McCain’s a campaign finance reform hero — another zombie lie that won’t die.

Morning Jane.
Isn’t there a defense fund set up for him to fight the complaints you’ve made?

What was that thing that McCain used to be in favor of before he was opposed to it?

Oh yeah, I remember now…

“The McCain/Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Bill”

Hey, times change and sometimes you need to change your position.

Hate to say it, but I think it’s smart of him.

Thanks Jane.

digg

where in bloody hell is Russ Feingold ?!?!?

he is the perfect ’surrogate’ to attack this nationally – but then again, he was the perfect voice on McCorpse’s original FEC Flim-Flammery wasn’t he ?

He was the prime author of that 2002 law, which took direct aim at his own party and its activists, making it harder for them to collect money, register voters and voice opinions about candidates. It left the very people so vital to a campaign in its early stages–those who write checks, knock on doors, turn out for primaries–furious with him. Talks with party officials and activists today suggest that hostility remains, and has played into his money difficulties.

“For most conservatives, campaign finance is conceptually pretty easy; they saw it as targeting them,” says Bradley Smith, former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, now a professor of law at Capital University and chairman of the Center for Competitive Politics. “I’ve been surprised at how angry people were, and remain, over that law.”

Don’t underestimate just how many Americans he means. Huge and influential interest groups such as the National Rifle Association and the National Right to Life Committee viewed McCain-Feingold as a direct threat to their missions. Both were among the first to sue over parts of the law, including provisions barring ads 30 to 60 days before primaries and elections.

Both also went out of their way to inform their memberships about McCain-Feingold’s threats to free speech and activists’ ability to target politicians who support gun laws or abortion.

I am one of those Americans who feel that the law is simply and encroachment on my association and speech rights. I have studied the law and its purley incumbent protectionist bent and simply marvel at the audacity of McCain to continue to support the idea that he can save politics by taking money out of politics–while at the same time trying to raise money so he can continue his campaign to take away American’s speech and association rights.

http://mattjohnston.blogspot.c…..-bill.html

Jane Hamsher:

Please don’t use that word “untruth”.

OT – Hey! Donna Edwards is up at the House, giving a one-minute speech. Donna!

New McCain-Feingold Bill Contains Multiple Provisions That Violate First Amendment Rights of Average Citizens To Participate in Political Process

“Average citizens must pool their resources to have an effect in the political sphere of issue advocacy, lobbying, and electoral activity. The wealthy and powerful have no such need. So ordinary people band together in ideological corporations, labor unions, and political parties to amplify their voices. . . . McCain-Feingold 2001, however, would suppress this ability, along with the foundational constitutional right to free speech.”

The analysis examines in detail the provisions of the bill dealing with so-called “electioneering communications,” through which extensive restrictions are triggered by the mere mentioning of a federal politician’s name – restrictions that violate numerous federal court rulings.

Even more sweeping is the bill’s definition of “coordinated activity,” which places year-round restrictions on the right of groups to communicate with the public about the federal politicians, by any method (print, broadcast, telephone, etc.), even regarding upcoming votes in Congress. This expansive and vague definition would chill political speech by placing groups constantly at risk of expensive investigations if they express opinions about politicians. The analysis notes: “Particularly in Washington, D.C., the punishment is in the process. Any organization that does something that could be deemed ‘of value’ to a candidate can expect to be the subject of an FEC complaint and investigation to ferret out whether the activity was ‘coordinated.’ Thus, publicly praising an officeholder for her vote on a bill invites investigation by the FEC. Daring to tell constituents to get an incumbent to change his position on an upcoming vote could provoke an FEC investigation.”

http://www.jamesmadisoncenter……22201.html

And anyone is surprised?

This McCain campaign is Bush/Cheney/Rover on steroids ….but that isn’t strong enough….. This is the rape, pillage and take no prisoners and F*ck with the people…… remember we the people are an inconvenience…

After the McCain 2005 take over of the AZ State GOP party by running a slate of officers ….. which the locals fought and won….. it was quite a defeat for McCain here……

Does that mean the McSame photo hug with Bush splits the cost to the Democratic side too, or does this only work if you are Republican?

