Way to go, O!

Obama is actually opting-in to the ultimate form of public financing. Direct and immediate.

The Democratic Congresscritters who are apparently quaking in their boots about financing enough to cave to yet more BushCo corruption and destruction of the Constitution and rule of law via Stainy Whore [I love that!] and Jello Jay and the other guy’s super-secret FISA/”telco” immunity package would do well to take a gander at what Obama’s achieving.

Congress, the bandwagon’s already rolling and about to pass you by.

It’s nice to see a Democrat refusing to kick the Republican football.

What? B b but Lucy promised that this time, she’d hold it still.

Obama’s campaign is already ‘publicly financed’ since he’s not taking any PAC money. Yay for the PUBLIC!

“FEC”

Obama is FEC-less while McCain remains feckless.

Obama is no fool.
He may “reach accros the aisle”, but he won’t be pulled into a sucker punch.
Especially one telegraphed so clearly as all the FEC machinations.

That said, showing leadership against the FISA cfk would be a real show of not kicking the Republican football.
And watching from the sidelines is not leadership.

I understand why Obama did this, and I agree that it was the right thing to do… but emotionally and intuitively, I really like the idea of publicly financed campaigns and level playing fields, and I’d like for us to think a bit on how we might get back to it. Otherwise, politics will remain the domain of professional politicians, plus a few plutocrats, and this just isn’t what the framers intended.

Are you kidding Obama had to opt out of public financing because the FEC is totally politicized by Bush in favor of McAin’t, who is already breaking FEC laws. Great Post Jane!!
Folks don’t forget to digg this fine post that Jane put together for us!

I know Nahant.. but that doesn’t change the fact that public campaign financing is an ideal, and we need to come up with some non-corrupt way of getting back to it.

Done, thanks for the link.

I think we’re all on the same page. In the short term Obama’s decision is the best one he could make. In the long term, we have to make elected leaders more accountable to registered voters than corporations.

And this will also enhance the ”McCain is really the candidate of the status quo”, because it forces McCain to stay out of the public system.

The only way McCain can raise enough money to compete is with Bush and the rest of the Corporatists.

BC

Sloppy reporting on this by NPR, who’s saying that this is a change for Obama, from agreeing to take public financing if the Republican candidate also did. Since McCain is not in, per the original statement, Obama won’t. Hence, this is not a shift of position on Obama’s part; yet that’s what NPR is putting out.

I’m glad I stopped sending NPR money long ago . . . might as well send it to ABC.

Jane, I luv yah hon, but I could give shit about whether or not Obama chooses to join a voluntary program. He is totally within his rights to join or not join

What I care about is Obama FAILING TO SHOW THE TINIEST SCRAP OF LEADERSHIP with respect to Telco immunity and the FISA bill. (I know you just posted on it, I’ve been on that thread) But the MSM is doing a much more than generous job of covering this non story and are completely blacking out the FISA story.

Obama campaign finance coverage does not need our help. The Bill of Rights does.

Wexler on FISA:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyo.....539/538481

oregondave, do you recall which show?

I’d like to reference it in my complaint to their ombudsman over at their website.

They also got it wrong in their online story.

lhp, what’s up?

HRC isn’t leading the charge against this abomination against the Bill of Rights.

We liberals got our asses kicked. Slaves and women were routinely cut off from the Bill of Rights and yet the Constitution survived. I’m not diminishing the absolute seriousness of this, but we have to pull together as liberals.

Their on-the-hour news, IIRC.

Obama should put a hold on the Telco Immunity bill.

I agree with that and make sure the rethuglians can’t use public financing as they see fit to opt in out of the system. Obama is in reality using PUBLIC financing with over 1.5 million small donors. McAin’t is mostly big corporations and the rich.
Ideally public financing through the FEC( which has to be totally nonpolitical)and the MSM must give each candidate equal free air time. It could be required to continue to keep their license to broadcast.

Thanks dave.

I just sent them an e-mail correctiong their mistake telling them that if they checked the record, they’d see that Obama said he would consider, not commit to, public funds if his opponent did.

I also pointed out their lack of mentioning McCain’s fipping in then flopping out of public funds.

Contact page for NPR.

Under Recipient, select “NPR Program (Morning Edition, Day to Day, etc.)”

You will get a drop down list, but it doesn’t really have one for the top of the hour news that I could tell. So I selected “NPR Ombudsman (Listener’s Advocate)” from the bottom of the drop down list and referenced their online story.

I also requested they make an on-air correction to their news item.

No voting on the Iraq supplemental until they are sure FISA is not in it.

looseheadprop @ 16, I totally agree with you. Maybe we are OT, but Barack’s no-show against this corrupt FISA ”deal” is making me worried about I got myself into by supporting him. FDL and Glenn have been so effective today that I just lost it: I emailed my local contacts on the Obama campaign and told them Barack must take action to stop this FISA cave-in (fake ”compromise”) or I would stop supporting him and even ask for a refund of my (very heavy) contributions.

This is ot but the support of Barrow bothers me. He should have stayed out of the primary. What Obama will learn this fall is that Barrow will probably come out for McCain. Barrow makes Lieberman look like a dem.

good for you!

thank you.

the rule for fisa bill was just brought to the house floor. let’s see what it says.

ok, so I’m one of the slower kids - did he announce this specifically today as a means to cover his FISA complicity ???

Oh boy. I’m getting tw3k’s favorite format.

(hiccough!)

And just like that, we’re back.

go to “home” and then back into your thread of choice…it seems to clear up when you do that.

Thx LS! I forgot that little trick.

Site’s been a little rough around the edges today.

CNN is making me crazy! Yeah, I know, stop watching them.

All day they’ve been reporting that Obama isn’t using public financing and isn’t he a hypocrite? They never mention that McCain has tried to get out of public financing.

Sent an email, but it’s doubtful they’ll correct the story.

I, too, was hearing some sturm und drang on this and wondering, what’s wrong with Obama’s decision on this? Seems OK to me. Thanks Jane for clearing this up.

Please fix your FCCs to FECs. I think most people know what you meant but there’s no reason not to fix the typo.