Posted on 02/24/2008 12:54:03 PM PST by BGHater
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) will file a complaint against Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) Monday, charging that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is breaking the law by trying to get out of a public financing agreement.
In a Sunday afternoon conference call with reporters, DNC chairman Howard Dean said McCain's attempt to withdraw from a loan agreement that hinged on an acceptance of public financing speaks directly to McCain's "integrity."
"This is a classic example of someone who talks one way and does another when it benefits him," Dean said.
On the call, Dean repeatedly criticized McCain for allegedly violating a law he helped reform with the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002 -- generally referred to as McCain-Feingold.
"They might as well just call it the Feingold law," Dean said.
The DNC has made clear in recent days it plans to paint the prohibitive Republican nominee as a hypocrite, someone who decries Washington politics while enjoying the support and aid of lobbyists.
The McCain campaign did not immediately respond to an e-mail request for comment, but it has recently said that it is not surprised by the DNC's "attacks." It has also responded to Democratic criticisms by saying it is abiding by election law.
One McCain aide recently told The Hill that the Democratic Party is afraid of McCain because he is its "worst nightmare."
Pssssst, McCain, over here. Answer them back.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7007109937779036019&pr=goog-sl
Pretty hard to bet against you, you left us no wiggle room.
How about ‘when he pulls the voting booth curtain back’?
Heck I expect him to start blaming us any minute....
The Screamer finally found a subject that he seems to know something about.
Democratic National Committee (DuNCe) There, fixed the acronym.
Maverick fool John McCain is getting hoisted on his own petard. Only fitting he should suffer from this anti free speech law. George Soros loves this law. Has made 527s so powerful today
McCain spokesman Brian Rogers responded that "Howard Dean's hypocrisy is breathtaking given that in 2003 he withdrew from the matching funds system in exactly the same way that John McCain is doing today."
Well, almost exactly. Well, maybe not almost exactly ... but it's a great sound bite.
FEC Approves Matching Funds for 2004 Presidential Candidates (December 30, 2003) "... Howard Dean initially qualified to receive matching funds, but his campaign withdrew its request for funds."
FEC Approves Matching Funds for 2008 Candidates (December 20, 2007) "... The following chart lists the amount certified to each candidate. ... John McCain $ 5,812,197.35"
This couldn’t be more ironic. McCain’s liberal Democratic friends are attacking him for violating his own law, McCain-Feingold. We get to watch McCain have to argue in court about the meaning of McCain-Feingold and the particulars of campaign finance reform with the Soros funded slimeballs at the DNC.
No Commission at the top, but the paperwork and reporting apparatus is still there. Both parties are keeping nominees from being seating. DEMs don't want to confirm on Hans A. von Spakovsky, and the GOP is blocking individual straight up-or-down votes on the four pending nominees (vote as a package of four, or no vote, is the GOP position)
The DEMs are also blocking recess appointments.
But even without a functioning Commission, one can view the facts and come to an independent opinion as to the validity of the McCain campaign statements.
Dean Requests Withdrawal
of Certification for Matching
Funds
On December 18, 2003, the
Commission withdrew its certifica-
tion that Presidential candidate
Howard Dean and his authorized
committee, Dean for America (the
Committee), were eligible to receive
public matching payments. The
action came after Dr. Dean informed
the Commission that he "no longer
wish[es] to participate in the Match-
ing Payment system administered by
the Commission" and "withdraw[s]
the candidate agreement filed with
the Commission pursuant to 11
C.F.R. § 9033.1 and 2." Since the
Committee will not be receiving
federal matching funds, the Com-
mission will not conduct a manda-
tory audit of the Committee
pursuant to 26 U.S.C. §9038(a).
--Amy Kort
Dean's letter request (the "I withdraw" letter) was sent to the FEC in early November, 2003. Dean had announced, in August 2003, an intention to keep the "opt out" option open. Gephardt, whose November 4, 2003 "opt out" questions to the FEC prompted the Advisory Opinion that McCain relied/relies on, didn't opt out, and did take public money.
Perhaps this attack by the DNC will “awaken” McCain to the truth about getting along with the Democrats - it doesn’t work. It’s a one way street that leads to a dead end.
McCain has given the press plenty of ammunition to use, when they turn on him. McCain thinks he’s teflon, like Bill Clinton, but I think he’s going to find out differently.
I wonder if McCain's timing, sending an "opt out" letter a month into the election year, and AFTER the FEC had certified funds, is unprecedented. Even it it is, that doesn't mean he should lose the ability or right to "opt out," but his situation is distinguishable from past opt-outs.