Vote it up on Reddit too!

sorta OT – is the fdl “silo” a grain silo, or a missile silo?

BTW Jane. thanks for posting something that doesn’t mention the word Palin. McCain can’t just go under the radar. Exactly what he wants. I think he picked her, in part, because she’d be a distraction, but this has succeeded beyond his wildest dreams, so to speak. Thanks for the re-focus.

‘zup!!!

following your blog hourly – dear gaia it must be wild up there

props on the TIME mention

Maybe an information silo?

Obama’s been a fundraising juggernaut for a nearly a year now. What has he spent already, close to half a BILLION dollars?!? A large percentage of that has gone into ground game, which has largely been in place over most of 2008.

When Obama was shattering records, McInsane was getting loans and borrowing Sindy’s plane. It’s just been recent John-boy is getting barely in the same ballpark, and as the above article says, he’ll spending most on TV. So, we might be even on TV spending and are already and will continue to blow them away with grassroots infrastructure.

Obama has absorbed the bounce (Ras has him up 1% today) and has a massive head start on McInsane, so I think we’re sittin pretty. Compare this Kerry, who almost won (and might have actually), and we’re light years ahead of ‘04. More and better, baby!

I don’t know about that and I haven’t been paying attention because i didn’t know about this stuff. But I assume Obama does it too. he’s always a step ahead, right?

OT but good
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh-T2iGkLJY

Yeah I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

And yes, McCain is getting a freebie.

Feingold could really hurt McBush on this if he’d just speak up. I called Feingolds office asking for a comment. None yet…

Boxturtle ((202)224-5323)

Obama about to address the”lipstick issue” NOW on MSNBC.

this vile tiny man will die in office and we shall have somebody(Cheney) pulling the strings of the LYING,vile,courtdenounced child abuser,with drugged out,unmarried pregnant children…shes packed alot in those 44 years…Pandora Palin…quick close the box

Bless you, Jane. I don’t think I can hear another word. Not one.

“Sittin pretty” might not be the way I’d say it, but I never saw the need to wig out. At worst, the race is tied. Has been. Will probably be right to election day. I’d still rather be us thamn them. What’s kinda discouraging is that it wasn’t long ago there was tis talk about BO redrawing the electoral map and at least being competitive in red staes we never were and forcing McCain to spend $$ where he doesn’t want to. NC was held up as an example. BO’s getting creamed there. Still. I just wanna win this damn thing. Redrawing the electoral map will probably take time.

“Average citizens must pool their resources to have an effect in the political sphere of issue advocacy, lobbying, and electoral activity. The wealthy and powerful have no such need. So ordinary people band together in ideological corporations, labor unions, and political parties to amplify their voices. . . . McCain-Feingold 2001, however, would suppress this ability, along with the foundational constitutional right to free speech.”

My bold – This is a lie.

PNAC, Heritage Foundation, NRA, NAB, Coors Melling, Mellon Scaife, Aspen Group – all poor boys’ clubs, eh?

How many common peoples’ groups can you name off the top of your head?

wait. obama isn’t gettying public financing so he doesn’t have to care about this stuff. c’mon bfl. duh!

Obama is addressing lipstick on a pig – calls it lies and swiftboat tactics

OT:

I am liking the coverage that McGlatchy is providing on the campaign. It is a downright shame our MSM will not perform it’s job.

Out of Bounds!McCain campaign misstates Obama Sex-Ed record.

Of course all of the local TV stations will gleefully take McCain’s money and deliberately air falsehoods. What a country we have become.

Obama – “I love this country too much to let them take over another election with lies, phony outrage and swiftboat politics. Enough is enough.”

Not bad….

ohhhhhhhhhhh good.perfect approach

why cant KKKRove have the same end as Lee Atwater…like now

as the United States and prolly the world economy implodes with the thieves and DESPERADOs getting away with it all,we are talking about EYEGLASS frames……….the media has trully sunk us

I guess McCain was for campaign finance reform before he was against it.

