TPM - Obama Camp: We Opted Out Of Public Financing Because McCain Won't Discuss Reining In 527s

[Pirate Smile]

Obama Camp: We Opted Out Of Public Financing Because McCain Won't Discuss Reining In 527s

By Eric Kleefeld - June 19, 2008, 8:01PM

So, did the Obama campaign decide to opt out of public financing because their offers to negotiate with the McCain camp over restricting outside ad spending were rebuffed?

That's what the Obama campaign's top legal adviser claimed in a conference call a few moments ago, as the skirmishing over Obama's decision dragged into the evening.

Chief legal counsel Bob Bauer insisted that he'd communicated their concerns at his meeting with McCain counsel Trevor Potter. Instead, Bauer says, Potter never answered their concerns -- and added that McCain has actually tacitly encouraged such 527s to gear up and go after Obama.

"It seems to me that if we scheduled this discussion," Bauer said, "and we put forward our concerns, and we heard nothing back, nor anything in the meeting that could in any way suggest that fruitful exchanges were productive, it isn't clear to me that the McCain campaign is in the position to accuse us of failing to negotiate."

Here's the audio from the call:

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/06/obama_camp_we_opted_out_of_pub.php#comments

[still_one]

1. I wouldn't trust anything mccain said. He will say what he always has said

I have no control over the 527's

This is a street fight, with people who do not play by the rules

The stakes are to high to assume they will play by the rules

[DJ13]

2. I think the corporate MSM is more upset than McCain

Looks like the corporations are going to have a hard time funneling enough backdoor money to the GOP 527's to keep McCain competitive.

All afternoon they all were saying the same thing, from CNN to MSNBC, they all were spouting the exact same line about Obama "damaging his brand" by doing this.

I've never seen a more scripted attack by supposedly completely different news organizations before.

Its like they all were operating from the same talking points.

[AndyTiedye]

3. It Isn't the 527s, It's the Networks That Give Them All That FREE AIRTIME

We could fight 527s with 527s, but the 527s aren't the real problem, it is the networks that give them all that FREE Airtime.
OUR 527s have to pay a million dollars a minute to get on the air.

[FrenchieCat]

4. Barack needs to money to win.

He's fighting some tough nuts, whomever they are. period.

[AndyTiedye]

5. Our Opponents Will Receive Billions of Dollars Worth of FREE Airtime

We will need to raise billions too.

[TexasObserver]

6. this cartoon in the Houston Chronicle nailed it

[DerekJ]

7. Yep!! . eom