Obama: DNC will stop accepting lobbyist/PAC money.

[SirNitram]

Holy Shit.

Senator Barack Obama, as he becomes his party’s presumptive presidential nominee, is starting to exert his authority over the Democratic National Committee. A first step? New fund-raising guidelines.

Mr. Obama is announcing today that the D.N.C. will no longer accept contributions from federal lobbyists or political action committees, which follows the rules he established for his own campaign last year.

“We want the Democratic Party to conform to his standards of openness to reduce the influence of special interests,” Linda Douglass, a campaign spokeswoman, told reporters today before Mr. Obama flew from New York City for a campaign stop in Virginia.

The announcement comes the morning after Mr. Obama helped raise about $2.5 million for the D.N.C. at a Manhattan fund-raiser. Aides said the rules would take effect going forward, but would not be retroactive. (Translation: Last night’s haul likely included money from federal lobbyists or PACs.)

The decision underscores what Mr. Obama intends to make a central theme of the general election campaign with Senator John McCain: reducing the influence of Washington lobbyists and special interest money.

But Mr. Obama has yet to answer another looming question governing money and politics: Will he be the first presidential candidate to decline public financing – about $84 million this year – and the accompanying spending limits?

For months, Mr. Obama has sidestepped that question, backing away from a pledge he made last year to accept public financing if the Republican nominee did the same. He said he would make a decision at the conclusion of the primary campaign, but argued that his record-setting fund-raising operation has created “a parallel public financing system” because of the large amount of small donors.

No major-party candidate has turned down public financing for the general election since the system took effect in 1976. And Senator John McCain has indicated that he intends to accept the infusion of public financing.

While $84.1 million for the two-month fall campaign is a sizable amount of money, Mr. Obama’s fund-raising machine has shown an ability to eclipse the figure easily, raising half of that – or more – in several recent months. Advisers concede he could take a public relations hit if he decides to bypass the public financing, so they are working on a series of new proposals – including today’s announcement about the D.N.C. – in an attempt to demonstrate their commitment to reducing the influence of money and special interests.

Aides have not said when Mr. Obama intends to make his decision.

Last night, before he attended two Park Avenue fund-raising events, Mr. Obama spoke to Mr. McCain for the first time.

“Senator McCain called Senator Obama last night at 7 p.m. to congratulate him,” Ms. Douglass told reporters today. “They had a short, cordial conversation and said they looked forward to having a civil discussion in the campaign going forward.”

An early test of that cordiality could be over the role of money – and special interests – in the campaign.

I don't think anyone saw this one coming.

[Patrick Degan]

This is aimed directly at the DLC and is the fear of ever party machine —the rising of the young grass roots activists.

[Mr Bean]

While $84.1 million for the two-month fall campaign is a sizable amount of money, Mr. Obama’s fund-raising machine has shown an ability to eclipse the figure easily, raising half of that – or more – in several recent months. Advisers concede he could take a public relations hit if he decides to bypass the public financing, so they are working on a series of new proposals – including today’s announcement about the D.N.C. – in an attempt to demonstrate their commitment to reducing the influence of money and special interests.

Note since Janurary Obama has raised two hundred and forty million dollars of which he has yet to spend 50 million of that. He has let me repeat that, a fifty million dollar war-chest all ready to go.

Yeah public financing? If the last two months are anything to go by, Obama will have raised at least 700 million before it's all said and done. Please, forget public financing.

[Mr Bean]

Excuse me it's not 240 million, it's 270 million

To make matters worse, Obama’s campaign, which raised $272 million through April for the primary, now is reaching out to Clinton’s fundraisers, who raised another $200 million through April, in an effort to unite forces and bury the historically deep-pocketed Republicans.

Take a look at some of the numbers:

• If each of Obama’s donors gave him a modest $250, he’d have $375 million to spend during the two-month general election sprint. That’s $186 million a month, $47 million a week.

• During the same September to Nov. 4 period, McCain will have about $85 million to spend since he has decided to take taxpayer money to help finance his campaign activities.

• The Republican National Committee, which is charged with closing the gap between McCain and Obama, has $40 million in cash. Obama raised almost as much — $31 million — from just his small donors in the month of February. His total for the month, $57 million, exceeded the RNC’s cash balance.

• Obama has more than 1.5 million donors; McCain has a few hundred thousand. If just a million of Obama’s donors sent him the maximum donation, $2,300, he could raise $2.3 billion.

OK, that’s not going to happen. But campaign finance experts and Democratic fundraisers say a conservative estimate of Obama’s general election fundraising potential hovers around or above $300 million.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Holy F@CK! I mean, I'm a republican and all, but seeing all this honesty, openness and change from Obama's got me starting to wonder.

[Crossroads Inc.]

Seriouslly can the guy do anything ELSE to make us respect him? I mean, how many Old Party dems are Crapping themsleves right now because of htis? In one wave of his hand hes fgoing to chaneg the entire landscape of the DNC

[Coyote]

It's a change long needed. And considering that McCain has been completely trying to shit all over his own campaign-finance reform laws, it puts Obama in a powerfully dominant economic & ethical position.

[JME2]

Well played, Mr. Obama. I'm curious to see how this plays out...

[CaptainChewbacca]

Seriouslly can the guy do anything ELSE to make us respect him? I mean, how many Old Party dems are Crapping themsleves right now because of htis? In one wave of his hand hes fgoing to chaneg the entire landscape of the DNC

The only thing Obama could do right now to make me like him more is to pistol-whip Bin Laden in Time Square, go across the street to Nathan's and eat a hot dog, and then go have sex with his wife Michelle for about 10 hours.

If he did that, he'd win all 57 states he visited.

