California GOP Files FEC Complaint Over Obama Visit to Grandmother

[Snazzy]

Source: WaPo

California GOP Files FEC Complaint Over Obama Visit to Grandmother
By Matthew Mosk

Perhaps the most ill-timed press release of the 2008 campaign arrived shortly after 1:30 p.m. today, sent by the Republican National Committee.

The release forwarded word that the California Republican Party filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, in part because of a visit Sen. Barack Obama made to his dying grandmother.

"Obama for America violated federal law by converting its campaign funds to Senator Obama's personal use," the release stated. "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."

...

Read more: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/11/03/c...

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What brilliant minds at GOP campaign central.... Caring too.

[tblue]

1. There's a nice warm place waiting in their future.

[cui bono]

2. Well once the FEC gets a quorum they have several complaints against McCain

to handle first. Until then, no complaints are being looked into since Bush will only nominate someone so extreme they will not get confirmed.

[Demeter]

3. What Makes Them Think He Used Campaign Funds, Anyway?

Smells like swift-boating to me.

[stillcool]

4. because he used his campaign plane..

[MindMatter]

39. He can do what McCain does, reimburse the campaign

(or his wife's company as the case may be) in the amount of two of the cheapest tickets available commercially. No problem. McCain wrote the law, so it must be legal.

[stillcool]

47. yeah..they're blowing smoke..

but they're going to get burned.

[JDwho]

54. He can have my mine and my husband's donations to pay for part of that trip

And we'll be glad to sign any such petition by donors.

[illuminaughty]

63. Exactly my thoughts

I'm sure someone is working on just such a petition.

[marlakay]

69. I was thinking the same thing... nt

[Night_Nurse]

5. Stick a fork in the Cali GOP - they're done. The insensitivity is staggering...

even for Republicans.

[fascisthunter]

6. WOW... are they stupid... this makes them look like sociopaths

oh wait

[elleng]

15. That's a long wait, fascisthunter,

for sociopaths TO GIVE A DAMN, as you noticed!

[fascisthunter]

16. lol...

[samsingh]

68. repugs are sociopaths.

[Riverman]

7. As A Californian, Maybe its Time for Arnold to Repudiate the GOP

and leave it! The Republican Party is dying. It has no reason to exist, other than to be the vessel of the hateful, evil, fear-mongering, selfish, greedy, heartless and demented. Did I mention sociopaths and psychopaths (Neo-cons, Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, etc) war-mongering profiteers and facists (corporate CEO's like Ken Lay, Paulson, and those from AIG, the wall street mob, and on and on and on)? These are the misery-makers in our midsts! God, free us from these locusts!

[glitch]

30. I believe he held a fundraiser for McCain recently so that doesn't seem real likely.

He only appears "moderate" because he's forced to. IMO.

[not fooled]

53. Yep.

The Boobengrabber's poll numbers tanked when he showed his true colors--calling teachers and nurses "public enemies"

He got advised to tone it down, that's all. And, I fear he is being propped up to run for Boxer's seat.

[AnneD]

86. I do seem to remember the Ca. Nurses Assoc.....

kicking Arnould asymetrical sagging ass all over Califoornia with their orthopedic shoes. Never, ever piss off Nurses, or teachers for that matter. They work too hard and do not suffer fools.

[Merlot]

32. The GOP can keep arnie

California is in a big mess right now, thanks in no small part to arnie.

good riddance to gop rubbish!

[bitchkitty]

41. Or time for California to repudiate Arnold. n/t

[Bette Noir]

72. You left out the racists.

[Miss Chybil]

8. I'm speechless. nt

[Demobrat]

9. Repuke family values at work. nt

nt

[66 dmhlt]

10. Special ring in Hell for such wanton hate-mongering [n/t]

[Laelth]

71. Welcome to DU!

The United States is a LIBERAL Country.



-Laelth

[Fire1]

11. GOP, foot in mouth! Typical.

[Ian David]

12. I have absolutely NO intention of being a gracious winner. n/t

[illuminaughty]

64. I'm so practicing "GET OVER IT" n/t

[Megahurtz]

13. May they lose even more votes for this!

[Lifelong Protester]

23. I am with you there

the special place in Hell thing is too long to wait for...

