When Obama scooted away from his previous pledge (yes, it was a pledge) to take public financing last week, naturally and deservedly, the news media pounced. With a bright-eyed Obama campaign seeming to wilt on its previous reformist promises, the headlines practically wrote themselves.

But how the hell did those same reporters let McCain walk brazenly away with his 'reformer' mantle still intact?

It wasn't just his flagrant machinations to exploit the public financing system in the primary election, which received no reference in the latest snafu's coverage from the Associated Press or New York Times (which, as recently as Feb. 13, had reported that McCain's advisors indicated the candidate wouldn't opt into the general -- a fact elided in their subsequent reporting on Obama's hesitance).

Even a cursory glance at McCain's recent positions produces a reform record that's pockmarked at best. He's refused to sign on to Sen. Feingold and Obama's legislation to repair the presidential financing system and in fact, in 1995, actually voted to kill funding for the program altogether (the measure failed 56-44). Last February, he rescinded his previous support for increasing disclosure of "grassroots" lobbying expenditures. Meanwhile, his campaign has 59 lobbyist appendages working to levy funds.

So when the USA Today rounds out its editorial page this morning by declaring that McCain "could be the kind of reformer who fixes the system," you have to wonder what kind of grand political leap they're envisioning.

Media Matters has the mash-up of McCain's editorial free passes on this issue. Meanwhile this morning, Obama reiterated his commitment to the public financing system. (Which a grave and sanctimonious McCain dismissed as "Washington doublespeak.")

Comments (17)

1. McCain a reformer? Today Brent Wilkes was sentenced to twelve years in prison. He was the mastermind behind the largest bribery scandal in Congressional history, the Duke Cunningham case. Remember Brent? Brent the Pioneer! The Pioneers were set up by Mercer Reynolds, III, to fund the Bush '04 campaign. Each Pioneer was asked to "donate" at least $100,000 in order to join that prestigious club. Bye, Brent - off to the slammer. Mercer is now, as of two weeks ago, the official money wrangler for McBush '08: The quest for Bush's third term is now underway! Reformer? Maverick? Dobson had it right.

   Posted by fougasseu at 02/20/2008 @ 6:42pm

2. Hey, there is time to get a McCain-Obama bill passed that requires public financing of Presidential campaigns after the Primaries...heck, even including the Primaries. This would be a great PR coup for Magic....he needs it more than McCain.....the "Free Ride", that is, that McCain has already earned w/McCain-Feingold (a shitty piece of legislation, BTW).

   Posted by Happy at 02/20/2008 @ 6:43pm

3. McCain was the ARCHITECT of the 527 loophole in the public financing system with his McCain-Feingold legislation, and this loophole favors Republicans because of their deep-pocket corporate donors.

   If Obama restricts himself to public financing, it is virtually certain that McCain will make use of these 527s to undermine the process with Swiftboat-like ads like we saw in 2004.

   McCain needs to step up to the plate and close this loophole that he created. Otherwise, asking Obama to restrict himself to public financing is asking him to fight with one hand behind his back and use up all of his campaign cash refuting the distortions of McCain's 527s rather than staying on message.

   This idea that Move-on or other progressive groups will have enough resources to match Republican corporate-based 527s has not been proven. And if these 527s are to have "any" sort of independence from the campaigns that they are supposed to have, Obama would not be able coordinate the right message to refute the distortions even if progressive organizations could raise the $150 million dollars needed to offset Republican 527s.

   I am all for public financing and taking money COMPLETELY out of politics, but until we close the McCain 527 loophole, it is best to keep all options open to fight the Republicans in November!

   Posted by Metteyya at 02/20/2008 @ 6:43pm

4. did he scoot away? wasn't his pledge that he would do the public finance thing in the general election? has he got the nom yet? i, like mr. obama, will concern myself with crossing that bridge the day he gets the nomination...

   Posted by ibbleblibble at 02/20/2008 @ 6:43pm

5. Obama making some mistakes, even on the heels of the big WI and HI wins.

   First, Michelle's "pride" thing...could have easily killed it. Now, it's ready for McCain to use in the Fall.

   Second, the public financing thing....given McCain the high ground (and the background of "McCain-Feingold" to give him street cred on it).

   Better shape up guys....Texas and Ohio are less than 2 weeks away!

   Posted by Mask at 02/20/2008 @ 7:09pm

6. ....asking Obama to restrict himself to public financing....

   Posted by METTEYYA 02/20/2008 @ 6:43pm

   McCain did the "asking"? Or was there a mutual pleadge?

   You're employing Clintonian ploy!

   Congrats, you've pulled even w/FRANKG....whatever it takes to win....lying is ok......just win! That's your message!

   Posted by Happy at 02/20/2008 @ 7:20pm

7. Posted by MASK 02/20/2008 @ 7:09pm

   There are many things that make one less than proud to be an American. This does not mean you don;t love your country or want to work for change to make it the best country it can be. But to pretend that "all is rosy" like McCain and the Republicans is the thing that will be confronted in November, because most Americans know that it ain't that rosy!

   And McCain does not have the high-road because of McCain-Feingold if you look at how his 527 loophole was exploited by the Swiftboat operators in 2004 against John Kerry. The thought was that the Supremes would nix the McCain-Feingold bill on free speech grounds so they allowed 527s. I think a better approach would be to work through the FCC to restrict networks from running "independent" (not approved by the canidate) campaign ads during the election cycle, which seems to be a reasonable restriction on free speech to protect the democratic process from being undermined by those interests with the most money.

   Obama should push McCain to close this 527 loophole, and this public fundraising issue gives Obama a great opportunity to highlight the damage McCain's 527s do to the democratic process.

