Obama Won't Pledge to Take Public Funds

DAYTON, Ohio — If Sen. Barack Obama becomes the Democratic nominee, he faces a financial dilemma: Use his vaunted fundraising operation for the general election or limit himself by accepting public funds.

Last year, Obama indicated he would accept public funds if his Republican opponent did as well. On Thursday, however, his spokesman hedged, and campaign finance watchdog groups are ready to pounce.

Based on past statements, Obama and Republican presidential candidate John McCain have indicated that if each was nominated, a spending and fundraising armistice was possible.

"If Senator Obama is the nominee, he will aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said last March. Obama affirmed the position in a questionnaire last November.

Similarly, then McCain campaign manager Terry Nelson said at the time: "Should John McCain win the Republican nomination, we will agree to accept public financing in the general election if the Democratic nominee agrees to do the same."

Those conditional commitments came after Obama asked the Federal Election Commission whether he could raise general election money during 2007 but return it if he chose to accept the public funds.

The issue resurfaced this month when McCain emerged as the likely Republican nominee and as Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton jostled for the lead in the Democratic contest.

McCain advisers have said in recent days that he would abide by his proposal.

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But on Thursday, Burton said any speculation about what Obama will do is premature.

"This is a question we will focus on directly if he is the nominee," he said. "It was something that we pursued with the FEC and it was an option that we wanted on the table and is on the table."

Asked if the campaign's earlier position amounted to a pledge, Burton said: "No, there is no pledge."

McCain said he thought he and Obama had agreed on the issue.

"We had an agreement, as I recall, months ago that if he were the candidate and I were the candidate we would both accept public funding for the general election. That still holds," McCain told reporters on his campaign plane. "I didn't know of any resistance."

Fred Wertheimer, president of the advocacy group Democracy 21, said he and others who want to curtail the role of money in politics intend to step up their pressure on Obama to accept public money if he is the Democratic nominee.

"We expect Senator Obama to meet the public commitment he made and to agree to use public financing in the general election if he is nominated and his major party opponent agrees to do the same," Wertheimer said.

In response to a questionnaire in November from the Midwest Democracy Network, a group of nonpartisan government oversight groups, Obama said: "Senator John McCain has already pledged to accept this fundraising pledge. If I am the Democratic nominee, I will aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election."

Candidates who accept public funds would be eligible for about $85 million in public money. The funds come from a presidential financing program paid for with a $3 checkoff on tax returns.

While presidential candidates have rejected public financing in primaries, no major party candidate has bypassed the system in the general election since the program was created in the wake of the Watergate scandal in the 1970s.

This time, however, McCain, Obama and Clinton have raised money for the general election. Clinton has raised the most, $19.5 million, and has made no commitment to take public financing.

Obama has raised $6.1 million and McCain has raised $2.2 million for the general. If they take public funds, they would have to return the money they raised.

If McCain and Obama agree to take the federal money and forgo fundraising, McCain would be a clear beneficiary since Obama has proven himself as a multimillion-dollar fundraiser. His campaign raised a whopping $32 million for the primary in January alone.

Still, the national parties and outside groups are also gearing up to play a role in the fall campaign.

____

Associated Press Writer Liz Sidoti contributed to this report.

Comments

[Zhonni]

Obama never pledged to accept public financing but said he would look into it. As is, he is closest to public financing as a candidate can be.

[apresdeluge]

An Obama flip-flop? Say it itsn't so. He is the cnadidate of "change" isn't he? No inside the belt way politics for him, right?

Obama/Lieberman 08

[KaAp]

I still think we ought to wait till Obama wins the primaries ... then he can answer McCain but he still has to fight to overcome the Clinton machine with all of its lies, spins, and of course the games ...
The question ought to be this ... if this is what McCain wants fine but will McCain go without his 529's as well (I have heard that Ari Fleisher has 150 million in a 529) ... if he accepts that then it is a ludicrous kind of deal ... and if he accepts 529's than the idea of public campaign financing has to be off the table ...

[transendentilist]

A little premature there kap. Obama hasn't won yet. And he might not win at all.
Please give examples of the Clinton's, "lies spins, and of course the games..."

