John McCain is getting such a free ride from the corporate media! The "straight-talk express" is nothing but a bunch of B.S. This guy will do ANYTHING to be President, from embracing Bush and the Religious Right breaking the law with his own name on it. (McCain/Feingold)


John McCain Charged With Breaking Election Law (http://www.nationalchronicle.com/2008/02/24/john_mccain_charged_with_break/)

(TNC) -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain (AZ) is the subject of an Federal Elections Commission complaint for violation of campaign finance law, legislation he had a hand in creating during his time in the senate.

The complaint, lodged by the Democratic National Committee presents evidence that when McCain opted in to the publically financed campaign program, he is now legally bound to stay within the federal law's spending limits. DNC chairman Howard Dean told reporters that McCain has already received "material gain" from public funds, using anywhere from $2-3 million to get his name on ballots from coast to coast.

Already some reports show McCain may have already violated the law by going beyond the $54 million spending limits, as he needs a vote of the FEC to leave the public system. McCain's fundraising efforts have been far below those of Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, with McCain's campaign at one point in the last year nearing bankruptcy.

At least the Democratic Party isn't sitting still for it. (http://www.democrats.org/page/s/mccainbusted)

Fact Check: Obama and Oil Money (http://www.wtop.com/?nid=213&sid=1350230)
March 31, 2008 - 1:53pm

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., speaks at a Town Hall meeting at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in Lancaster, Pa., Monday, March 31, 2008. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic Sen. Barack Obama has seized on a key feature of voters' economic concerns _ rising fuel prices _ and is casting himself as the candidate who could bring about energy independence because he is not beholden to energy companies.

Last week, Obama aired a television ad in Pennsylvania called "Nothing's changed" that outlines his energy proposals while declaring, "I don't take money from oil companies or Washington lobbyists, and I won't let them block change anymore."

THE SPIN: In his ad, Obama states: "Since the gas lines of the '70's, Democrats and Republicans have talked about energy independence, but nothing's changed except now Exxon's making $40 billion a year, and we're paying $3.50 for gas. ... I don't take money from oil companies or Washington lobbyists, and I won't let them block change anymore. They'll pay a penalty on windfall profits. We'll invest in alternative energy, create jobs and free ourselves from foreign oil."

The Clinton campaign last week accused Obama of "false advertising."

"Senator Obama says he doesn't take campaign contributions from oil companies but the reality is that Exxon, Shell, and others are among his donors," Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said.

THE FACTS: True enough, Obama does not take money from oil companies. No candidate does. It is illegal for corporations to give money to politicians. Corporations, however, do have political action committees that collect voluntary donations from employees and then donate them to candidates. Obama doesn't take money from PACs. He also doesn't take money from lobbyists.

But he does accept money from executives and other employees of oil companies and two of his fundraisers are oil company executives. As of Feb. 29, Obama's presidential campaign had received nearly $214,000 from oil and gas industry employees and their families, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. Clinton had received nearly $307,000 from industry workers and their families and Republican Sen. John McCain, the likely GOP presidential nominee, received nearly $394,000, according to the center's totals.

Two of Obama's fundraisers are Robert Cavnar, the chairman and chief executive of Houston-based Mission Resources Corp., and George Kaiser, the president and CEO of Tulsa-based Kaiser-Francis Oil Co.

In January and February alone, Obama received nearly $18,000 from Exxon Mobil workers, according to Federal Election Commission records. Most of the donations were of $250 or less; the money came from workers ranging from executives to engineers to geologists to shift supervisors. Overall, he has raised about $34,000 from Exxon Mobil workers since the beginning of his campaign. Exxon Mobil employees have given Clinton about $16,000 since the beginning of last year.

___

John McCain is Breaking the Law He Wrote -- So Where's Fred Wertheimer Now? (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-hamsher/john-mccain-is-breaking-t_b_88434.html)

Another good article about it.

There are some more videos about John McCain breaking the law on the right too.

32,000 signatures on complaint to FEC about John McCain breaking his own campaign finance law.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYy-F50CCas)

Still the conservative corporate media is silent about John McCain breaking the law in plain sight.

I understand that since you are a Democrat, you believe that if a Republican is CHARGED with somthing then.......... he is GUILTY AS CHARGED no matter what.