[Guardsman Bass]

I'm worried about the ramifications, though. The DNC has been short on cash throughout this year and last, especially compared to the RNC.

[Falkenhayn]

The only thing Obama could do right now to make me like him more is to pistol-whip Bin Laden in Time Square, go across the street to Nathan's and eat a hot dog, and then go have sex with his wife Michelle for about 10 hours.

If he did that, he'd win all 57 states he visited.

Chewie dropping West Wing lines?

Poor John McCain. By attempting to be a "Maverick", he's created a Left Flank for Obama to go around.

[SirNitram]

It's a change long needed. And considering that McCain has been completely trying to shit all over his own campaign-finance reform laws, it puts Obama in a powerfully dominant economic & ethical position.

Not to mention that McCain employs not just a major Lobbyist.. Phil Graham... But that man is strongly tied to that little hiccup in housing prices which will go away any day now, honest, going bye bye.

[RIPP_n_WIPE]

What Obama needs to do now if he gets hit with some kind of "O you broke your public financing spin" is take the road of "Well the people who I'd get money from via public financing wouldn't necessarily want to vote for me. And that's just not right." it've have McCain shitting himself.

[Kodiak]

Seriouslly can the guy do anything ELSE to make us respect him? I mean, how many Old Party dems are Crapping themsleves right now because of htis? In one wave of his hand hes fgoing to chaneg the entire landscape of the DNC

The only thing Obama could do right now to make me like him more is to pistol-whip Bin Laden in Time Square, go across the street to Nathan's and eat a hot dog, and then go have sex with his wife Michelle for about 10 hours.

If he did that, he'd win all 57 states he visited.

You forgot, unveiling his open-source cold fusion technology which has been sized to fit all automobiles

[Mr Bean]

You forgot, unveiling his open-source cold fusion technology which has been sized to fit all automobiles

Also curing cancer, don't forget that

[ray245]

Seriouslly can the guy do anything ELSE to make us respect him? I mean, how many Old Party dems are Crapping themsleves right now because of htis? In one wave of his hand hes fgoing to chaneg the entire landscape of the DNC

From what I can see in other forums, it will require someone to brainwash them just to see what is the reasoning behind obama moves and stand.

Alot of people have brainwashed themselves into thinking that all obama can bring is empty promise...with even looking at what is obama going to say.

[Fleet Admiral JD]

This is awesome! Why don't I see it on CNN politics though? I figured that a major news outlet would have a story this big.

[Coyote]

CNN? The Clinton News Network? They're in sack-cloth, now, mourning.

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

Fucking Awesome! I'd love nothing more than the biggest multinational corporation to have exactly the same voice as the littlest guy on the street. Maybe then we'll see some real progress toward fairness in government.

From what I can see in other forums, it will require someone to brainwash them just to see what is the reasoning behind obama moves and stand.

Alot of people have brainwashed themselves into thinking that all obama can bring is empty promise...with even looking at what is obama going to say.

What?! Are you trying to be an annoying ass-titty?

[ray245]

Fucking Awesome! I'd love nothing more than the biggest multinational corporation to have exactly the same voice as the littlest guy on the street. Maybe then we'll see some real progress toward fairness in government.

From what I can see in other forums, it will require someone to brainwash them just to see what is the reasoning behind obama moves and stand.

Alot of people have brainwashed themselves into thinking that all obama can bring is empty promise...with even looking at what is obama going to say.

What?! Are you trying to be an annoying ass-titty?

Go and look at some other forums like spacebattles forum...where the people continue to yell out that obama can only give people empty promise.

[Fleet Admiral JD]

Go and look at some other forums like spacebattles forum...where the people continue to yell out that obama can only give people empty promise.

That does precisely jack and shit to refute his point, which was that you're spewing mindless anecdotal evidence with vague-ass claims. Provide some quantitative proof or at least a broader study, asstard.

Oh wait, that's what you just did, again.

[ray245]

Go and look at some other forums like spacebattles forum...where the people continue to yell out that obama can only give people empty promise.

That does precisely jack and shit to refute his point, which was that you're spewing mindless anecdotal evidence with vague-ass claims. Provide some quantitative proof or at least a broader study, asstard.

Oh wait, that's what you just did, again.

I thought we got rules saying the affairs of other forums is of no concern here?

[Fleet Admiral JD]

And that has fuck-all to do with what I said. Christ you're stupid.

[ray245]

Ahh crap...I quote the wrong person...I was trying to quote crossroad post

Seriouslly can the guy do anything ELSE to make us respect him? I mean, how many Old Party dems are Crapping themsleves right now because of htis? In one wave of his hand hes fgoing to chaneg the entire landscape of the DNC

My bad.

[Ender]

Seriouslly can the guy do anything ELSE to make us respect him? I mean, how many Old Party dems are Crapping themsleves right now because of htis? In one wave of his hand hes fgoing to chaneg the entire landscape of the DNC

The only thing Obama could do right now to make me like him more is to pistol-whip Bin Laden in Time Square, go across the street to Nathan's and eat a hot dog, and then go have sex with his wife Michelle for about 10 hours.

If he did that, he'd win all 57 states he visited.

Really? Nothing?



That's right, the guy gives his wife "daps", and slaps her ass as she walks off stage. If it is possible for him to top that, I'll eat my hat.



On topic, this is incredible, and inspiring. I mean this is some Aaron Sorkin type "what everyone wishes politics was like" stuff. Even if you don't like Obama and his policies, you have to love how he has run his campaign so far. He is spreading it to the rest of the DNC, and hopefully it will be successful and spread to the GOP as well. The open question is how well less charismatic dems will do without the lobbiest and PAC money though, but it we can start to clean up how politics are done in this country, it will be a great thing.