the dust of cockroach poo causes severe asthmatic reactions, they’re disgusting to look at, and as far as i know unlike mosquitos they serve no valuable function in the food chain (mosquito larva are an excellent food source for ducks and other aquatic wildlife).
me likey
crazy train eight house
it’s what they do
Well, it’s hard, you know, it’s really *hard* work for the Reporters. They’d actually have to do fact checking and research and all that. And, then, where’d the impetus? There’d need to be some sort of banking scandal in this day and age similar to the Savings and Loan meltdown of the Reagan era. What are the chances of that happening?
I feel for them Reporters, I really do…now, was that 1 cup of apple cider vinegar in the BBQ or two? It’s soooo goood!
Funny you should link that, because I thought Davis’ “that boy” might have a whiff of racism about it.
Doc -
just now noticed his name was Geoff Davis - oy
and hey hippies - don’t forget McRacist has campaigned for George Wallace, Jr in the past - calling someone endorsed by hate group CCC - “a “Committed Conservative Reformer,”
and I can’t imagine anyone on the national scene getting away with his “I hate the gooks” comment
Naaaah! No more than that pancake chain, Sambos, with all the artwork depicting the “Little Black Sambo” story, hanging on the wall. That’s were main stream America comes from so it’s just fine if you say “Boy” and crap like that, really!
I mean, seriously, I’m up here in lily white MN, shit like that still stinks to me. I cannot wait until there is an immensely erudite and capable man in the White house, and if a certain faction of America wakes up every morning and chokes on the fact that he is also black, well that’s just lily white icing on the cake! I’ll finally be proud of America for the first time in my life (ok, the Miracle on Ice in the 1980 Winter Olympics, but that was a special case!)
Yeah, just a whiff. I know what would have happened at my company had I used that phrase to refer to any black. I can’t believe that comment is getting almost no notice.
Boxturtle (well, yes I can. MSM feels it’s okay for McBush supporters to express their feelings)
I guess if ‘that boy’ gets elected then he will have to use the ‘backdoor for negros’ to enter the WHITE-house..where he is allowed to eat in the servants kitchen?
“and as far as i know unlike mosquitos they serve no valuable function”
Except, of course, for comparison to certain Republic politicians.
hmmm i better tell mr wobbs but then again he married me because he wanted his western european gene pool muddled
Out of respect for weasels and snakes, I, too, thought of cockroaches.
But–cockroaches have been shown to survive catastrophic events, can endure irradiation–and they can live for several days even after they have been ‘beheaded.’ That’s a scary thought.
“and as far as i know unlike mosquitos they serve no valuable function”
Except, of course, for comparison to certain Republic politicians
ahhh! God’s Intelligent Design becomes clear at last! She made cockroaches to meet our present need of descriptives for Republicans!
I thought that was what “motherfucker” was for.
ah Swifty, you just reminded me - Michelle Obama to be on Colbert tomorrow night :D
OT: US military to free AP photographer
BAGHDAD - The U.S. military says it will release Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein after more than two years in custody.
The statement said Hussein will be freed Wednesday now that Iraqi judicial committees have granted him amnesty for all allegations.
Hussein has been in custody since April 12, 2006 when he was detained by U.S. Marines for alleged links to insurgents. The AP and Hussein deny any improper links and say he was only doing his job as a journalist.
AP President Tom Curley expressed relief after the statement issued by the military on Monday.
“In time we will celebrate Bilal’s release. For now, we want him safe and united with his family. While we may never see eye to eye with the U.S. military over this case, it is time for all of us to move on,” said Curley.
Heh. My dad (RIP) would have argued that there are times when that is a wonderful term not to be wasted on the rethugs *g*
Yes! Every odious thing they do makes me think of Tom Beringer in “Platoon,” staring at a mutilated US soldier and growling “Them mutherfuckers.”
about freaking time.
1,812 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…
Citizen Hamsher and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:
Ah, Sister Jane, thanx fer puttin the heat on with the complaint…now our good Doctor Dean ken go weasel huntin’ with plenty of ammo and all us folks will be watchin the truck so none of the bastards get outta the woods.
