Politico McCain: Obama cash will lead to scandal

[SemiCharmedQuark]

"John McCain suggested that his Democratic rival Barack Obama’s record-shattering fundraising haul will lead to scandal in their presidential race and future races, and he hinted that there may already be funny business going on with Obama’s legions of small donors.

Obama announced Sunday morning that he pulled in $150 million in September, which McCain described on “Fox News Sunday” as “completely breaking whatever idea we had after Watergate to keep the cost and spending on campaigns under control. First time, first time since the Watergate scandal. And I can tell you this: that has unleashed now in presidential campaigns a new flood of spending that will then cause a scandal and then we will fix it again. But Sen. Obama has broken it.”

The Republican senator from Arizona was referring both to Obama’s reversal on a pledge to participate a system that gave McCain’s campaign $84 million in taxpayer money but limited his spending to that amount, and also to recent news reports highlighting over-the-limit contributions to Obama given in under-$200 installments from previously undisclosed small donors. Some were fictitious and had listed names such as “Doodad Pro” and “Good Will.”

Federal election rules only require campaigns to report the names, addresses and occupations of donors when they have given more than $200 — and more than $200 million of Obama’s total fundraising haul is from such small contributions."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20081019/pl_politico/14719;_ylt=Aml4Q2vzaH.sXbTcKn7E9nEDW7oF

“We know that when you have unlimited amounts of money — in this case $200 million unreported — and there’s already been stories of people who have made small contributions multiple times and all that. I’m saying it’s laying a predicate for the future that can be very dangerous,” McCain told host Chris Wallace in a live interview from Ohio on Sunday morning, blasting the Illinois senator for not voluntarily disclosing his small donors, as McCain has done.

[vaberella]

1. Wait...I have a question.

We're not allowed to donate to a campaign more than once at maximum? Like 2300 more than once over a period of time?

"and there’s already been stories of people who have made small contributions multiple times and all that."

I'm trying to understand what the above means?!

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

9. McCain can't even comprehend someone who can't afford the full $2300

[dbmk]

25. I must admit that I don't quite understand your question

But as far as I think I understand it, no.

2300 in the primary and 2300 for the general election.

They are saying that some must be cheating and going above that limit, with small donations that does not have to be reported with name.

And they are more or less indicating its organized and with the campaigns knowledge.

[vaberella]

27. Let me explain since I'm confused by the statement and I don't get it.

So if your running a primary and the maximum an individual can give at one time is $2300 let's say on Friday. Does that mean the person can't donate any more money on Saturday at the $2300 maximum? Is it only $2300 from one individual during the whole time of the primary/general election run for a person?

And if the person can give small donations. Let's say $50 on Friday at 10:30 am, they can't give more for the day? Or can they give again at 9:30pm? Or even if it's the maximum at 10:30am they can't give again at maximum at 9:30pm? I'm just trying to understanding the rules for donation/contribution to a campaign. Because the McCain people are basically saying that donations are wrong when it's from one person continously. But this on this sight everyone seems to be contributing regularly and so I don't undderstand where the McCain campaign is coming from.

I hope that makes better sense.

I'm just not understanding McCain's point with the rules that were reiterated in the same statement above. How is this even logical and I'm wondering if I'm misunderstanding the situation.

[ProSense]

2. McCain: American voters are trying to corrupt politics. n/t

[SemiCharmedQuark]

7. lol...all of my donations go in small donations a little at a time. It's all I can afford.

[ProSense]

15. That's probably true for a lot of people. What's interesting is that

McCain has no problem with lobbyists corrupting the process and had no problem with Bush's Pioneers.

[AlCzervik]

3. you know who is spreading the memo---The Savage Weiner, he's been on that one for months.

John Mccain gets his ques from The Savage Weiner who might just possibly be one of the worst people of all time.

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

4. Oooooh - I'm a predicate for a dangerous future!!

Me the sleazy everyday American making multiple small donations. SCARY!!! :scared:


Hey McCain! It's called DEMOCRACY. I know it scares you.

[RagAss]

5. This old, tired fuck can't believe how much we would give to keep him out of power !

[TexasObserver]

6. John, you could spend YOUR money on your campaign!

But you don't want to invest your money in your campaign, do you?

Obama isn't stopping Republicans from giving McCain money. They choose not to.

[Merlot]

8. Is this the preview of how they're going to go after Obama?

post election?

This will probably stick as well as their other "smeers" have. Meaning that I'm sure the Obama team has all their financial papers in order.

[Drunken Irishman]

10. lol! Someone sounds jealous.

