Obama Rejects Public Financing, “Declares Independence”

On Barack Obama’s website, his campaign asks potential contributors to

“declare their independence”–and to give him their money.

Barack Obama just did what we all thought he would, but in a much more clever way.

The Illinois senator’s campaign emailed a video to supporters today announcing his decision to turn down$84.1 million in taxpayer-provided financing for the general election this November. The move was expected since his incredible fundraising machine generated $95 million in February and March alone (see our post from February 27).  However, this is the first time since the system was created that a major candidate has ever rejected the public funds, and it is especially interesting in an election where both candidates claim to be champions of ethics and campaign finance reform. McCain is now expected to reject financing himself, in order to be able to keep up with Obama.

What was NOT expected today was the way he and his campaign broke the news: as a “declaration of independence” from a “broken system.” He stressed the loopholes afforded to candidates by unrestricted donations to political parties as well as advocacy groups, such as the famed Swiftboat Veterans for Truth of 2004, one of many so-called “527s”  (named for the section of campaing finance legislation that provides for their existence).

The public financing of presidential elections as it exists today is broken, and 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.

McCain has criticized Obama for going back on his word from when the campaign announced that he would “aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee” to mutually accept public financing. However, Obama has said in the past that if he did reject public funding, his cache of small donations (90% are of $100 or less) is still in the spirit of keeping the influence of the wealthy from overwhelming democracy.

We will see if the media and the public buy into Obama’s call for much-needed reform, or if they see the move as simply hypocritical.  Either way, we can be sure that our next president will make an effort to take the money out politics–at least in his second term.

Obama’s video message [BarackObama.com]

Obama Forgoes Public Funds in First for Major Candidate [New York Times]

McCain favors convenience over justice, calls Supreme Court decision “one of the worst decisions in history”

The Supreme Court ruled this week for the third time confirming that Guantanamo Bay detainees DO have a right to habeas corpus petitions. McCain has responded by calling it “one of the worst decisions in the history of this country.” Really? I always thought the Dred Scott case was a bit worse.

The presumptive GOP nominee said the decision, a 5-4 ruling Thursday that determined Guantanamo detainees have the right to seek release in civilian courts, would lead to a wave of frivolous challenges.

“We are now going to have the courts flooded with so-called … habeas corpus suits against the government, whether it be about the diet, whether it be about the reading material. And we are going to be bollixed up in a way that is terribly unfortunate because we need to go ahead and adjudicate these cases,” he said at a town hall meeting in New Jersey.

So, his problem wasn’t that he thinks detainees don’t deserve the right to habeas corpus, but rather that it’ll be to much of a burden on the courts to, you know, do their jobs. Glad to see that convenience is more important to John McCain than justice.

McCain: Guantanamo Ruling One of the “Worst Decisions” in History – [FoxNews]

Democratic Party to refuse lobbyist donations

Today Howard Dean announced that the DNC would not be taking donations from lobbyists or PACs in order to align itself with Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama’s policy. The following is from an e-mail sent from Dean to members of the Democratic Party mailing list:

Dear (recipient),

I wanted to drop you a quick note about a major policy change here at the Democratic Party.

As we move toward the general election, the Democratic Party has to be the Party of ordinary Americans, not Washington lobbyists and special interests. So, as of this morning, if you’re a federal lobbyist, or if you control political action committee donations, we won’t be accepting your contribution.

This is an unprecedented move for a political party to make — one that has sent shockwaves through Washington and has turned the debate on clean campaigns upside down. We’ve unilaterally agreed to shut lobbyists out of the process, and are we’re relying on people just like you.

Just imagine what hundreds of thousands of Americans donating $20, $30, or $50 at a time can accomplish together. Imagine the signal that it sends to anyone who looks at John McCain’s political machine and the special interest money it needs to fuel every move it makes.

This is a pretty monumental development in American politics and one only hopes that it continues after Barack Obama’s campaign. This is hopefully only one of many examples of change that Sen. Obama hopes to bring to Washington.