In the real world, that is just not the case. You and Howard Dean need to be able to prove what you charge. Until you can prove it, they are only words.

I understand that since you are a Democrat, you believe that if a Republican is CHARGED with somthing then.......... he is GUILTY AS CHARGED no matter what.

In the real world, that is just not the case. You and Howard Dean need to be able to prove what you charge. Until you can prove it, they are only words.

John McCain is guilty. It is a matter of public record.
The only thing stopping him from being charged formally is that the FEC does not have a quorum.

McCain breaks the law, Media pretends not to notice. (http://phoenixwoman.wordpress.com/2008/03/24/mccain-breaks-law-media-pretends-not-to-notice/)

Did somebody hear something?

Did somebody hear something?

Plenty of people trying to pretend they did not. :rolleyes:

I guess Howard Dean would rather not have Mcains name on the ballot. Seriously, what did he do wrong, in plain english please.

I guess Howard Dean would rather not have Mcains name on the ballot.

I think they are plenty more Republicans that would rather not have McCain's name on the ballot, but that is irrelivent to the topic at hand.

SO what did he do to break the law that has you so upset?

SO what did he do to break the law that has you so upset?

It is explained at least three times already in this thread.
See post #1.

I see, so the Dems want him to just stop spending money. Won't happen.

I see, so the Dems want him to just stop spending money. Won't happen.

He is breaking the law. I am just pointing that out.
If you don't care that he is breaking the law, that is your malfunction.

I don't think he will stop breaking the law either, but I can at least point out what the conservative corporate media will not.

You found a loop hole taht you think will make him stop spending money thus giving away the election to the Dems. Dont try and play Mr. Morals.

Actually, there is no "loophole".

He is breaking the law. He isn't even exploiting a loophole, he is just brazenly breaking his own law for nothing more than the acquisition of power, which I find disturbing in someone who wants to be President of the United States.

I find it interesting that the Republicans were so concerned with the letter of the law when Bill Clinton said he did not have sex with an intern, but suddenly they are silent as the grave when a Republican is breaking the law in plain sight.

Not to mention all the laws broken during the Dubya era.

Fine, get him out of there for breaking the law. If he broke the law he should be punished. I agree with you.

Why isn't anyone filing any charges?

Why isn't anyone filing any charges?

(Whispers to meskDXB- Because it is stupid political hackery that the DNC puts out there and all their useful idiots run to places like this and regurgitate it)

Fine, get him out of there for breaking the law. If he broke the law he should be punished. I agree with you.

Thank you.

That is all I wanted to hear.

you are welcome.

Why isn't anyone filing any charges?

Because the Federal Elections Commission has four open positions out of seven, so they do not have a quorum to vote on anything.

Because the Federal Elections Commission has four open positions out of seven, so they do not have a quorum to vote on anything.


But is he breaking the "law". I don't think enforcing a law would need a quorum.

But is he breaking the "law". I don't think enforcing a law would need a quorum.

As far as I know, the FEC is the body that has jurisdiction in this case and they would be the ones that would decide to press charges.

FEC Poses Fresh Problem for McCain (http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/02/21/fec_poses_fresh_problem_for_mc.html)


Updated 1:11 p.m.
02/21/2008
By Matthew Mosk
Just when things seem as though they couldn't get worse for Arizona Sen. John McCain comes a letter from the Federal Election Commission, alerting him to the possibility that he may not be able to withdraw from the presidential public financing system.

McCain applied to be certified for federal matching money last year, when his campaign was running on fumes. But unlike former North Carolina senator John Edwards, McCain never actually took the federal funds. He was merely preserving that option. Once his campaign started to take off, he wrote to the FEC requesting to withdraw from the program.

The reply from the FEC (PDF) (http://www.fec.gov/press/press2008/FECtoMcCain.PDF), dated Feb. 19 and released by the FEC today, will almost certainly come as a shock to the campaign, which assumed McCain had withdrawn from the public system two weeks ago and was now free to spend money without regard to federal limits.

The reason this matters so much? Life within the public financing system, in which candidate contributions are matched with federal funds, comes with severe spending restrictions. Most notable among them is an overall spending cap of $54 million that would hang over the campaign until McCain officially accepts his party's nomination at the Republican National Convention in September. McCain has already spent $49 million, according to a report his campaign filed this week, though some of that could be backed out under various exemptions.