Seriously though, puttin’ the original complaint together is what democratic, citizen action is all about and now the DNC ken ram it home.
KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE AMMUNITION…NOBODY GOES HOME WITHOUT THROWIN’ A PUNCH!!
I have a hunch there may be some new torture reports coming up.
OT NYT Krugman ‘Crisis of Confidence’
He is saying fasten your financial safety belts cause the candidates just don’t get it… we need a fix the financial news does’t match up with Americans are contending with Michigan study sited.
of course. no matter how bad it has been, it will keep coming and it will be worse
Just noticed at TPM Muckracker that on of the Dem FEC nominees, Robert Lenhard, has withdrawn his name. This could mean more delay.
Gut feeling is that nothing real is going to happen to McCain until after the election at which time it will be a moot point. He will simply pay a fine. They will not send a presidential candidate to jail.
The best we can hope for is that some voters see the McCain hyprocracy.
Nothing has changed in the South. Louisiana and Mississippi continue to hold on to the Confederate flag and transferred that same racist devotion to the American flag - one and the same to them. I think they really like what the NeoCons are doing because they too hate the Constitution. They itch to take the law into their own hands.
One law for whites and one for blacks and others. I always keep in mind that they went kicking and screaming back into the Union. No hearts and minds were won in the South. I noticed by the names running on the Democratic ticket in Louisiana they are Cajun background. The Germatic Anglo-Saxon now dominates Louisiana.
Louisiana is trying to pass a law to execute child rapists. This is such a henious crime that the guilty party should be locked up for a life time. I am concerned because the case that has spured this on is a black man who raped his eight year old step-daughter. I think this will be used to target black men and execute them. It will be a rare white man who is the target unless he is a Liberal.
David Duke (and what he represents) is still their hero.
I can’t think of cockroaches without thinking of Keith Richards. They are considered only two things left after the earth is annihilated.
*spew*
Sent them $25.
This North Carolinean thinks it would be nice if you wouldn’t lump all us southerners in one barrel of bad apples.
But do ya like biscuits?
Sorry,/s
it isn’t a matter of any one species - it’s a matter of balance within the biome -
the wingers were once the minority voice in the Party, they served their purposes - fundraising, scaring the shit out of moderates, etc. but now they have the con and all hell has broken loose - they are an invasive species - their numbers got out of control with all those constraints on reproductive freedom - and I wont tax the Mods by stating what it is one does with an invasive species
From Bilal Hussein? Or you have something else in mind?
Hell, I not only like biscuits, I like grits.
There are a surprisingly high number of racists all around. I was shocked to hear it come out when we had a Hispanic run for governor a few years back. It came from people that I thought should have known better.
But you are from Kentucky. We know about your type. *g*
I meant from Hussein, yes.
Per NC above, it’s important to remember that slavery was an institution that primarily benefited plantation owners. Secondarily it benefited northern industrialists, because they were thrilled to accept payment from the plantation owners that they knew was tainted with the blood from the slaves. After the Civil War legalized white supremacy was as prevalent in the north as it was in the south. The KKK in Indiana in the 1920’s was probably almost as virulent as any southern state.
They mean “pillars”, not “foundations”. There’s one “foundation”: He bought into the neocon project relatively early on, even before his 2000 campaign (where Kristol played an important role). He showed his credentials, for example, in advocating a ground invasion of Serbia in 2000 (all merits of that war aside, it was a test case for implementing the “regime change” policy against sovereign states, and already understood at the time to be so). The peons of the press clearly like McCain, but it’s their bosses that count. And they love him.
I understand. I consider North Carolina different from the lower deep south. You may have some problems but it doesn’t permeate like the Louisiana and Mississippi area. Georgia is different and Florida is different. But L & M have just become worse. I don’t understand it. Maybe NC could target L & M and get them to make some changes in their deep seeded hate.
Then stop boiling peanuts ;-)
I can see the FOX reaction to this - “Only 98%! The jury is still out…”
Well, that good Kentucky breakfast (or dinner) of pan fried country ham, eggs over easy, grits, bisuits, and red-eye gravy can be wonderful - and send the cholesterol level spiking skyward…
I didn’t mean for it to be an Ad Hominy attack.