McCain's lawyer, Trevor Potter, said Wednesday evening that McCain has withdrawn from the system and that the FEC can't stop him. Potter, who was FEC chairman in 1994, said the campaign did not encumber the public funds in any way.So says the decider. Go get 'em Tiger."Well, it was done before in another campaign. ... We think it's perfectly legal. One of our advisers is a former chairman of the FEC, and we are confident that it was an appropriate thing to do," McCain told a news conference Thursday.
Federal Election Commission - Volume 26, Number 2 (Feb 2000)
Dole Requests Withdrawal of
Certification for Matching
Funds
On December 22, 1999, the
Commission withdrew its certifica-
tion that Republican candidate
Elizabeth Dole and the Elizabeth
Dole for President Exploratory
Committee (the Committee) were
eligible to receive public matching
payments. The action came after
the Committee withdrew its request
for the funds. Accordingly, the
Treasury Department will not
provide any public funds to the Dole
campaign, and the FEC will not
conduct a mandatory audit of the
Committee pursuant to 26 U.S.C.
§9038(a). (Section 9038(a) of Title
26 requires the agency to audit any
Presidential committee that accepts
public matching funds.)
On July 30, 1999, the FEC had
determined that the Committee had
satisfied the eligibility requirements
of 26 U.S.C. §9033 to receive
Presidential primary matching
funds. Mrs. Dole withdrew from the
Presidential race on October 20,
1999.
Everything You Need to Know About John McCain and Matching Funds - by Brad Smith
[Republican] Mr. Smith "has the chops" to render an opinion here. In fairness, it's notable that he and Trevor Potter (McCain's lawyer and advocate for strict campaign finance regulation) are generally at odds on First Amendment questions, and that Mr. Smith may be viewed as "biased" against Senator McCain that reason. I have also seen a report that Mr. Smith's [year 2000] nomination to the FEC was held up by one Senator McCain.
I haven't researched the history of Republican chairman of the FEC, David M. Mason.
Mr. Smith has the bottom line dead on. "Regardless of all the legal maneuvering, the bottom line is that Senator McCain is going to blow through the spending limits and take his chances with the FEC down the road."
Yep. $25,000 fine and a hollow threat of jail time is not a deterrent. At any rate, read Smith's "Everything You Need to Know."
It’s clear that the Dems are using this to try to make a dent in John McCain’s reformer persona and to try to get him off Obama’s back on public financing for the general election. That was a good tactical argument and one that McCain was winning.
However, it’s nice to know that McCain will be able to blow past the limits without worrying about it. That was giving me a bit of a heart attack. However, I do hope that he learned something about the ridiculousness of the system. It would be better if the campaigns were completely privately financed. I however believe that there is nothing wrong with spending limits on ind. donations.
As for the “personalities,” both Mr. Smith and Mr. Mason are @ odds with McCain because they are against McCain-Feingold. I believe that McCain may have held up their nominations.
HA HA HA I love it.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1975585/posts?page=5#5
Democrats seek FEC probe of McCain
AP/Yahoo | 2-24-08 | Jim Kuhnhenn
Posted on 02/25/2008 1:43:51 AM EST by STARWISE
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1975779/posts
Dean says McCain skirts election law with campaign loan
CNN | Feb. 24, 2008 | by Alex Mooney
Posted on 02/25/2008 4:13:24 AM EST by jdm
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1975799/posts
Democrats to Seek FEC Investigation of McCain Financing
Associated Press via Fox News | February 25, 2008
Posted on 02/25/2008 6:14:07 AM EST by Kaslin
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1975823/posts
Democrats file complaint against McCain
(One small snag - FEC cannot convene a quorum)
TV7-4 | 2/25/08
Posted on 02/25/2008 6:24:45 PM EST by Libloather
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1976146/posts
Barack Obama’s Glass House
IBD | February 25, 2008
Posted on 02/25/2008 8:17:41 PM EST by Kaslin
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1976215/posts
Obama’s Chicago-style Politics [FEC fiasco]
NRO | 2/25/08 | Patrick Ruffini
Posted on 02/26/2008 11:23:37 AM EST by Slings and Arrows
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1976504/posts
Typical Chicago Politics Will Come Back To Haunt Obama
(New Revelations from London)
Flopping Aces | Feb 26, 2008 9:24 am | Curt
Posted on 02/26/2008 2:59:34 PM EST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1976626/posts
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