Using the same tortured logic of the McCain camp, Palin called herself a dog.
Obama, here’s what you say.
“I mispoke. I meant to say dog. Lipstick on a dog. Thanks for coming out.”

Now, now IOKIYAR. I used to accept McCain as an old coot but I now see he is a vicious old man willing to do anything to become President. He has flip flopped on every issue he has come near, except Iraq and Iran where he has been even more hawkish than Bush. Is this really what being a maverick is all about for him? Was Kerry really the original maverick for his flip flops? McCain ran on experience a la Hillary and when that didn’t work, poof, he became a change agent. He chose Palin for VP, someone totally unqualified and who represents the inner winger core of the Republican party. Since when is choosing someone from the Republican base the action of a maverick? Maverick seems to cover so many things, having no principles, flip flopping, political opportunism but you do have to admit it sounds nicer.

Polishing the turd. Putting lipstick on a pig.

O/T for Jane -

howz ’bout a Bloggingheads with you and Ms Paglia ?

oh please, oh please, oh please !!!

Well, a new PPP poll today has Obama within in 4% in NC. Yesterday’s 20% NC difference might have been a little off. Might not be so out of reach after all. Ned Lamont was down something like 40% a few months before he beat Traitor Joe. Positive mental attitude can accomplish a lot.

Everyone has seen this, yes?

http://www.thatminoritything.com/?p=53193

Preview no worky for me, cannot see if the link works.

had to a quick wiki on Atwater’s demise – found this line:

On March 5, 1990, Lee Atwater collapsed during a fundraising breakfast on behalf of Senator Phil Gramm.

“Instant karma’s gonna get you…”

Are we seeing the rope-a-dope strategy coming to fruition? This would be about the right time.

OT: Glenzilla details how the pig-with-lipstick (non)story came to dominate the media, concluding:

[…]

The only actual story here is how brazenly deceitful and cynical the McCain campaign is, and what helpful and easily manipulated allies the establishment media is in all of that. The efforts of a few isolated reporters to debunk the story won’t end up mattering much because, once injected into the Freak Show stew with the help of Jake Tapper, AP and MSNBC, it festers. Even if debunked, it helpfully distracts the country — for another day or two, until the next insipid controversy emerges — from the crises which have been created over the last eight years by the very same people who endlessly foist this idiocy into our elections. All of this makes Nero’s fiddling look sober and responsible by comparison.

And he included a link to this excellent Tom Tomorrow cartoon.

Bill Miller of Legg Mason bought 80 million shares of Freddie Mac – which went from $5.15 to .88 cents yesterday.

If Bush and McCain and the Republican Banksters had succeeded with their Social Security Privitization plan, your retirement money would be in the market right now. When you see how badly they have looted the entire financial system, it makes total sense why they fought so hard to find more money to keep the ponzi scheme afloat. McCain knew the truth then, but wanted to steal your money and send it to the banksters offshore accounts.

http://www.makethemaccountable…..change.jpg

Kind of on topic but it does concern sleezy McCain tactics and a compliant media-

Found this over at Josh’s place – see if this sentence sounds vaguely familiar:

“Associated Press reporters were not on the plane, but an aide told the journalists on board that all Palin flights would be off the record unless the media were told otherwise.”

The Timmeh Rules live!

Are we seeing the rope-a-dope strategy coming to fruition?

Well, to continue the boxing analogy, I’m thinking that it’s probably more of a quick flurry to get off the ropes.

Even though we’re gettin’ into the late rounds here, I’m thinking/hoping that he’s saving the haymakers for the debates and ads closer to Election Day, for the benefit of a short-attention-span electorate.

I’m confused. I thought McCain pulled out of public financing for the general. What $84M are you talking about?

A strange campaign tactic, if McSame picked McPalin to go under the radar. Seems they share a lot of the same ethical traits, considering she allegedly served as one of the directors of Ted Stevens Excellance in Public Service 527 group.