[NHDEMFORLIFE]

11. Yes, Obama is in my hip pocket now

I gave him $150 so far, so that clearly must buy me a few nights in the Lincoln bedroom, maybe access to a few cabinet meetings.
These people are making desperation look worse than ever.

[Stagecoach]

12. McCain probably thinks

The winner is the person who has the highest ratio of votes for each dollar raised. Sorry, John. It doesn't work that way.

[Vinca]

13. Maybe I'll send McCain a $2.00 donation under the name "Sour Grapes. "

:rofl:

[quantass]

18. LOL...roflmao

[1corona4u]

29. We should all donate $2.00 and use the name John McCain.

:rofl:

[michaz]

14. This isn't hard to figure out really. The more negative McCain's campaign goes...

the more people give to Obama. McCain knows that too.

[scarletwoman]

16. Good grief! McCain is SOOOO pathetic. "Waaaaaahhhh! Obama has too much money!"

Yeah, the dangerous "predicate for the future" is that no longer can the big money interests control our election campaigns, the people will vote with their OWN money.

What a pathetic cry-baby sore loser. McCain is lower than worm shit.

sw

[Occam Bandage]

17. I give small contributions multiple times.

I certainly can't afford a $1000 donation. I can, however, afford a $25 donation every other week or so.

[OmahaBlueDog]

19. ...and as long as you don't exceed the per campaign limit, that's OK

[Occam Bandage]

24. Given that McCain said "people who have made small contributions multiple times and all that,"

it sounds like he's trying to cast doubt on the very concept of small donors--like we're all actually fat-cats trying to cover up our donations.

[OmahaBlueDog]

31. Exactly: He's trying to imply that unsavory players gave millions $200 or less at a time

1) Every campaign, on both sides, ultimately receives some donations they ultimately have to give back. That does not mean there is widespread fraud. Howard Dean and John Kerry showed 4 years ago that a ton of cash could be raised by a lot of small donations. Meanwhile, it's obvious that McSame clearly doesn't have as many well heeled supporters as Dubya did.

2) McSame can cry all he wants; there was not one damn thing that prevented Republicans from raising money for the RNC and the RNCC in identical fashion should they have chosen to do so. The fact that they are adept at internet smearing, but not at internet fundraising, is not Obama's problem.

3) Hypothesis: When Obama raised a boatload of money from anti-Clinton Democrats-for-a-day during the primaries, they must have thought that he wouldn't be able to raise money in the GE. They certainly didn't think McSame would be raising money at such a clip, or they wouldn't have taken the public financing.

4) The McSame supporters can, and have been, shoveling money by the barrel full into the unregulated 527s. This has been the Rovian way; don't sully your hands -- let a 527 do it for you. Difference: a lot of people in the Party studied 2004 very hard, and learned how to better deal with the smear tactics. So again -- cry me a river, John.

5) Today, we have a President with 28% approval, who has done damned little for the bottom 98% in this nation, and who has mismanaged just about every task given to his administration. A lot of folks in that screwed-over 98% are going to give $20, $50, $100 or even more per paycheck to have a chance of not having 4 more years of the same thing.

[RoadRage]

20. I've donated 6 times..

$100 each time. $600 total.. but I probably haven't been high enough to register.

Funny how republicans get pissy only if the money isn't coming in to them. :eyes:

[chyjo]

21. if you give more than $200 in a fiscal year then it is public record

and released by the campaign.

[Zenlitened]

22. If it helps, John, don't think of it as campaign funds.

Think of it as a retirement fund -- a fund that will lead directly to your retirement.

And millions of Americans are contributing.

See? We only have your ease and comfort in mind! :hi:

[progressiveforever]

23. I have given just over 300 to Obama which is what I can afford

I'll likely give two or three more times---McCain can't understand how we live.

[windbreeze]

26. Oh GEE...couldn't be because the American people are speaking out, is it??

That they are telling tptb, they are sick and tired of the status quo...and intend to do whatever they can to change it?? Hell, McCain, you are the one that opted out of public funding...so it sounds like a case of sour grapes to me...but you guys sure felt different when the RNC had $492 million compared to the small amount of millions the DNC had, going into this election...wb

[Shakespeare]

28. This makes me furious. I AM OBAMA'S FUNDRAISING MACHINE.

Me, and three million other people. I've given in tiny amounts of $30 a pop, as I can afford it. This is the first time I've ever donated to a campaign, and there are literally millions like me.

I AM 150 MILLION DOLLARS, McCain.

I am not scandal, I am America.

Obama's campaign has been the great democratization of presidential campaigns, and how DARE you try to write it off as anything else.

[SoonerPride]

30. I thought they liked the free market of ideas??

Obama gets more money because more people want to buy his product, which is him, his ideas and his hope.