One of the consequences of Barack Obama's announcement this morning that he'll opt out of the public financing system is that he's alienated the allies who worked with him, and praised his work, on last year's lobbying and ethics overhaul.
Obama was one of two Democratic senators who took the lead on the legislation, and it was the most significant accomplishment of his short Senate career. Reid paired him up with Russ Feingold of Wisconsin - the Democrat who co-authored the 2002 campaign finance overhaul with John McCain - to take the lead in pushing the ethics legislation through the Senate.
So what did Feingold think of Obama's decision not to participate in the public-financing system in the general election against McCain? Not much.
"This is not a good decision," Feingold said in a statement today. "While the current public financing system for the presidential primaries is broken, the system for the general election is not. The entire system must be updated."
The reactions were similar from the government watchdog groups that worked closely with Obama and Feingold on the ethics overhaul. Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer declared himself "very disappointed" with the decision. Public Citizen president Joan Claybrook said she was "deeply disappointed." You get the idea.
In a video distributed to his supporters, Obama justified his decision by declaring that "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. 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."
But the watchdog groups weren't buying it. Obama "knew the circumstances surrounding the presidential general election when he made his public pledge to use the system," said Wertheimer. Claybrook, for her part, shared Feingold's view that it's the primaries where the public financing system needs work, not the general election. Obama's campaign, she said, should have been a model of his dedication to campaign finance and ethics overhauls.
Another complication is the fact that Obama is a co-sponsor of a Feingold bill that would overhaul the public financing system, notably by allowing more matching funds in primaries and letting primary candidates spend more if their opponents opt out of public financing. So it would create some awkward moments for a President Obama if Feingold continues to push that bill next year, as he's likely to do.
"Senator Obama is committed to reforming the current system, and I look forward to working on this and a wide range of other reform issues with him when he becomes President," said Feingold. "But this decision was a mistake."
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Comments
Senator Feingold is much too kind to describe Senator Obama's action as a mistake. It's much more than a mistake, it's a disgrace.
This action reveals the Senator to be an opportunistic scoundrel. It's pathetic that half the voters in the Democratic primaries and caucuses followed this New Messiah without checking out his credentials. He was greatly aided by press and electronic media who chose not to scrutinize him thoroughly or critically.
When one closely examines Senator Obama's political history in Illinois, the warts are all there to be seen.
I'm sure there will be more to come before this campaign is over. It's really too bad.
Posted by: myskylark
| June 19, 2008 10:21 PM
It is truly stunning how much, how many lies this corrupt empty suit with no credentials, no resume, no (real) accomplishments and ties to all sorts of questionable characters, can get away with and these zombie like dazed bots of his just continue to think he's the next messiah.
Insanity and ignorance is abundit in this nation. First the bush sheep, and now the obamabots.
What a sad day it is, what an embarrassment it is to see this guy get this far with his record, and his resume.. NO OTHER candidate would ever have gotten this far if they had the same dirt surrounding them that Obama does.
He gets a free pass because he's half black and he sermons the words "change" and "hope" well..
his bots ask for no specifics, no record, no proof, nothing.
PUMA BABY
No Obama Ever
http://politicaldiscontent.blogspot.com
Posted by: BJ
| June 20, 2008 6:21 PM
Obama and ethics is like saying reptilian and mercy. Maybe some believe it and more power to them. I for one however, tend to match behavior with reality. The worlds of Politics, Business, Education and Ethics are difficult to blend. Organizations have negative results because the people on board cannot tell the difference between right and wrong. Due to scope, these consequences usually take longer to materialize, but is the result the same? You can find a ton of articles and books about business ethics about businesses “losing their way,” e.g., WorldCom, Tyco, Enron. You can also sign up for seminars where they preach to “do the right thing.” They paint the world in stark black and white. These resources ask one-dimensional ethical questions, such as, “Should you take kickbacks from suppliers?” For me, ethics in the workplace including schools are varying shades of gray. You have to rely on moral law, that is, does it ‘feel’ wrong? It’s easy to say, “There is right, and there is wrong.” In my management book, Wingtips with Spurs (http://www.amazon.com/Wingtips-Spurs-Michael-L-Gooch/dp/1897326882/) I address these issues in detail. All major corporations have their written code of conduct. Each one is pretty much just a copy of the others and is a major dust bunny. The next time you walk into someone’s office, ask to see the company code of conduct. Good luck on finding someone who will produce it within five minutes. The moral law is much easier to find and digest. It resides in each of us. Michael L. Gooch, SPHR Author of Wingtips with Spurs: Cowboy Wisdom for Today’s Business Leaders http://www.michaellgooch.com
Posted by: Michael L. Gooch
| June 20, 2008 9:37 PM
I applaud Senator Obama's decision. He said he'd accept public funds if the Republicans would also. He has every reason to believe that they are going to play fast and loose. They already have. 1) McCain used his public funding in the primaries as collateral for a loan. His campaign is under investigation for this by the Federal Election Commision. 2) Obama's lawyers met with McCain's lawyers to discuss reigning in 527s. No dice, said McCain. So the whole thing would be a charade. Good for Obama.
I have to laugh at all the Republicans and conservatives (McCain excluded, since he has supported some reforms) who hate public financing, getting all upset about this. Boo-hoo, you might lose for a change.
Posted by: Mike Barook
| June 23, 2008 11:32 AM
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