Monday, February 25, 2008

McCain and Campaign Finance: Hoist by His Own Petard

One of today's stories (handled with some sympathy for the Democratic positon by the media, as usual) is about the Democratic complaint that John McCain should be bound by Federl spending limmits in the nomination process, while Democrats are not.  That would give Democrats an ENORMOUS advantage in getting their message out before the political conventions.  This situation comes about because McCain got in money trouble and applied for the right to get Federal funds (which would have carried with it Federal spending limits that McCain has already reached).  It turns out that McCain never took any Federal money, but the allegation is that he USED the promise of Federal funds to get a loan.   Thus, the argument is that McCain should be bound by the Federal limit, even though he has accepted no Federal funds.

Note what HYPOCRITES leftist Democrats are.  Obama and Clitnon are NOT bound by spending limits.  McCain spent NO federal money.    This is a POWER PLAY designed to give Democrats a spending advantage in the time before the convention.  Is it FAIR for McCain to not be able to get out his message, while Democrats face no limits, because of an alleged TECHNCIAL violation of the campaign finance rules?  Democrats already have a funding advantage (which is why Obama is unwilling to join with McCain in pledging to abide by Federal fudning limits).

Yes, there is a somewhat delicious irony to watch Democrats try to hoist McCain on his own petard of "campaign finance reform".  However, Democrats are being hoisted on a petard of their own.  The Federal Election Commission does not have a QUORUM, because Democrats are refusing to act on a Bush nominee.  So there may be no one to hear this totally hypocriical, hard ball politic "complaint".

If it happened to a DEMOCRAT, Democrats would be accusing Repubicans of trying to subvert democracy and shut up their opponents--with mainstream media sympathy.  John McCain should really LEARN from all of this that the media are NOT his friends (once he has the Republican nomination).

 

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