[elleng]

14. Considering the 'last-minute' repug smears

sounding all over the place, dems and/or surrogates should GET THIS NEWS OUT, especially to areas where repugs are sensitive, geographic and otherwise.

IDEAS, folks?

[Danchi]

17. Visit to Toot

Open mouth-inset foot.

[Stuckinthebush]

18. Holy Bad Timing, Bat Man!

God, the GOP is hella-stupid.

[and-justice-for-all]

19. Fuckin' stupid bastards...nt

[Piewhacket]

20. That's why we call them "Repukes". (And they just keep earning it over and over.)

[MadMaddie]

21. Wow! They just have no decency! What pathetic small

insignificant bastards they are.

[faulknercindy]

22. My hope is that somebody somewhere tells this to stick it

and if they don't I will . F OFF shitheads.

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

24. Stay classy, GOP! nt

[pam4water]

25. Fuck those sore losers!

[truthisfreedom]

26. Nice work. That'll earn you a lot of votes. Obama merely has to pay back his use of the plane and

any other expenses, and no doubt he's got plenty of time to do it. If he did any politicking in Hawaii he probably won't owe anything anyway.

[illuminaughty]

65. Here's what kills me.

Beside my daily jaunt on the planet earth. These past eight years, how many times has the taxpayer paid for that Bastard in Cheat to roll out Air FOrce One to go to a city where he will be overwhelmed by protesters...the city is left with the bill and who can imagine the staggering costs it took to protect that idiot...and he's headed to a GOP fundraiser?

How many times did he show up to some lame ass photo op that cost the taxpayer millions? That would be a nice economic stimulus to divide between the citizens.

[beltanefauve]

27. Yet another example

of "compassionate" Conservatism. Typical.

[bronxiteforever]

28. The GOP is just a mean, evil , cruel , black hearted party of bastards

[Connonym]

29. Klassy, with a KKK

assholes. I teared up when I was standing in the grocery store tonight and the person behind me in line mentioned that Toot had passed. Fuck them all for all the nasty shit they're saying about the timing of her death and so forth. It makes me sick and I hope there is a hell just so they can go there.

[LibDemAlways]

31. Repukes are the most insensitive bastards on the planet.

I recall Dole trash talking Clinton on the day his mother died. Clinton later called him out on it and Dole apologized.

Criticizing Obama for visiting his dying grandmother is about as low as it gets, but nothing repukes say or do could ever surprise me. They are despicable.

[buddysmellgood]

33. And with that, we say goodbye to the Republican party. Go ahead, let the door hit

you all in in the ass on the way out.

[OU812MonkeyBoy]

57. For the love of all things Joe Pesci...

Don't let the door hit them in the ass. There's not enough anti-microbial soap out there to kill that kind of nasty. And we still have to use that door after they're done. Whaddya say we open a few windows and "assist" in their exiting the building; the Newton Theory way???

[buddysmellgood]

84. Yes, you're right. Thank you. I didn't think that through. We are so powerful

when we work together

[EFerrari]

34. I hope this gets spammed everywhere.

Good bye, you miserable incompetent jerks.

[Duppers]

82. I sent it out

[4lbs]

35. Even if Obama used his campaign plane to fly to Hawaii to visit his sick grandmother, that plane

would be funded by the millions of donations of Obama supporters right?

Would any Obama supporter complain at all that Barack used the campaign plane in this capacity?

[liberalhistorian]

61. We were just talking about this on

another thread (duplicate) on this subject, that we would gladly authorize our donations for that purpose. Perhaps we donors should make that more formally known somehow.

[Dems4me]

66. That's what I would think. He didn't except federal funds, so what's it matter to them? Obama said

The Obama campaign said the trip had been vetted with lawyers beforehand and was allowable.

Good Enough!

[2Design]

36. meanest son of a guns - they are worst persons on earth and just

plain nasty

[unkachuck]

37. the warm....

