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

[vsign]

Is this the "typical white" grandmother Obama talked about?

[NuOrigin]

Yes, God rest her soul.

[Oxfarm]

I am a CA resident. I sent the RNC an email yesterday, AND I picked up the telephone. The young woman who took my message was very nice, and you could hear in her voice that I was probably not the first really P-O'd caller of the day.

Filing prior to election day and seemingly without any sort of compassionate timing was just in poor taste. I assured them that Senator Obama would likely have loads of people pay for this trip and then some. Stupid stupid stupid.

[ladydriver]

So much for wanting to unite the country after the election, "no matter what the outcome." Way to go, RNC.

[Steeevyo]

Great job GOP.
That should secure McCains landslide win.

[GLJ]

ENOUGH!!!

[suhud]

So, let's see...it was acceptable to the RNC--when they "vetted Palin 100%"--that she dragged her kids to political events to which they were NOT invited, and then billed the State of Alaska for personal expenses. But they have a different set of rules when it comes to Obama visiting his dying grandmother, while maintaining communication with his campaign staff? This, on the eve of the election, before poor Toot is even cold? What's next, calling him anti-American if they don't play the national anthem at her funeral? The right-wing RNC knows neither shame, nor the definition of what they arrogantly brag to be: Christian. Remember how angry J esus was with the crooked money-lenders in the temple? Well, I wonder what he'd think of the Palin-McCain campaign? Probably go ballistic!

[lmt27]

What constitutes 'campaigning'? If the RNC wants to be so petty, then the DNC should file a complaint regarding the $20,000 + spend on Sarah Palins makeup. Yes, they can get around the cloths by saying they belong to the RNC and will be donated; but how do you justify or recoup the money spent on the makeup? I for one have dontated to the Obama campaign and am not complaining about him using the plan to visit his grandmother. If he made one campaign related phone call--which I am sure he did-then that justifies campaigning. Believe me, Obama is intelligent and I know he dotted all the I's and crossed every t. This is just the beginning of the knit picking; once he is elected they will try every trick to undermine him.

[rwurzer]

This is the beginning unfortunately. The mud slinging will slither from brazen, divisive and easily debunked to legal and litigious.

Somebody, somewhere, is already looking hard for Obama's "Whitewater".

[GrandmaSue]

If a law were, in fact, broken, I'm sure 100,000 of us will joyously pitch in $1. directly to Barack Obama, not as our candidate but as our friend, to correct this so that the RNC doesn't feel soooo troubled.

[lisalovesamelie]

That's exactly what I thought!

So $100,000 for travel expenses is not allowed to visit a dying grandmother, but spending $100,000 on designer duds is acceptable? Hmm. Interesting.

[mujer-lg]

Don't forget the $20,000 in make-up!

[lisalovesamelie]

So $100,000 is not acceptable for personal travel to visit a dying grandmother, but spending $150,000 in designer duds is acceptable? How very....Republican.

[linfort]

I am in.

[ladydriver]

COUNT ME IN!

[emanzipiert]

I'm in. Tell me where to send the money. I'll mail it after I'm done voting for Obama.

[smark]

What a bunch of A$$holes!

[luvienne]

The so called religious right can not govern itself, how can they precede to tell Obama what he can do? For the last time Mccain and his surrogates, supporters do not tell Obama what to do. Get over it. OBAMA/BIDEN 08

[Sarahmay99]

What about when McCain "suspended his campaign" because of the economic crisis, would not the same rules apply?

[lmt27]

Yeah, did he use his 'campaign' plane to fly back to Washington? If so, shouldn't that be a violation since his campaign was 'suspended'.

[ramblingjohnny]

Obama is running for President. He is never off the campaign trail! Not to mention the fact that he need to have a secret service detail with him all the time. Do I need to remind everybody that Hawaii is a state! And since she just past away how bad a move is it to bring this up?

[wisdom101]

Now that his Grandmother has passed away , do the RNC still fell the same way. These people have no compassion or dignity. That's why I left my Repulican Party and decided to vote as an independent for Obama. Repuclicans and Independents for Obama/ Biden 2008

[dbskdvr]

As a donor, I have no objection. I also think it was in the campaign's interest for Obama to get to and from Hawaii as fast as expedient. If it weren't for the campaign, he could have taken a boat or at least public flights, but every minute he's not in touch with the campaign and with his staffers is a minute in the final two weeks we couldn't afford, so I'm thinking the flight was fully justified. It is as if the campaign was in full effect until he stepped off the plane in HI and started again as soon as he stepped on.