Posted by Jed Lewison on Sat Feb 16, 2008 at 4:00 AM Pacific

McCain has no credibility on public financing

Why is the media uncritically reporting McCain's attack on public financing for the general?

McCain has no credibility on this issue -- he's flip-flopped on public financing for the primary, perhaps illegally. He's also financed his campaign with loans of questionable legality.

McCain Backpedals on Public Financing for the Primary By Emily Cadei, CQ Staff

Republican presidential front-runner John McCain today formally announced his intention to withdraw from the public financing system for the primary campaign. When he was still struggling in the polls and with fundraising, the Arizona senator applied to the FEC for matching funds and was declared eligible to receive $5.8 million this spring. McCain is now the GOP’s presumptive nominee and is no longer hurting for cash, but the spending limits required by the public funding system would put him at a significant disadvantage as he prepares for the general election. He was the lead Republican author of the 2002 campaign finance overhaul, commonly referred to as the McCain-Feingold law.

McCain has no credibility on public financing

Why is the media uncritically reporting McCain's attack on public financing for the general?

McCain has no credibility on this issue -- he's flip-flopped on public financing for the primary, perhaps illegally. He's also financed his campaign with loans of questionable legality.

McCain Backpedals on Public Financing for the Primary By Emily Cadei, CQ Staff

Republican presidential front-runner John McCain today formally announced his intention to withdraw from the public financing system for the primary campaign. When he was still struggling in the polls and with fundraising, the Arizona senator applied to the FEC for matching funds and was declared eligible to receive $5.8 million this spring. McCain is now the GOP’s presumptive nominee and is no longer hurting for cash, but the spending limits required by the public funding system would put him at a significant disadvantage as he prepares for the general election. He was the lead Republican author of the 2002 campaign finance overhaul, commonly referred to as the McCain-Feingold law.

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