McCain, Campaign Crook, Criticizes Obama

A must read by Josh Marshall:

I mentioned earlier today that it was quite a thing to see John McCain denouncing Barack Obama for breaking his word on public financing when McCain himself is at this moment breaking the law in continuing to spend over the spending limits he promised to abide by through the primary season in exchange for public financing. (By the FEC's rules, we're still in the primary phase of the election and will be until the conventions.)

I want to return to this subject though because this is not hyperbole or some throw away line. He's really doing it. McCain opting into public financing, accepted the spending limits and then profited from that opt-in by securing a campaign saving loan. And then he used some clever, but not clever enough lawyering, to opt back out. And the person charged with saying what flies and what doesn't -- the Republican head of the FEC -- said he's not allowed to do that. He can't opt out unilaterally unless the FEC says he can.

McCain is violating FEC laws as we speak. When the head of the FEC confirmed this, Bush fired him and appointed a new lackey who might be more favorable to McCain's point of view.

Anyone who thinks McCain and the Republicans have any credibility on campaign finance is full of it. Obama is right to raise money from small donors, rather than get hemmed into these spending limits. After all, McCain has shown a willingness to break the law, and Bush has made it clear that he won't enforce the law.