Posted by Jed Lewison on Sat Jun 21, 2008 at 2:19 PM Pacific

The news that really wasn't

I don't really have a problem characterizing Obama's decision on public financing as a reversal from his 2007 position, but it's been clear for a long time that he was going to change course. For example, here's the NYT on February 15:

Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign said Thursday that it stood by a year-old pledge made with Senator Barack Obama that each would accept public financing for the general election if the nominee of the opposing party did the same. But Mr. Obama’s campaign refused to reaffirm its earlier commitment.

Given that what he did on earlier this week was entirely consistent with what he had said he would do in the middle of February, it seems to me the media has gone a bit haywire over the past few days.

The news that really wasn't

I don't really have a problem characterizing Obama's decision on public financing as a reversal from his 2007 position, but it's been clear for a long time that he was going to change course. For example, here's the NYT on February 15:

Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign said Thursday that it stood by a year-old pledge made with Senator Barack Obama that each would accept public financing for the general election if the nominee of the opposing party did the same. But Mr. Obama’s campaign refused to reaffirm its earlier commitment.

Given that what he did on earlier this week was entirely consistent with what he had said he would do in the middle of February, it seems to me the media has gone a bit haywire over the past few days.

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