Still, the spending restriction would create an enormous crisis for a campaign that had planned to raise and spend huge volumes of money over the next six months.

The explanation for the FEC's letter is twofold. Number one, it says, the FEC will need to vote on his request to withdraw. But the FEC has not had a quorum since New Year's Day, when Congress deadlocked over four pending nominations from President Bush. Without a quorum to vote on his request, the letter says, he will have to remain within the system.

The second issue is more complicated. It involves a $1 million loan made to McCain in January by a Bethesda bank (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/15/AR2008021503639_pf.html), for which he attempted to use possible future federal funds as collateral.

McCain's attorney has argued that the loan was careful to never put up as collateral the campaign's current request for federal funds. The lawyer, Trevor Potter, told the Associated Press that he believes McCain has withdrawn from the system, that McCain will not adhere to spending limits, and that the FEC can't stop him. Potter said the campaign did not encumber the public funds in any way.

"Well, it was done before in another campaign.... We think it's perfectly legal. One of our advisers is a former chairman of the FEC, and we are confident that it was an appropriate thing to do," McCain said in a news conference Thursday.

But the FEC is requesting the McCain campaign present the government with more information about the loan before it can decide whether McCain will now be locked into the federal system.

It looks like McCain has accepted that he is not going to get out of the public financing system (http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/04/09/mccain-set-to-take-the-federal-financing-plunge/).

I am assuming this is good news to you somehow.

I am assuming this is good news to you somehow.
of course it is for him-the Democrats have managed to subvert representative democracy once again!:corn:

maybe when Hillary loses the Dem nomination she can just buy Mcain's Republican nomination and run against Barak. Seems Mcain is prety much done with according to Dhrama.

I am assuming this is good news to you somehow.

Not really I was hoping he would try and pretend and hope nobody would notice.

Seems Mcain is prety much done with according to Dhrama.

I would not count him out yet.

of course it is for him-the Democrats have managed to subvert representative democracy once again!

Explain that to me.
McCain is the one breaking the law. So how are the Democrats "subverting representative democracy" by calling him on it?

Explain that to me.
McCain is the one breaking the law. So how are the Democrats "subverting representative democracy" by calling him on it?
by stalling the appointments so he can't withdraw...are you really that dense, or were you hoping no one would notice?

by stalling the appointments so he can't withdraw

That makes no sense.
The fact that there is no quorum at the FEC is the only thing stopping the enforcement of the federal election laws, so it would be in their interest to have a complete FEC.

Explain that to me.
McCain is the one breaking the law. So how are the Democrats "subverting representative democracy" by calling him on it?
Do you really expect rational discourse? Consider the sources.

I have watched and read the comments from McCain supporters and I don't get it. What do they see in this ill tempered, flip flopping, delusional little man?:@@:

Don't any of you see the hypocrisy of his actions much less the words coming out of his mouth?
He co-sponsored a bill for campaign finance reform and he violates the rules.
Do you really want more shit-for-brains leadership like we have had with Bush?
Or are you STILL in denial about Bush? :hitout:

Hey, dharmabum, I just read in today's paper that Obama is saying he will probably renege on his agreement to accept the government funding. I can hardly wait for you to start calling him a law breaker.

Do you really expect rational discourse? Consider the sources.

I have watched and read the comments from McCain supporters and I don't get it. What do they see in this ill tempered, flip flopping, delusional little man?:@@:

Don't any of you see the hypocrisy of his actions much less the words coming out of his mouth?
He co-sponsored a bill for campaign finance reform and he violates the rules.
Do you really want more shit-for-brains leadership like we have had with Bush?
Or are you STILL in denial about Bush? :hitout:

They only care about the (R) after his name.
The Republicans are already having a problem with turnout this year, which is how they got stuck with the "best of the worst" (McCain).

Hey, dharmabum, I just read in today's paper that Obama is saying he will probably renege on his agreement to accept the government funding. I can hardly wait for you to start calling him a law breaker.


Since the cowardly dharmabum claims to have me on ignore would someone please post the above so that our resident screaming pinko can respond to it? He constantly ignores question which he doesn't want to or can't answer.