John McCain asking for $70,000 donations (not $2,300 like other candidates.)

[Eric J in MN]

Wall Street Journal via Daily Kos:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/19/18420/9217/201/499156

The idea is to tap donors for more than the $2,300 limit set by campaign finance laws. Under legislation pushed by McCain in his role as a senator from Arizona, an individual can donate a maximum of $2,300 to a presidential primary campaign and the same amount to the general election campaign. Although McCain received the number of delegates necessary to secure the nomination in March, he will not be the party’s official nominee until the convention in September—so he is still running a primary campaign.

The new structure allows up to $70,000 in individual contributions by channeling the money into different McCain-centric funds. The first $2,300 of that would go to McCain’s primary campaign. The Republican National Committee would receive $28,500 of the donation. The remaining funds would be divided equally, up to $10,000 a piece, among four states the campaign has designated as battlegrounds for November: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Colorado and New Mexico.

The reason for limiting maximum donations to $2,300 is to stop a poltician from being corrupted.

John McCain asking for $70,000 means he will be corrupted.

Those $70,000 donors will be able to call him when they want something.

[Juche]

1. This is great

He writes campaign finance law and then tries to go around them. I hope to god this becomes an issue in this election, esp if he is up against a dem who is funded by small internet donations.

[Eric J in MN]

2. If this is legal (which I doubt) then other candidates can pull this.

Candidates for the US House and US Senate can say, "Give $70,000 to me, and I'll give the amount above $2,300 to the state party for the purpose of working to get me elected."

Then they will be as corrupt as John McCain will be in a few weeks after he's collected the $70,000 checks.

[Clear Blue Sky]

3. So much for campaign finance reform...n/t

[neverforget]

4. What a Maverick! He is such a Maverick that he ignores his own

campaign legislation! and the media will eat this up just like the BBQ.......:puke:

[DAGDA56]

5. Isn't this in direct violation of that law? That bill, whats it called, you know...

...ummm...the something-Feingold bill?

[gratuitous]

6. Golly, I can't remember the co-sponsor

And you can bet a shiny nickel that nobody in the media will remember, either. Surely not Mr. Stephanopolous because Sean Hannity won't tell him who it was.

[Eric J in MN]

7. kick

kick

[KSinTX]

8. This is totally legal

All they're doing is setting up a "one-stop-shop" for donations to a number of entities. They are merely asking for an up-front commitment of both hard and soft money and asking donors to agree to let the RNC disburse the soft.

[Eric J in MN]

9. A one-stop shop in which a candidate gathers huge donations...

...and distributes them to people who will work to get him elected is corrupting.

It goes agaisnt the intent of laws limiting donations to $2,300: stopping corruption.

There may not be a specific FEC regulation against this, but they should write one.

Adding:
When someone donates $10,000 directly to the Minnesota Republican Party, that doesn't have a corrupting effect on John McCain, because he never touches it and only some of that donation goes towards helping him.

But when people donate $70,000 to a John McCain victory fund, and $10,000 goes to the Minnesota Republican Party earmarked to try to win the state for John McCain, that is corrupting on John McCain. When these people want to get John McCain on the phone, they will be able to. If you or me want to talk to John McCain on the phone next year, we won't be able to.

[KSinTX]

10. Problematic & hypocritical, yes. Illegal, no.

I find it amazing how he isolated himself from his core consituency over this very issue only to turn around and kick it in the teeth. This is not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, we're talking about here.

On the other hand, "If you or me want to talk to John McCain on the phone next year, we won't be able to." Hell, why would we? Who'd want to talk to a has-been presidential candidate who's now just a Senator from Arizona? I'm in Texas :party:

Good post.

[Eric J in MN]

11. My answer concerning legality is...

1) The FEC hasn't written a regulation against what McCain is doing.

2) The FEC should write a regulation against what McCain is doing,
to enforce the intent of McCain-Feingold (that candidates not be corrupted by collecting huge donations.)