[nolalily]

Interesting that is was Mr. Obama who wanted to know if he could use public financing in the general after using private in the primary and NOT MR. McCain. Apparently Mr. McCain thinks he should not be held to the same ethical standards as Mr. Obama.

Please read up on this folks. Mr. McCain's brain is a little addled. Poor thing, he has his facts confused.

[langstonhughesfan]

Hey, too bad for McCain. That old coot needs to just accept that Obama is what this country needs, and people are willing to PAY to get it.

[MACS]

.
This is ALL about the inability of Repub-LIE-CONS to collect money from their long time big money friends. They now know that the money bus that they have been riding now has a flat tire. The massive turn out of Democrats for the primary elections indicateds bad news for the cons in November. They have brought this on themselves with their scandals and big government spending.
.

[hinnis]

This is definitely not the first, nor the last time Obama will go back on his word or try to change the rules to suit his unbridled ambition.

[hugs4u]

McCain has trouble raising funds, that is why he wants public financing.

Mccain had trouble with torture too, but now is for it with waterboarding, since he needs to suck up to the conservatives.

McCain is a true flip flopper.

[LDW]

Now we understand.

When Obama talks about CHANGE, he really means that he can change his mind if he wants to.

I guess that when Obama talks about HOPE, he really means you better Hope he doesn’t Change his mind about something that’ important to you.

Obama – Present.
Hillary – President!

[EclectusGirl]

Nailed it!

[LVpsychron]

So if the Dems don't start a general election campaign until after the convention, they have less than 2 months of it. Any monies for the general would need to cover the 2 months. Any excess money would have to be used elsewhere. That would mean that Obama volunteers would have to go out and canvass and do other things to help out. I don't see this as a problem. I don't think he needs so much money in the general to fight a crippled Republican campaign who isn't using tons of money. They will use others to do their dirty work, just as Obama can use Moveon and others for any negative campaigning. The money will simply go to these other folks, the people will see the silly ads on TV, and the formal campaigns will be limited by money. I just don't see how this will affect Obama negatively. He should honor any pledges he has made, because it is the right thing. John McCain should honor any pledges he has made, without criticizing others, so he can say he does the right thing. He will also need to tell the conservative lie machines to limit themselves to the truth,just as Obama will need to do for his supporters. In the end, McCain will lose and Obama will win (unless the issue is mute by Clinton) because Obama really does try to do the right thing, while McCain tries to show he does.

[XYZ]

A sly no thank you is in order, and when McCain calls him out he needs to deflect with a reminder about his Waterboarding flip/flop.. Obama needs to keep his teflon suite on.

[Dazedandamazed]

Obama just got called out by McCain. Put the money where your mouth is. Will Obama stand on his integrity or will he crumble to the money factor and prove he is not who he says he is? He will no longer be able to run on I am not politics as usual if he refuses McCains willingness to accept the offer he put in play. Either way Obama looses!

[Celldumceen]

This whole thing is just a lie congered up by a campaign that knows it has no hope of competing with Mr. Obama in the money raising arena! I did not see any declarative sentences in that article. No definitive answers just a bunch of words that are being spun by Mr. McCain to box Mr. Obama in and try to force him to give up a clear advantage he will have in the general if he gets past Billary. Knocking down lies is something that the Obama people are going to have to do a lot of again if they get to the general. I saw people commenting on this on TV as if were true! Sad but expected, many more things like this will certainly take place in the months ahead!

[in4success]

mccain knows the swiftboaters and talk radio hacks will do his dirty work to the tune of several hundred million dollars and that the left doesn't have those kind of highly funded sleazy/lyi­ng/democra­cy hating groups.

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

I think that conservatives would argue using MoveOn as an example. They have complained for years now, about them.

[Gary47]

As usual, the republicans are just busy lying. Anything to try to scratch out an advantage. Wait a few more weeks, their lies will be piled so thick you won't be able to see the blog.

[Gary47]

Yes, Mr. McCain, we all want our politicians to do what they say. But usually not when it's trivial and not when it means giving up a big advantage to the other guy. Also, Johnny-boy, when was the last time you managed to get through a day without flip-flopping at least twice?

[nellie]

No rules broken. Whoever the democratic nominee is, let's hope they're smart enough to go whatever funding route will get them to the White House.