Yeah, Obama is taking Minnesota

Final Primary Results

As Obama said last night, primary season is finally over. Here are the results from the last two states.

Montana
Obama 56%
Clinton 41%

South Dakota
Clinton 55%
Obama 45%

That leaves the delegate count at (2,118 needed):
Obama: 2,158.5
Clinton: 1,920

Seems like it’s clinched, huh? Maybe someone should tell Hillary that…

Here are last night’s speeches for your viewing pleasure.

Look for Curt in the Obama backdrop tonight!

Just got a message from our very own Civic Alert writer Curt Baker that he’ll be in the backdrop of Obama’s speech tonight in St. Paul. It’s expected to be a big speech, with Obama finally becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee, so I know you’ll be watching anyway. Keep your eyes open and you may just see a friendly face hanging out in the back of this historic moment.

Obama to Visit St. Paul

With such a large portion of our readers being from Minnesota, I thought it would be pertinent to announce that Barack Obama will be at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul this Tuesday, June 3rd for his victory speech after the last of the Democratic primaries, Montana and South Dakota. The speech will most likely mark the beginning of the general election and will be symbolic because it will be in the same venue as the Republican National Convention which will be held from September 1-4th. Sen. Obama’s choice of Minnesota as the host for his victory speech shows just how important our 10 electoral votes will be as a swing state in the general election. Doors are at 7 with the Senator speaking around 9:30-10. The event will be free and seating is first come, first serve.

It starts here – [Pioneer Press]

The good news keeps coming

Now he’s taking questions for himself

It’s a good week for opponents of the Bush Administration’s closed-door cronyism. Yesterday Scott McClellan, President Bush’s former Press Secretary, released a new book chronicling the ugly side of his experience in the Bush White house, reflecting in particular on Mr. Bush’s propaganda campaign in the run-up to the Iraq War and the Valerie Plame identity leak. And in an interview today he told Wolf Blitzer that he would be “glad to share [his] views” if asked to testify before Congress on the Administration’s pre-war intelligence on Iraq.

Mr. McClellan predicted the President would not be reading his book anytime soon. He also doesn’t plan to apologize to the President. Your writer is smiling as he writes all this.

McClellan: ‘I’d be glad’ to testify about the Bush White House – [CNN Political Ticker

Oh, Prez!

I apologize for not being at all newsworthy with this post, but I couldn’t resist having as many people see these pictures as possible. President Bush recently spoke at the Air Force Academy graduation, and showed off his “tough guy” side to these military men and women. Here’s a preview–follow the link for more. Please enjoy as much as I did.

Bush, Air Force Graduates Get Rowdy During Graduation Ceremony – [Huffington Post]

Reid: We’re going to make a decision next week

Less than a week until this is all decided? Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, pictured above totally kicking your ass in a staring contest, seems to think so.

Uncommitted superdelegate and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., visiting San Francisco, told KGO Radio today that he spoke this morning with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and last night to DNC Chairman Howard Dean. “We agree there won’t be a fight at the convention,” he said, later adding that “simple math indicates” Barack Obama is likely to become the Democratic nominee.

In April, Reid had suggested that he, Pelosi and Dean would convene after the last Democratic primary and decide on a course of action to make superdelegates take sides long before the convention. Today, he told KGO Radio’s Ronn Owens of the superdelegates, “They’ve already made their decision. That’s why we’re going to make a decision next week. It’s the same group of people. No one else is going to be involved. So they either make the decision now or they make it in August. I believe they should make it now rather than in August.”

He suggested the Democratic primary “will be ended a couple days after June 3rd.”

About time. Remember how long ago Iowa was?

Democratic Leaders Pushing to Avoid Convention Fight – [ABC News]

Why Computers can Kill

Here’s a fun little PSA about the hazards of E-waste. This is a huge environmental and human health problem, and exporters of electronics from the United States need to be held accountable.