....friendly conservatism of the GOP on display....if these reptiles weren't hatched, maybe they'd have a little more compassion, understanding and heart....

[jwirr]

38. The lowest of the low and what the hell do they care it was our money

he was spending.

[norepubsin08]

40. What a bunch of pricks

no wonder the country hates the fucking RNC and all their candidates!!!

[Justitia]

42. Hey GOP Dumbasses! The woman DIED TODAY. Gotta love those "family values"! -eom

[msanthrope]

43. Blame Arnold. No really....doesn't he have some control over these

frakkers????

I hope every single Democrat in the state of Kullyfornya emails him their disgust.....

[Bette Noir]

78. The GOP put Arnie into office.

They control him, not vice versa.

[Kalifornia.Kid]

44. Definitely WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD material.

[Catshrink]

45. I sent it to Olbermann... Worst persons in the world ever.

Unbelievable!

[Iggo]

46. WHAT A BUNCHA FUCKS.

[BadgerKid]

48. Mean people suck. This means you, GOP. n/t

[Mz Pip]

49. what do they care?

They didn'pay for it. haven't heard anyone from the DNC or Democratic donors complainging about it. seems like it should be their call not the GOP's

[AnnieBW]

50. Timing

Ur doing it wrong.

[susanna]

74. No kidding, Annie BW. Clue phone offline I guess. n/t

[Lavender Brown]

51. $150,000 at department stores = OK; plane trip to dying grandmother = BAD!

[minnesota_liberal]

52. Was just about to post that!

[yardwork]

67. I was looking for that post. Palin's shopping spree is just fine, but visiting a dying grandmother.

There are no words.

[Joszef Pelikan]

55. Compassionate Conservatives my ass.

What a bunch of assholes.

[Kalifornia.Kid]

56. Frickin CA GOP always stinking up the place - it's the nature of the beast.

[Duppers]

81. love your pic

nt

[WinstonSmith4740]

58. However, it was perfectly OK for Princess Palin...

She billed the State of Alaska for her children's travel when she brought them with her on official business trips.

And how much you want to bet that the complaint is totally groundless? My guess is if he did use campaign funds, he already re-imbursed his campaign.

[ShadowLiberal]

59. Could this possibly come at a worse time for them

Seriously, on a day when Obama was in tears when talking about his grandmother at a campaign event, on the day she died.

[CBHagman]

60. Why don't they just tattoo "Hi, I'm an idiot" on their foreheads?

It would certainly have been cheaper, though perhaps not as efficient.

[Gamey]

62. Damn! I just knew that $150,000 cape wouldn't take him to see....

...his dying grandmother!

[orleans]

70. yes, the party of compassionate motherfuckers. n/t

[Beartracks]

73. I'm touched. So compassionate. So conservative... n/t

[LynneSin]

75. It was probably still alot cheaper than the $150k money the RNC spent on Palin's wardrobe

[Haole Girl]

76. Yes, I see the Republicans care so much about family values

[bj2110]

77. I just donated $15 last night. He can have my $15 towards that trip.

In fact, he can have as much of my money as he wants for that trip.

[xochi]

79. This brought to you by the same Repugs who for the last eight years

used your hard-earned tax dollars to do their politicking through the Dept. of Justice (the U.S. Attorney General scandals), the General Services Administration Hatch Act violations scandals
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...
etc., etc., ad nauseum

[fasttense]

80. I am glad he got the chance to visit with his

Grandmother before she passed away. I hope that he used the money I gave to do it.

[panzerfaust]

83. Family Values

[RFKHumphreyObama]

85. Unfortunately this won't get the attention it deserves

Because it will be overshadowed by all the political coverage. If only it had come out slightly earlier when all the morning news shows could have covered it. The GOP really deserves to be pounded for this sleazy, vile, classless act. What utter trash these people are

[fed_up_mother]

87. He was supposed to ride coach with secret service agents in tow?

These people are so desperate they don't even care how idiotic they look

[barbtries]

88. assholes

they're such fucking assholes!