Obama likely to escape campaign audit (What McCain was thinking ALERT)

Politco (via YAHOO) ^ | 11/11/08 11:14 AM EST | KENNETH P. VOGEL

[11th Commandment]

The Federal Election Commission is unlikely to conduct a potentially embarrassing audit of how Barack Obama raised and spent his presidential campaign’s record-shattering windfall, despite allegations of questionable donations and accounting that had the McCain campaign crying foul.

Adding insult to injury for Republicans: The FEC is obligated to complete a rigorous audit of McCain’s campaign coffers, which will take months, if not years, and cost McCain millions of dollars to defend.

[11th Commandment]

During the last weeks of the campaign, I was so excited about Palin, I forgot about all these dumb things in McCains past. Now in the reflections of defeat, is it any wonder why the man lost.

[K-oneTexas]

Someone actually thought they would? Amazing.

[rottndog]

Yep...McCain sold Obama the rope Obama used to hang him with...

[avacado]

"Obama is expected to escape that level of scrutiny mostly because he declined an $84 million public grant for his campaign that automatically triggers an audit and because the sheer volume of cash he raised and spent minimizes the significance of his errors."

What the heck does that mean! The fraud is so great, so why bother?

[bigbob]

I don’t think it was as much a choice as a default. Big Republican donors weren’t going to fork over millions upon millions for a lukewarm candidate, so he had to go the public funding route.

Since it’s Veterans Day, I feel it’s appropriate to thank John McCain and all veterans for their service and sacrifice. But that doesn’t erase McCains record of “reaching across the aisle” that in the end proved to be his undoing, IMHO.

[freebilly]

McCain-Feingold-- Campaign finance reform that screwed McCain. The enginer hoist on his own petard....

Poetic justice....

[TexasGreg]

Bush should issue an Executive Order calling for the Audit.

[Enchante]

Every time I think about the idiotic monstrosity that is “campaign finance reform” I realize again that McCain deserved to LOSE...... not that the country deserves Obama/Biden, but c’mon, McCain’s “reaching across the aisle” has usually been on behalf of some of the worst crapola in our political system.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Another good reason not to take federal financing.

[TexasGreg]

What the heck does that mean! The fraud is so great, so why bother?

Bingo!

[Menehune56]

Yes he should. But we know he won’t.

[GATOR NAVY]

But that doesn’t erase McCains record of “reaching across the aisle” that in the end proved to be his undoing, IMHO.

You are far from alone in that belief.

[nobama08]

The rules don’t apply to Nobama. He will never have to even prove he is a natural-born citizen, much less account for all his foreign campaign contributions. He will be the Ruler and there is NOTHING anyone can do against him. But the World loves him, so that’s all that matters.

[Navy Patriot]

The FEC is obligated to complete a rigorous audit of McCain’s campaign coffers, which will take months, if not years, and cost McCain millions of dollars to defend.

McCain has my deepest sympathy.

But then, a fool and his money are soon parted.

[denydenydeny]

That’s hilarious.

The only silver lining here is that, effectively, there are no more campaign finance laws anymore, and we can raise as much as we want from any source, foreign or domestic, as long as we’re willing to launder it through small amounts in fraudulent credit card transactions.

The dark cloud is that the campaign finance laws are still on the books and we can count on them being used exclusively against Republicans from now on.

[Truth29]

(snip)"The dark cloud is that the campaign finance laws are still on the books and we can count on them being used exclusively against Republicans from now on."

In a Potemkin democracy, the instruments of government are used to suppress opposition, promote right thinking and assure that the ruling elite are never challenged.

[null and void]

Bush should issue an Executive Order calling for the Audit.

He should.

But he won't.

[visualops]

embarrassing? who the hell cares if it’s embarrassing? when did anyone ever care how “embarrassing” the gazillions of investigations launched at Bush were for no good reason?
Don’t they realize what a dangerous precedent this sets, for no one to even look at where all that money came from? WHAT A FRIGGIN’ JOKE

[Libertarianize the GOP]

Just as a handful of wealthy Americans pay half of income taxes, it is likely that a handful of people contributed most of the $350 million in unidentified campaign contributions. Since there is no investigation those who contributed far in excess of allowed limits have the ability to blackmail Obama if he doesn’t do their bidding. Obama had to know who was behind his record fundraising when he decided to forgo public funds. Leaking that information would destroy the Obama Presidency and so Obama will do what ever his financiers want. At least with full disclosure we would know who Obama is beholden to, as things stand we don't know who will be pulling Obama’s chain.

[oneolcop]

What happened to the $millions Obama got that he didn’t have time to spend?