I wonder if or when Obama will use the term Flip Flopper on McCain. Some Obama ads are leaning in that direction – using McCain vid clips wherein he contradicts himself.

There is some hesitation in breaking out flip flopper. Is it Karl’s exclusive property? A flip flopper is a flacid penis. Rove thought of it as he pondered his own wee willy. In the case of Obama and McDribble there is no question which candidate owns the stronger man spike.

That could backfire. Obama must not be portrayed to be so virile that he will run off with all the white women.

Great stuff. Thanks for the link.

McCorpse agreed to accept ‘public financing’ for the General (CW says it’s because he knew he couldn’t raise that much privately)

hence the $84M

If Bush and McCain and the Republican Banksters had succeeded with their Social Security Privitization plan, your retirement money would be in the market right now.

Excellent point. People talk a lot about transfer of wealth, but too little about the transfer of risk that the conservatives have implemented since Reagan took over in 1980.

using McCain vid clips wherein he contradicts himself.

in that scurrilous unpolished turd of an ad late yesterday – sex ed for kindergartners

McCorpse actually cited articles that condemn him and his lack of education policies

Obama is listening to us.

He said:

“ENOUGH! NO MORE LIES!”

i would use the term(its an oldie but a goodie)……….CARNY

every illegal ,DISHONEST,bullkacky move that has been made,every lying phrase that can be uttered has been and will be…we are the MARKS,and they WILL ROB US BLIND……….show barkers bring all your money

Rove thought of it as he pondered his own wee willy as he gazed upon Mrs Rove

fixed it for ya

the people at THE TOP WILL STEAL it all,as salary,percs,and bonuses,the rest of us will lose,same LIPSTICK ON THE ENRON PIG

McDUMMY was against Alaska and the bridge to NOWHERE ,before he was for it….you just cant make this shit up

http://www.dailykos.com/story/…..872/593066

oh yes…..he will do,or say absolutely anything…what a disgrace to his ancestory,we should send him what is the symbol of military disgrace

McCain and I forgot. is it 84 million x 7?

Taking shots at Harry Reid is, sadly, taking shots at an unarmed man.

As far as I can tell Obama is asking for the impossible from McSame/McPalin, i.e. no more lies.

oh how perfect…i would not wish this except for,OUR country is going down like the TITANIC…because of these evil CARNY pitchman,and now woman

of course OUR CORPORATE MEDIA is the venue for the CARNIVAL of LIES

Didn’t Alaska get all this Heimat Security money as well? I distinctly remember a picture of supersurveillance equipment in a lonely looking icy outpost in Alaska via Jesus’ General.

bmaz has new post up
The Freeloading Riches of the GOP

In Minneapolis, McCain said that gas tax revenues should have been used for bridge inspections that could have prevented the I-85 collapse. (Who is he kidding? – republicans for government oversight/inspections? Look at our f**king food and water.)

Instead, said McCain, money has been wasted on Pork Barrel Earmarks (pickled pig ears?) like a bridge in Alaska that would serve an island with 50 people on it.

McCain was outraged! Yes he was.

Real Mavericity to pick Palin after that speech.

simply he is……………….McCHEATER…repeat….McCheater
on his wife and children,on his supposed honor,and on his country

McCheater…rinse lather repeat

Why didn’t Obama just apologize and say what he meant to say: “You can put lipstick on John McCain and George Bush, but they’re still John McCain and George Bush.” Hey, that would make a pretty good campaign commercial if you show the Hug with that line.

The best use of “flip flop” was a Republican billboard in the 2004 election: “Boots, not flip-flops”, with accompanying pictures of army boots and flip-flops. Get it? Troops vs. hippies. Then again, they didn’t win Pennsylvania.

I like “That’s not a maverick, it’s a sidekick.”

Well, maybe. Or maybe he came up with it all on his own.
This is a nice place, but it’s not the center of the known universe where the only critical thinking occurs.
A little perspective please.

true. i know i don’t think critically.

But seriously, it must be hard to decide what to say out on the trail; you say stuff you think is aggressive but just that and the story for days is whether it was sexist; whetgher you’
re calling your opponent names. maybe jhe should just say screw it and say what he feels and let the chips fall.

