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

[phrogg1]

Today is THE day that we rise up and affirm to ourselves what the rest of the world has known for years.

The most morally and ethically bankrupt political party affiliation is a Republicant.

[musholmes]

Unbelievable. The McCain-Feingold law of 2002 specifically banned the use of campaign funds to purchase clothing. Yet $150,000 worth of clothing was provided for the Palin tribe. I wonder if the CA Repubs and RNC are going to file a complaint against themselves. NOT!

[singlemomvoting]

oh no, you didn't read the fine print, the clothes were not bought by Gov. Palin directly; they were purchased by the RNC affiliates for the RNC, she and her family are only wearing them during the campaign, they don't get to keep the clothes, they will be auctioned off for charity later..............isn't that nice? so you see there law does not apply, cute loop hole don't you think?

How about we say the Senator's plane ride was bought by 600,000 of his close friends that wanted to make sure he could get to Hawaii and spend the maximum amount of time possible with his Grandmother, just in case. Sadly it was the right thing to do....

[cornagainstsorcery]

Yeah. And they are going to be given to "charity". By which I assume they mean for GOP candidates in 2010 house and senate races.

[rzan1]

Didn't she also have a makeup artist that cost a ridiculously huge sum of money to put makeup on Palin's face?

[protagonia]

This is Waterloo for Republicans.

[oregondaisy]

Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't McCain take his campaign plane back to DC after he had "offically suspended" his campaign? Why didn't he just hop on a commerical flight like they expected Obama to? So just how does that not violate the very same rule they are preaching?

[obamagal]

Despicable deeds for a despicable, soulless party. Words escape me.

[DianeInAustin]

Tomorrow is a new day. America will have rejected these Rovian tactics and embraced hope, inclusivity, decency, and respect for others. Tomorrow America will elect Barack Obama and we will start creating a new America.

[dlinguist]

I like that the Obama spokesman didn't even dignify that with a response.

[obamagal]

That caught my eye as well. I agree with you.

[BowlyJones]

Have they lost all sense of decency?

[ladydriver]

Of course they have. Just look at their candidates.

[protagonia]

Not lost, born without.

[emily00011]

You assume too much. They never started with any.

[desertbloom]

The Party of so-called "family values" turns out to be the Party without a heart.

This campaign has made Nixon look benign.

[afroangel]

not only do these people have no heart, they have no soul.

[Mike4Obama]

Just sent another letter to the Gov.

Governor Schwarzenegger,

Gutten tag,

Sir, with deep disgust and concern I come to you with a request to show your dignity at a time when this country needs to show some decency to Senator Obama with the recent loss of his Grandmother.

Let me give you a quote from one of your GOP colleagues in CA.

"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.

Governor, I know you have a good heart and you don't owe anyone any favors so please, do the right thing and repudiate this individual in person tomorrow and do what is right for this country at a time, further division is unnecessary.

Thank you and auf wiedersehen.

[Halter]

Shame on the RNC. Little people with little ideas.

[highlyblessed]

The GOP is just downright dispicable, dirty and tacky. Did McCain pay for his trip when he suspended his campaign and flew to Washington? Did he pay for his trip when he flew to see Dave Letterman or Katie Couric? Did he catch a flight back on the campaign plane on his way back from Washington?

McCain is pathetic and he has no clout. If he did, the RNC wouldn't be pursuing this. McCain could put a stop to it if he wanted to, but he doesn't because his phony slogan "Country First" is just a facade, it's an empty platitude that means squat.

I don't care if Obama used my campaign money to vist his Grandmother, actually I'm glad he did.

[Lexica]

THE RNC IS PATHETIC. THEIR TURN IS OVER. TOO BAD THEY CAN'T CLEAN UP THE MESS THEY MADE BEFORE THEY GO.

[goreylover]

Just sent to Governor of CA and the CA GOP...

To whom it may concern:

I am highly offended that the GOP would make an issue out of Obama's use of his campaign plane to visit his ailing grandmother one last time. His grandmother's illness occurred during the campaign and under such conditions that would merit his use due to the severity of her ailment. As a campaign donor, I am appalled that you would make issue of this in light of the grave situation and that you would stoop as low to approach it on the day his grandmother passed away. I am sure that the timing was chosen to influence the election and I am disgusted thus far with every strategy your candidate has used to attempt to rig it.

As a contributor, I have no issue with Obama using the money I donated to visit his ailing grandmother. His choice to visit her during such a momentous time in the campaign shows his concern for his family and his humanity. Your decision to attack him during such a delicate time in his life and the election proves to me that you LACK any of the above.

Thank you.

[DShawn233]

When Senator Obama flew out to see his ill Grandmother I sat in front of my TV in amazement as this Reapuglican Slugategist went on MSNBC and told David Schuster that Senator Obama "needed to be humping his bags through an airport and catch a commercial flight on smaller plane to visit Grandma." I thought that I had seen the worst that the Reapuglicans had to offer. This story trumps it. Anyone that that has a normal mindset or a normal thought process has to think that the Repauglicans have gone insane with some of the things that they have done during this campaign.

[Knowitall]

A commercial flight could possibly have cost more, since, as a presidential candidate, his secret service detail would have had to travel with him, making the cost of emergency planning even higher. Commercial flights and non-government lodging rates can be twice to three times as high as government rates. Besides, the GOP is complaining without even knowing what portion of the trip Obama might have paid for. I'm sure he and his campaign know what they're doing. The GOP will once again end up looking like fools before the world.