McCain Team Hits Obama On Public Financing Pledge

John McCain's team is going after Barack Obama this a.m. on the question of public financing. Team McCain's oppo drop, alleging that Obama has flipped on the question of public financing, after the jump.

Here's the Obama response, per spokesman Bill Burton: “John McCain is in no place to question anyone on pledges when he abandoned the latest campaign finance reform efforts in order to run for the Republican nomination and went back on his commitment to take public financing for the primary election this year."

This seems to us to be the only hit of the week with legs. The "plagiarism" stuff is totally bogus; the candidates co-opt each other's language constantly, as evidenced by clips of Hillary Clinton using Obama's "Fired Up" catchphrase. But on the matter of public financing, Obama said one thing -- yes to a public financing commitment, as specified in a Midwest Democracy Network questionnaire -- and now appears to be backtracking. This episode raises questions about his veracity on a matter that goes to the heart of his change argument. If the system is broken, if Washington needs a new and different kind of politics, shouldn't Obama -- as a self-described agent of that change -- take the public financing plunge?

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

FACT CHECK: Less Than Three Months Ago, Obama Answered “Yes” He Will Participate In Public Financing In General Election If His Republican Opponent Agreed To Do Same:

In The Fall Of 2007, Obama Answered “Yes” To Question “Will You Participate In The Presidential Public Financing System” If His Opponent Likewise Agreed. “The [Obama] campaign went even further in answers to a questionnaire sent to the various political campaigns in September 2007 by the Midwest Democracy Network. The questionnaire posed a very simple question to the candidates: ‘If you are nominated for President in 2008 and your major opponents agree to forgo private funding in the general election campaign, will you participate in the presidential public financing system?’ You can read Obama's response here. The candidate highlighted the simple answer ‘Yes’ and elaborated as follows: …” (Michael Dobbs, “The Obama 'Pledge,'” The Washington Post’s Fact Checker, 2/20/08)

Read Obama’s Full Response Answering “Yes” He Will Participate In Public Financing In General Election If His Opponent Agreed To Do So:

QUESTION: “If you are nominated for President in 2008 and your major opponents agree to forgo private funding in the general election campaign, will you participate in the presidential public financing system?”

OBAMA: “Yes. I have been a long-time advocate for public financing of campaigns combined with free television and radio time as a way to reduce the influence of moneyed special interests. I introduced public financing legislation in the Illinois State Senate, and am the only 2008 candidate to have sponsored Senator Russ Feingold’s (D-WI) bill to reform the presidential public financing system. In February 2007, I proposed a novel way to preserve the strength of the public financing system in the 2008 election. My plan requires both major party candidates to agree on a fundraising truce, return excess money from donors, and stay within the public financing system for the general election. My proposal followed announcements by some presidential candidates that they would forgo public financing so they could raise unlimited funds in the general election. The Federal Election Commission ruled the proposal legal, and Senator John McCain (r-AZ) has already pledged to accept this fundraising pledge. If I am the Democratic nominee, I will aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election.” (Sen. Barack Obama, “Midwest Democracy Network Presidential Candidate Questionnaire: The Responses Of John Edwards And Barack Obama,” Midwest Democracy Network, Released 11/27/07)