Oh, I agree.
I was taking exception to the comment that he must be listening to us, is all.
It t’aint necessarily so.

Even Rove thinks McCain is a bum when it comes to campaign finance:

WaPo article from 2000:

Taking aim at McCain’s central campaign theme advocating an overhaul of the campaign finance system, Rove said McCain “says one thing and does another.”

“Senator McCain portrays himself as an advocate of campaign finance reform, as somebody who is cleaner than anyone else around the table, and yet he has accepted contributions and sought contributions from people with legislation pending before his committee. . . . He benefits from the current insider way that we handle campaign finance laws in America. And he sees nothing wrong with it.”

(February 7, 2000, Monday, Final Edition, Key Bush Backers Attack McCain as ‘Disingenuous’; Campaign Reform Advocacy Contrasted With Fund-Raising

BYLINE: Edward Walsh, Washington Post Staff Writer, SECTION: A SECTION; Pg. A04; CAMPAIGN 2000)

LENGTH: 826 words

barbara boxer on hardball: SP is dick cheney without the experience.

I’m voting for a pair of straight shooters.

Sarah and Cindy.

awesome.

Ha-row?
Did something mess up?

OT, but I must say, I think Josh Marshall’s patience has come to an abrupt halt! I don’t know that I’ve ever seen him so intemperate:

Let’s face it. Lipstick on a pig is a classic American phrase. And there’s just no better way to describe the McCain-Palin ticket.

That would make McShame the Pig and Palin the lipstick. I have to say, I like the imagery!

You know chris matthews is doing a pretty good job on the stupid lipstick story. And as I listen, if he’s referring to a person at all, he’s referring to McCain as a pig. But he is really referring to the policies.

Yeah! What Josh said!! ;]

Listen to Obama again. that’s it exactly.

And it IS a classic phrase and one of McCain’s former aides wrote a frigging book with that title!!!!!

He’s testy! Fun reading last couple days. Seems to be building into a crescendo.

Initially, when I heard that Obama said lipstick on a pig, I thought that it was an innocuous, popular phrase that was not bothersome in the least. But the video made Obama look ungracious, and the line seemed really canned. He ought to get rid of his handlers and go more with his gut.

Holy Crap!

McCain made a huge strategic error, alienating Chris Matthews, relegating him to the sidelines (along with Olbermann) in the political coverage – by forcing NBC management into sidelining both of them.

Matthews show tonight is a full frontal attack on McCain and the BS narrative du jour. He even delivery a Special Comment, Olbermann Style, slamming the great Wurlitzer and the Weapons Of Mass Distraction that McCain’s campaign is utilizing (under the direction of Karl Rove).

If you didn’t catch Matthews comments tonight, it could be a game changer.

That creep Carville is on CNN sayin’ that in his”heart of hearts” he just doesn’t “believe that John McCain knew anything about” this ad that has Obama passing sex-ed for Kindergartners!

He’s more than a little pissed, I think, and the wrong person to get pissed I also think. But here’s what I find heartening. I’ve been hearing a lot of complaints about the MSM not calling McPalin out on any of these things, but just this morning I heard the MSM talking about how this campaign seems to have found another bright shiny object to dangle instead of talking about policy or answering any press questions about their new toy, Sarah. I’m just biding my time because the next step, IMO, is people starting to talk about Palin going to the fainting couch and crying “sexism” anytime she has a problem. They went from POW, POW, POW 24/7 to “sexism” “sexism” “sexism” 24/7. This crap is not really sustainable.

They accused him of being partisan. I can hear it now, “Well, they ain’t seen partisan. You want partisan? You got it.” And then Chris lets out his inner Democrat.

Peterr’s up at the mothership
duty, honor, country and something about keane undermining of the chain of command

I think he is surprised that MSM isn’t reporting the lies. TPM is tearing them up, buy MSM is still vomiting the talking points without a critical followup. MSM followed TPM on Attorneygate, but not this time.