I wasn’t really going to bother posting about Obama’s lie, since so many people have written so well about it, plus, I am pretty sure it is against the rules, being a distraction and all, but, what the hell: Political Punch – Â Obama to Break Promise, Opt Out of Public Financing for General Election
In a web video to supporters— “the people who built this movement from the bottom up” — Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, announced this morning that he will not enter into the public financing system, despite a previous pledge to do so.
“We’ve made the decision not to participate in the public financing system for the general election,” Obama says in the video, blaming it on the need to combat Republicans, saying “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.”
In November 2007, Obama answered “Yes” to Common Cause when asked “If you are nominated for President in 2008 and your major opponents agree to forgo private funding in the general election campaign, will you participate in the presidential public financing system?”
Got that? It’s the fault of Republicans for his lying. No, really. Some of the folks on the left, such as The Gun Toting Liberal, Firedoglake (which still has database issues), and The Moderate Voiceall not only seem to have no problem with Obama lying (and, isn’t 90% of his campaign about his character?), but blame Republicans. Matter of fact, from The Moderate Voice
Since this conflicts with an earlier pledge, expect Obama’s foes to pounce on it and try to turn it into an issue and refer to it as a flip flop in campaign ads. One problem: campaign process and campaign funding mechanism issues have rarely moved mountains in elections.
Just a flip flop, no problem, ignore the fact that this goes directly to Obama’s character, and allows him to continue to take lobbyist money.
I’ll give it to Melissa McEwan, who at least finds it predictably sigh enducing.
The Carpetbagger Reportis all gaga over Obama’s lies, and thinks it is the best thing since Obama walked on water!
Captain Edobliterates the Missiah and his rational for lying.
Obama then stares sanctimoniously at a point just above and to the right of the camera while declaring his undying support for public financing, which he proves by abandoning it. He then declares the presidential system to be “brokenâ€, but never explains why he hasn’t lifted a finger to fix it during his three years in the Senate.
Guess who else blames Republicansfor Obama breaking his word? That’s right, the Obama camp! Changiness! Hopiness! A New Way of doing politics! Which apparently comes down to take no responsibility.
Say what you want about W, good or bad, but, you always know where he stands. Obama? He’s like the wind during a huge wild fire: you never know which way it is going to shift or how hard.
And, as far as Obama saying that the system is broken
“This is not a good decision,” Russ 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.”
Hey, most of us are not too please with McCain-Feingold, nor with Bush signing it, and the Supreme Court approving it, but, it is the law. For now. But, it is apparently not good enough for the Arugula munching Missiah.
More at Memeorandum. Good thing words don’t matter
