How Are Those Flip Flops, Obama?

No, not the ones on your feet, the ones on your campaign promises.

In November 2007, Obama answered "Yes" to Common Cause when asked "If you are nominated for President in 2008 and your major opponents agree to forgo private funding in the general election campaign, will you participate in the presidential public financing system?"

Obama wrote: "In February 2007, I proposed a novel way to preserve the strength of the public financing system in the 2008 election. My plan requires both major party candidates to agree on a fundraising truce, return excess money from donors, and stay within the public financing system for the general election. My proposal followed announcements by some presidential candidates that they would forgo public financing so they could raise unlimited funds in the general election. The Federal Election Commission ruled the proposal legal, and Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has already pledged to accept this fundraising pledge. If I am the Democratic nominee, I will aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election."

But, now, he's decided to forego public financing.

Obama won’t accept public financing

By Sam Youngman
Posted:
06/19/08 08:46 AM [ET]

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) announced Thursday morning that he will not accept public financing for the general election, a move that will give him a major advantage over Republican standard-bearer Sen. John McCain (Ariz.).

So, just like he claimed that he did not accept PAC and lobbyist money, the truth is that he did.

Now, he claimed that he'd accept only public money for his campaign, when the truth is that he will not.

Not real big on your promises, eh, Barack?

I guess it depends on what your definition of "aggressive" is.

No Money From PACS or Lobbyists, Eh?

Obama has been making a big noise that he's "not taking any money from lobbyists." Nor is he using PAC money.

But, is this true?

According to the Boston Globe, it's not.

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A Globe review of Obama's campaign finance records shows that he collected hundreds of thousands of dollars from lobbyists and PACs as a state legislator in Illinois, a US senator, and a presidential aspirant.

In Obama's eight years in the Illinois Senate, from 1996 to 2004, almost two-thirds of the money he raised for his campaigns -- $296,000 of $461,000 -- came from PACs, corporate contributions, or unions, according to Illinois Board of Elections records. He tapped financial services firms, real estate developers, healthcare providers, oil companies, and many other corporate interests, the records show.
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8% of Obama's campaign money comes from PACs. Hillary had only 4%.

In fact, he has his own PAC, Hopefund, which took in contributions from other PACs to the tune of $115,000 in the '05/'06 election cycle. These contributions included those from "defense contractors, law firms, and the securities and insurance industries."

So, what was that about no lobbyist or PAC money?