[StBernard] Commentary: Obama breaks promise on campaign finance

[Westley Annis]

Commentary: Obama breaks promise on campaign finance
Story Highlights
Campbell Brown: Obama pledged to accept public financing last year

But, she says, he switched when he realized he could earn more on his own

He's rolling in dough earned on a broken promise, Brown says

By Campbell Brown
CNN
Editor's note: Campbell Brown anchors CNN's "Campbell Brown: No Bias, No
Bull" at 8 p.m. ET Mondays through Fridays. She delivered this commentary
during the "Cutting through the Bull" segment of Tuesday night's broadcast.

(CNN) -- You may have heard that Wednesday night Barack Obama will be on
five different TV networks speaking directly to the American people.

He bought 30 minutes of airtime from the different networks, a very
expensive purchase. But hey, he can afford it. Barack Obama is loaded, way
more loaded than John McCain, way more loaded than any presidential
candidate has ever been at this stage of the campaign.

Just to throw a number out: He has raised well over $600 million since the
start of his campaign, close to what George Bush and John Kerry raised
combined in 2004.

Without question, Obama has set the bar at new height with a truly
staggering sum of cash. And that is why as we approach this November, it is
worth reminding ourselves what Barack Obama said last November.

One year ago, he made a promise. He pledged to accept public financing and
to work with the Republican nominee to ensure that they both operated within
those limits.

Then it became clear to Sen. Obama and his campaign that he was going to be
able to raise on his own far more cash than he would get with public
financing. So Obama went back on his word. Watch Campbell Brown on Obama's
campaign financing >

He broke his promise and he explained it by arguing that the system is
broken and that Republicans know how to work the system to their advantage.
He argued he would need all that cash to fight the ruthless attacks of 527s,
those independent groups like the Swift Boat Veterans. It's funny though,
those attacks never really materialized.iReport.com: Your chance to ask
Obama a question

The Washington Post pointed out recently that the bad economy has meant a
cash shortage among the 527s and that this election year they have been far
less influential.

The courageous among Obama's own supporters concede this decision was really
made for one reason, simply because it was to Obama's financial advantage.

On this issue today, former Sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, an Obama supporter,
writes in The New York Post, "a hypocrite is a person who puts on a false
appearance of virtue -- who acts in contradiction to his or her stated
beliefs or feelings. And that, it seems to me, is what we are doing now."

For this last week, Sen. Obama will be rolling in dough. His commercials,
his get-out-the-vote effort will, as the pundits have said, dwarf the McCain
campaign's final push. But in fairness, you have to admit, he is getting
there in part on a broken promise.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Campbell
Brown.

All AboutU.S. Presidential Election . Barack Obama
 

  
 
  
 

  
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