Yeah, he really wants to keep “bad” money out of politics:
While, Mr. Obama’s mistaken concern about foreign donors giving to American campaigns would be a result of the Supreme Court’s Citizen’s United decision, it should be noted that his own 2008 presidential campaign involved questionable donors.
For example, Newsweek ,in October of 2008, reported on two Palestinian brothers in the Gaza strip who managed to give $33,000 dollars to the campaign by buying a massive amount of Obama t-shirts through the campaign’s online store. The Obama campaign reportedly returned the money. However, one must wonder if smaller undetectable amounts of foreign donations from the online store found their way into the Obama campaign treasure chest. Untraceable Obama Campaign donations were also an issue reported on the trail in 2008.:
“The Obama organization said its extensive review has ensured that the campaign has refunded any improper contributions, and noted that Federal Election Commission rules do not require front-end screening of donations.
In recent weeks, questionable contributions have created headaches for Obama’s accounting team as it has tried to explain why campaign finance filings have included itemized donations from individuals using fake names, such as Es Esh or Doodad Pro. Those revelations prompted conservative bloggers to further test Obama’s finance vetting by giving money using the kind of prepaid cards that can be bought at a drugstore and cannot be traced to a donor.
The problem with such cards, campaign finance lawyers said, is that they make it impossible to tell whether foreign nationals, donors who have exceeded the limits, government contractors or others who are barred from giving to a federal campaign are making contributions.
‘They have opened the floodgates to all this money coming in,’ said Sean Cairncross, chief counsel to the Republican National Committee. ‘I think they’ve made the determination that whatever money they have to refund on the back end doesn’t outweigh the benefit of taking all this money upfront.'”
Two things are required in order to effectively void all restrictions on campaign finance:
1. You have to be willing to break the law.
2. You have to be a Democrat.
This is old hat – as is known by anyone who read Caucus of Corruption. As an example: Nancy Pelosi learned early on that its ok to break campaign finance laws – back when she was chair of the Northern California Democrat party, she deliberately violated the law as regards in-kind donations (in the matter of a union printing up campaign signs) and noted that, when caught, there was no move in the MSM to have her hounded out of politics and, of course, that the fine was far less than the benefit gained. She’s willing to break the law and she’s a Democrat – the “be a Democrat” part is vital because Republicans are always held strictly accountable on such things.
Given the massive amounts of questionable donations to the Obama campaign – not just the mentioned Palestinians but such things as a credit card number being used multiple times as the source of donations, while the account, itself, is only charged once (ie, disguising money that probably came in the form of cash) as well as all those odd donations – $153.47, or some such, eg – which indicate a conversion from foreign currency on a credit card charge – we can rely upon it that Obama and Co have also learned the lesson: be willing to break the law, and be a Democrat.
Given such things, it is the height of absurdity for any Republican – McCain, we’re looking at you – to advocate restrictions on campaign funding. Any restrictions will be rigorously applied to the GOP, and cynically ignored by the Democrats. Unless we can pass a law requiring the surrender of office for someone who’s campaign violated the law, there is simply no way to get Democrats to consistently follow the law. Well, truth be told, if the Democrat rank-and-file would start holding their side to account, that would work, too…but Democrats, on the whole, are too servile to work up the gumption to challenge their leaders. Campaign finance restrictions are unilateral disarmament on the part of the GOP.
Obama can talk a great game of cleaning up politics but for a Chicago pol to claim he’s going to clean up the joint is like, well, a Chicago mobster claiming he’s going to clean up organized crime. Ignore Obama on this issue – and ignore any GOPer who says he wants to get money out of politics. Money will be in politics, forever – it isn’t the money which causes the problem, just as it isn’t the gun which causes the murder. Corrupt people are corrupt and will find the person willing to bribe them. Elect honest men and women – and ruthlessly punish those who violate public trust – and we’ll have clean politics no matter how much money floats around. Fail to elect honest men and women, and all the laws in the world won’t do a bit of good.
UPDATE: A challenge Obama will not accept – appoint a special prosecutor to look in to foreign contributions to American politics.
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