   Posted by Metteyya at 02/20/2008 @ 7:23pm

8. I don't understand why Obama doesn't just go ahead and agree to public financing. I support him, but he needs to do this. He could raise TONS for down ballot candidates and help them get elected, expanding his campaign cum movement. Plus, if the Republican 527s swing into action, there would be tons of Dem ones waiting to retaliate.

   Posted by martincaver at 02/20/2008 @ 7:54pm

9. Posted by MARTINCAVER 02/20/2008 @ 7:54pm

   well...first of all the pledge, made long before even he thought he stood a real chance, applies to the general election - not the primaries.

   despite the very hopeful signs, he is not the democratic candidate yet. he's concentrating on winning the nom, and then we will see. i would suspect that once republican donors start kicking in, flippy floppy mccain might regret this tack.

   but should obama indeed take the nom, i suspect going the public finance route may be just as attractive as not and he will already have enough recognition and star power to win without super financin'....

   funny how when the repugnants have the money advantage we don't hear about this but now that the dem does...which leads me to think, "fuck the pledge", but then since his integrity is part of the obama package and indeed he hates funfraising...

   i just hate ceding advantages to slimeballs...

   Posted by ibbleblibble at 02/20/2008 @ 8:17pm

10. They both need to sit down and sign the paperwork, on the same day, at the same table, or else this is just Grandpa hogwash. If you think McCain will take the same limitations as Obama willingly you're deluding yourselves. Oh, has McCain signed up for public financing yet? If so I haven't heard about it.

    Posted by yutsano at 02/20/2008 @ 8:20pm

11. Posted by METTEYYA 02/20/2008 @ 7:23pm |

    Sorry METTE, realize you're the "FRANKGRITS for Obama", but they were screw-ups-

    1. You can't spin what Michelle Obama said. She said "for the FIRST time, I'm proud of my country". Her attempt to fluff it off, just made it worse. She should have said "I'm sorry. Didn't mean it" and killed it in one news-cycle. She didn't...and the Repubs (maybe even Hillary) will use it.

    2. As HAPPY noted, Obama PLEDGED to use public financing. He gets linked to "breaking promises" and that's a killer for his type of campaign.

    Posted by Mask at 02/20/2008 @ 8:22pm

12. 2. As HAPPY noted, Obama PLEDGED to use public financing. He gets linked to "breaking promises" and that's a killer for his type of campaign.

    Posted by MASK 02/20/2008 @ 8:22pm

    indeed - i hate it but u is right. still, no biggy...convention is aug 25 - 28...oooo...little over a month of public financin'!

    and if hilly manages to make it to the convention with a snowball's chance in hell of stealing the nom...by my calculation that gives barry o til around aug 29th to answer, or start to answer...but YUTSANO's idea of making flippy floppy mac sit down and sign some pledge is a great idea...

    Posted by ibbleblibble at 02/20/2008 @ 8:53pm

13. Posted by IBBLEBLIBBLE 02/20/2008 @ 8:53pm

    McCain's main problem is....he's running on "I'll give you more Bush'ism".

    If he strays away from it...he pisses off the conservative base.

    If he stays with it...he links himself to a President getting 30% approvals.

    Of course HAPPY told me what McCain is running on that's COMPLETELY DIFFERENT..."he's going to cut the pork barrel spending in Washington"...something no Republican has ever thought of running on in a Presidential campaign!!!!

    Posted by Mask at 02/20/2008 @ 9:01pm

14. obama should do what he said.

    run the general off the public spigot,

    AND

    give any remaining cash from the primevals

    to katrina victims.

    squish the Rovots with acts of kindness

    Posted by frosty zoom at 02/20/2008 @ 9:12pm

15. Frosty, Rovots feed on kindness and shit out suffering.

    I hate to agree with Mett (I really hate to agree with Mett), but accepting public financing right now is one of those things the left gets set on to the detriment of its actually ability to change things. Look, if you are supporting Obama now you are already on board with a candidate who has raised tens of millions from big corporate execs. You already have to take the leap of faith to be on board with him. What is one more leap? If you are willing to support a candidate who opted out of public financing for the primaries, why be a stickler for public financing in the generals, when a loss is tremendously more significant? And if it is the breaking of a promise that you are concerned about then remember that if Barack kept all the promises he made with respect to the '08 cycle he wouldn't be running at all (since he promised to serve his full Senate term). That hasn't seemed to hurt him.

    There is an oppurtunity here for a landslide if the party plays its cards right. It isn't just the joy of seeing them humbled to make one want a landslide. There are political events that can shake the confidence of parties and movements. We need to do more than win. We need to step on their throat. When the democrats got their ass handed to them by Reagan it kickstarted two decades of backbone free unprincipled searches for new electoral strategies. Even when we got Clinton into office after that it did little to no good for the people the Democratic party claims to represent. If we can send the most electable republican to a 20 point defeat we can do that to the republicans. We can leave them wondering whether they need to rethink being the vehicle for the conservative coalition as currently constituted. When you think about the conseqeunces of republican political ascendancy (Katrina and Iraq come to mind), you realize the stakes involved here, and the chance to break them for a long time, warrant things like opting out of public financing.

    Posted by dentedpat at 02/21/2008 @ 05:45am

16. Posted by DENTEDPAT 02/21/2008 @ 05:45am

    obviously.

    yet, i'm a man of my word.

    if i've booked a gig for $100 and i get a call for a gig at $250,

    i cringe and bitch,

    and do the $100 gig. honour and stuff.

    i know not what mr. obama has said.

    but then again, if it were a question of innocent lives, i would lie my ass off.....................

    Posted by frosty zoom at 02/21/2008 @ 08:17am

17. but then again, if it were a question of innocent lives, i would lie my ass off.....................

    That it is a question of innocent lives is sort of my point.

    Posted by dentedpat at 02/21/2008 @ 9:40pm