E-Waste PSA – [Good Magazine]

New York Goes Halfway

New York Governor David Paterson is beginning the process of revising state documents to recognize the validity of same-sex marriages performed in other states, giving the same rights to straight and gay couples. Massachusetts, and most recently California, currently allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. With this start from Gov. Paterson, a full movement toward gay marriage or civil unions may come in the future, though the Republican-led Senate prevented former Governor Spitzer’s bill to allow these changes from passing.

“Basically we’ve done everything we can do on marriage legislatively at this point,” said Sean Patrick Maloney, a senior adviser to Gov. Paterson. “But there are tools in our tool kit on the executive side, and this is one.”

It’s a step in the right direction, and hopefully after both California and New York, more states will begin following suit.

New York to Back Same-Sex Unions From Elsewhere – [NY Times]

McCain’s Phony Environmentalism

In order to be perceived more “maverick-y”, John McCain recently embarked on a “Climate Change Tour” in which he visited such earthy places as Portland to speak on the environment and his plans to slow climate change including challenging China and India to reduce their emissions, introducing a cap and trade system, reducing US carbon emissions. He made sure to mention that he would differ from the Bush Administration and fellow Republicans on this issue. However, a recent development may show that all his huff and puff over the environment was all bark and no bite. The Senate next week will look at what is being called a “landmark” bill regarding mandatory limits on greenhouse gases, a vote McCain intends to miss. What is more, two of his bffs are sponsoring the bill, traitor Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Sen. John Warner (R-Va.). McCain’s reasoning is that it doesn’t include enough aid for the nuclear industry…so….the limits aren’t worth it at all? McCain’s way or the highway it is I guess (what recent President has done this for eight years?). It would suck to make some progress on limiting greenhouse gases regardless of nuclear power wouldn’t it?

“I have not been there for a number of votes. The same thing happened in the campaign of 2000,” he said. “The people of Arizona understand I’m running for president.”

Spoken like a true “maverick”.

McCain to Miss Climate Vote – [Washington Post]

Bill Clinton has some crazy conspiracy theories! Let him tell them to you!

As much as I’ve disapproved of, well, most of the Clinton campaign’s tactics over the past several months, the things Bill says make Hillary look like a saint. Here’s a funny story about his craaaaazy conspiracy theories that he’s now circulating in South Dakota. Here are a few choice (read: craaaaaazy) quotes from the story.

Clinton also suggested that some were trying to “cover up” Hillary Clinton’s chances of winning in key states that Democrats will have to win in the general election.

” ‘Oh, this is so terrible: The people they want her. Oh, this is so terrible: She is winning the general election, and he is not. Oh, my goodness, we have to cover this up.’ ”

Clinton did not expound on who he was accusing.

“She is winning the general election today, and he is not, according to all the evidence,” Clinton said. “And I have never seen anything like it. I have never seen a candidate treated so disrespectfully just for running.

“If you notice, there hasn’t been a lot of publicity on these polls I just told you about,” he said. “It is the first time you’ve heard it? Why do you think that is? Why do you think? Don’t you think if the polls were the reverse and he was winning the Electoral College against Sen. McCain and Hillary was losing it, it would be blasted on every television station?”

He added, “You would know it, wouldn’t you? It wouldn’t be a little secret. And there is another Electoral College poll that I saw yesterday had her over 300 electoral votes. … She will win the general election if you nominate her. They’re just trying to make sure you don’t.”

I mean, I can understand and perhaps even agree that the mainstream media has been easier on Obama during the primaries, but this kind of talk goes beyond merely insulting the press to sounding out and out crazy. It’s such a shame that Bill Clinton has continued to drag his name through the mud for nothing over the past few months. After all of his recent comments, I don’t even want him back in the White House.

Bill Clinton: ‘Coverup’ hiding Hillary Clinton’s chances – [CNN]

Let the veepstakes begin

Who should be Obama’s and McCain’s VP’s? CNN.com has a slick new site featuring nearly all potential running mates and the pros and cons of each. Huffington Post also did a nice breakdown recently of Obama’s potential number twos. Who’s your pick?

Who gets second billing on the presidential ballot? – [CNN]
Obama Vice President Picks: Who Are The Frontrunners? – [Huffington Post]