McCain Accuses Obama of Flip-Flopping on Public Financing

By: John Bentley
Topics: John McCain

(CBS)

From CBS News' John Bentley:

MINNEAPOLIS – John McCain had harsh words today for his Democratic rival's decision to opt out of public financing. "A little over a year ago, there was a questionnaire sent out to me and to Sen. Obama that said, 'If your opponent will take public financing, will you?' and I said, 'Of course.' And he signed his name to a piece of paper that said if the Republican nominee takes public financing, then he would, too. Well--and he signed his name to it," McCain told a group of fundraisers here today. "His status has changed from what was clearly not a frontrunner status to one that now has the ability to raise a lot of money. He has reversed his position on that. He has reversed his position on a number of issues."

McCain's campaign claims that Obama said he would take public financing, but went back on that pledge because he can raise more money than the $84 million limit prescribed by public financing laws. On his website, Obama said that he would be at a competitive disadvantage if he chose to accept public financing. "The public financing of presidential elections as it exists today is broken, and we face opponents who've become masters at gaming this broken system," Obama said. "John McCain's campaign and the Republican National Committee are fueled by contributions from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs. And we've already seen that he's not going to stop the smears and attacks from his allies running so-called 527 groups, who will spend millions and millions of dollars in unlimited donations."

Obama's decision will undoubtedly give him an advantage in fundraising for the general election. He has raised $250 million through the end of April, out-raising McCain by more than 3 to 1. The Republican candidate said that he would accept public financing for his campaign.

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by facatutti June 20, 2008 1:29 PM EDT: Once more Hussein Obama proved to be a fake.
After enduring 8 years of Cheney/Bush we''ll face 4 years of this phony, unqualified Muslin.
I say 4 years because by then many of idiots that voted for him will realise their mistake.; Reply to this comment


by mattcat25 June 20, 2008 1:22 PM EDT: The Democratic Presidential Nominee will need every last penny (for gasoline) to maintain this campaign on par with the wealthy elite supported Republican Candidate.

It this point in time, it just makes cents%u2026; Reply to this comment


by freshbrains June 20, 2008 2:08 AM EDT: A questionnaire as a binding document. How lame McCain can you be?; Reply to this comment


by freshbrains June 20, 2008 2:05 AM EDT: First, John McCain violated his own campaign finance laws. McCain broke the "McCain-Feingold" law which prohibits candidates from leaving the public financing system if they use the promise of funding to secure a loan, as McCain did (he secured his $4 million loan during a critical moment of his faltering campaign by promising to use the public financing if he failed to pay it back). McCain also received free ballot access in many states because he had pledged to accept matching funds. If John McCain wouldn%u2019t obey the campaign finance laws in the primary, why should anyone expect him to keep his word in the general election?; Reply to this comment


by popstom1 June 20, 2008 1:34 AM EDT: F-K Obamanation; Reply to this comment


by notbuynit June 20, 2008 12:57 AM EDT: If McLame thought it would help him, he''d have done the same *** thing!; Reply to this comment


by hhkeller June 19, 2008 11:42 PM EDT: Flip Flops on everything.
Looks worse every week.; Reply to this comment


by kansas1946 June 19, 2008 11:05 PM EDT: LOL. Now if that isn''t a case of the pot calling the kettle black. McCain has flip-flopped so much that the doctor recommended anti-seizure medication. Please....; Reply to this comment


by juliekay44 June 19, 2008 10:36 PM EDT: McCain is the champion of flip-flop.

Get McCain to stop accepting lobbyist money and employing lobbyist.

"Could McCain Have Come Up with a More Ill-Suited Economic Advisor Than Phil Gramm?" is one of many examples for the damage caused by lobbyist specifically gas prices and the subprime housing damage.

http://www.alternet.org/election08/87999/?cID=936047#c936047; Reply to this comment


by obbcbs June 19, 2008 10:35 PM EDT: Keller
correcting typo
The only creepy thing I can see in the candidates is imagining an old president with Alzheimer''s waterboarding of prisoners.
Be specific or admit you are just acting out your rascism.; Reply to this comment