RNC Hits Obama For Visit To Sick Grandmother

Leaving no potential avenue of attack unexplored, the Republican National Committee has decided to bash Barack Obama over his October visit to see his ailing grandmother in Hawaii.

Of course the visit itself is not being criticized, but rather the way the campaign paid for the nominee's unscheduled detour. On Monday afternoon, the RNC blasted out a complaint from the California Republican Party charging that "Obama for America violated federal law by converting its campaign funds to Senator Obama's personal use" for the trip. That proposed issue for the FEC to investigate is one of five violations alleged by California Republicans in their complaint (which you can read in its entirety here).

"Senator Obama recently traveled to Hawaii to visit his sick grandmother. This was the right thing for any grandson to do -- at his own expense -- but it was not travel that his campaign may fund," said California Republican Chairman Ron Nehring in a statement Monday.

"In Senator Obama's own words, his travels took him 'off the [campaign] trail for a day.' The trip featured no campaign events of any kind its 22-hour duration and his decision to travel was 'not driven by political concerns,' according to an Obama spokesperson. Since the trip's purpose was entirely and admittedly personal, the fact that he made campaign telephone calls and talked with staff aides while traveling does not convert this purely personal trip into a proper campaign expense. Therefore, the Obama Campaign violated the FEC's ban on 'personal use' of campaign funds when it paid over $100,000 for the Campaign's charter to fly to Hawaii without obtaining reimbursement from Senator Obama."

"To be clear, the California Republican Party respects Senator Obama's decision to leave the campaign trail for a worthwhile personal purpose. But the Party will not quietly let 'hard facts make bad law.' If the FEC fails to act here, it will-contrary to explicit provisions of federal law-allow personal travel to Hawaii at campaign expense: a loophole sure to be exploited by others for less commendable personal purposes. Sympathy must not cloud the simple truth. This trip was personally important to Senator Obama, but served no campaign purpose. Its costs should have been paid with Senator Obama's own funds," Nehring said.

Asked for comment, an Obama spokesman gave no response.

Beside the Hawaii complaint, the state GOP also raises another allegation against the Democratic nominee based on testimony from a Pennsylvania case involving ACORN. In that testimony, a former employee of an ACORN affiliate alleged that the Obama campaign transfered its donor list to the community organizing group -- a claim disputed by ACORN itself. The California GOP, however, treats the matter as settled fact.

Comments

[beaupritchard]

The real problem is we have to wait another two years to tell republicans what we think of them.

[hopefullee]

I'm with paintpaintpaint. I contributed to the Sen. Obama's campaign, too, and I don't mind that he used some of those funds for this trip, either. And since so many small contributors like us were a big part of his fund raising, why doesn't someone ask us?

[Newsmonger]

The Democrats should counter sue the GOP and the McCain Campaign:

1. When McCain suspend his campaign and went back to Washinton to "save" the world, did he use Campaign funds?

2. When Sarah Palin left the Campaign to see her son off to Iraq in Alaska; who funded her trip?

3. McCain had gone back to Arizona almost every weeknd until last month, was that a campaign event?

[boing007]

Lots of voter problem calls from Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. My, my, my.

[paintpaintpaint]

OK, here it is. I've sent Obama money a few times. It's OK with ME that he used my $$ to go visit his dying grandmother. Anybody else? The Republicans have enough to worry about - get off these stupid complaints.

[MargaretO]

what do they care? They didn't pay for it. Obama's supporters paid for it and none of us are complaining.

[Xenopus]

Good Lord, is there no shred of decency left in the Republican party? I mean it.....this has been such an ugly mean vicious false campaign run by them, one has to wonder what kind of human beings are taking part in such filth. I know the Democrats have had a few bad people do things, but the Republicans seem to do it as a whole strategy, everywhere. These people should be so ashamed of themselves, but they will turn around and tell you what good Christians they are. Pathetic, just pathetic. And I hold John McCain responsible....he has gone down hill since he promised to run a totally positive campaign.....the first big lie.

[Jalel Art]

Let's see...Palin gets $150K for clothes that will be, as we're informed, donated and Obama visits his ailing grandmother with a campaign plane. Which one do you think the American public will forgive?

[paintpaintpaint]

Yeah, I love this - and I envision the poverty stricken will be so thrilled to have Sarah's leftovers so they'll look nice for the lines at the Food Bank!

[prdamericanmom]

This is so stupid. When it comes down to it, would any of us object to a trip like this regardless of the candidate's party affiliation? I highly doubt it. Family First, right, GOP? Oh, I guess not. Oops, my bad.

I wonder how much more it would have cost to take this trip on a commercial plane. Off the top of my head, you'd need:

1. A plane that isn't currently being used.
2. A flight crew to operate this plane.
3. Room for the candidate and Secret Service. Seriously, does anyone believe that they'd let him fly alone? Does anyhone believe that they'd let anyone outside of their bubble fly with him? I don't think so.
4. Accomodations for everyone.
5. Transportation for everyone at the destination city.

Food is a gimme. That's what per diem is for, and that's predetermined by destination location. Let's not forget that the reservations are being made on pretty short notice, so it's going to be expensive anyway.

So yeah, another empty argument from a bunch of freaks. How they could compare something like this to the (very legitimate) complaints made about that ridiculously expensive wardrobe is completely beyond me. Apples and jalapenos, man.

[LiberTLover]

And yet not a word when McBlinks&Winks was jetting around in his 'wife's' private jet illegally not paying her for it.

[KeepMeLearning]

How do they know if Obama has not paid or will not pay for the trip??? Are they on the inside??? So how do they really know???

Frankly, I don't care if my donations to the Obama campaign went towards that trip. In fact, I'll donate more to help cover it if necessary.

This is the GOPs way of diverting attention from Princess Sarah's $150,000 wardrobe. Bunch of REPUgnant jerks.

[Tink]

Does anyone really buy that they're dinging him on the use of campaign funds? The RNC appears to be full of unfeeling jerks. How low can they go?

[boing007]

This is Mary Matalin's assessment of Geore Bush's Presidency:

It must be very strange to be President Bush. A man of extraordinary vision and brilliance approaching to genius, he can't get anyone to notice. He is like a great painter or musician who is ahead of his time, and who unveils one masterpiece after another to a reception that, when not bored, is hostile.

Hooboy. Some people thought that Adolph H. was a genius. Welcome to the club, Dubya.

[Xenopus]

Well, it's Mary Matalin say it.....so consider the source. Not one campaign she has been the chief strategist has won.....starting with George Bush, Sr..........down to Fred Thompson. She is such a flak.

[boing007]

Is there any rock so low that these people can't crawl from under ?

They should crawl back under their favorite rock and stay there for a century or two.

[wordvarc]

The RNC showed its fade to pink by an attack on Obamas love for his grandmother while being blind to troopergate, McCain's dumping his wife for the beer heiress, and Palin's over billing her state for her families travel and housing expenses.

The complaint reads, "The trip was personally important to Mr. Obama but served no campaign purpose."

Not!

This demonstration of love, devotion, and humanity helped his campaign more than anything he did last month. I did not watch his multimillion dollar infomercial but did read everything I could about his grandmother and the visit.