I think it’s important to acknowledge that we all carry around our prejudices, but that doesn’t make us racist.
For instance, I myself, think McCain and Lieberman are cockroaches…but that doesn’t make all Republic politicians cockroaches.
It just makes them motherfuckers. *g*
$56,757,500 million = $56,757,500 x 1,000,000 = $56,757,500,000,000
or
$56,757.5 billion = $56.7575 trillion.
Let’s hope he can’t spend more than that.
FWIW, I know Ivy League graduates from Ohio that are white supremacist down to the marrow of their bones. They blog about the conspiracy in the NBA and NFL against “white” athletes.
and apparently I should have said something about the negative impact on higher brain function among invasive species
My adopted grandma (she adopted us when our real grandmother died) was from Schultzville, Ky. She was the sweetest person but would tell you about yourself in 2 seconds if you were doing wrong.
*looking for towel to clean monitor*
really, you all are on a roll today (to the detriment of my computer)
WooHoo, It’s another LHP post, I can tell without lookin’.
Ick. But I guess it depends on what you grew up on.
That was nearly a hundred years ago. Is it still the same? While many other parts of the country have ceased or greatly reduced their open racists practices, that is not the case in Louisiana. Every time I go there I am more stunned than the last time.
I just saw a Shell station selling diesel for $4.50 / gallon. When Bush pauses in his bubble from basking the glow of his perceived vindication, could someone let him know? I’m sure he’ll get right on it just like he jumped into action when he learned of $4.00 / gallon gas.
Racism can be anywhere - it’s taught around the dinner table. I won’t speak for other states but I think you will find that Mississippi is very different than some believe it is.
o/t
I’m really tired and years over SNL doing the whole Hillary/obama schtick.
I can cite an example of racism from every state and town. That is not the same thing as open practice. I used to run around saying how much better some southern states are but not any more. My eyes are wide open. If I were black living in Louisiana I’d live among other black people for protection in numbers.
Sorta OT, but I have a question. I got a letter a couple of days ago explaining that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) needs donations to help Dems take back some of the 49 Senate seats currently held by Republicans. It asked for donations and promised a $2 to $1 match for my donation.
My inclination is to stick to Blue America for my donations, but I’m wondering if I’m being too paranoid after reading so much bad stuff about Rahm Emanuel and the DCCC.
What do you all think?
A high compliment indeed when I’m scolded for failing to issue a spew alert! ;-)
One way you can gauge it is to ask friends who had ancestors who were slaves, about when the police stop them. In my experience, it happens all over the U.S. Suburban police pull over any person of color who strays into their village/municipality. That’s one of the primary instruments of unofficial white supremacy. The ethnic profiling keeps people in their ghetto.
Sure do. I can make’em too!
So now we are comparing apples to biscuits? *g*
Although not quite as bad as Rahm and the DCCC, Chuck “Lizard Brain” Schumer has done a lot of recruiting of Republican-lite/DINO types to run against incumbents and tried to cram them down the throats of various states. Howie Klein at DownWithTyranny covers a lot of this.
So, I’d say stick with Blue America but as always, YMMV
I got permission a few years ago from my cousins to use frozen biscuits
Thanks, Dakine! Thought I was EPU’d. I’m not up on the DSCC, and I was an Edwards supporter so I’m sorta prepped to respond positively. I think I won’t. Thanks!
Never started. I like my peanuts roasted in the shell and salted. Planters isn’t too bad either.
Please, no money for Rahm.
He and Nancy won’t even cut off funding for Iraq. Even if we were doing some good, and we’re not, we can’t afford it. They want to give the Telecom’s immunity for helping Bush destroy the 4th Amendment. They’re not investing in infrastructure. They’re not investing in renewable energy to get us off foreign oil. Their enabling Bush to bust the unions by exporting our manufacturing base. They’re GOP-light.
I can’t think of cockroaches without thinking of Keith Richards. They are considered only two things left after the earth is annihilated.
Don’t forget Cher!