Obama defends finance decision

This pure bred South Side Chicago politician has chosen the road of winning over keeping his word. Secretly, his mentor is not Rev. Wright but Richard Nixon.

As David Brooks of the NY Times so eloquently put it:

"God, Republicans are saps. They think that they’re running against some academic liberal who wouldn’t wear flag pins on his lapel, whose wife isn’t proud of America and who went to some liberationist church where the pastor damned his own country. They think they’re running against some naïve university-town dreamer, the second coming of Adlai Stevenson.

But as recent weeks have made clear, Barack Obama is the most split-personality politician in the country today. On the one hand, there is Dr. Barack, the high-minded, Niebuhr-quoting speechifier who spent this past winter thrilling the Scarlett Johansson set and feeling the fierce urgency of now. But then on the other side, there’s Fast Eddie Obama, the promise-breaking, tough-minded Chicago pol who’d throw you under the truck for votes.

This guy is the whole Chicago package: an idealistic, lakefront liberal fronting a sharp-elbowed machine operator. He’s the only politician of our lifetime who is underestimated because he’s too intelligent. He speaks so calmly and polysyllabically that people fail to appreciate the Machiavellian ambition inside.

Bull!

it would take over a decade to get any oil drilled.....First you have to find the spot to drill, get it approved through a panel, hire a team, build the machines and refineries and miles of tubes........etc.

On top of that, the oil companies have about 68 million acres of land that is leased to them......they are only using about half of that land.....They dont need any more......

I dont like Bush or McCain because of their ideas and plans.....But this idea makes no sense at all

He said he would meet with the Republican nominee. He said he believed in the public financing. He lied.

Hope and change meet More of the Same.

You cannot dispute that Obama lied. Facts are in fact, facts.

IF the following is true, how can Obama continue to run for President? CAN OBAMA LEGALLY BE PRESIDENT?

Very interesting !!!!!

CAN OBAMA LEGALLY BE PRESIDENT?
It seems that Barack Hussein Obama is not qualified to be president after all for the following reason:
Barack Hussein Obama is not legally a U.S. natural-born citizen according to the law on the books at the time of his birth, which falls between "December 24, 1952 to November 13, 1986.

Presidential office requires a natural-born citizen if the child was not born to two U.S. citizen parents, which of course is what exempts John McCain though he was born in the Panama Canal. US Law very clearly stipulates: "If only one parent was a U.S. citizen at the time of your birth, that parent must have resided in the United States for at least ten years, at least five of which had to be after the age of 16."

Barack Hussein Obama's father was not a U.S. citizen and Obama's mother was only 18 when Obama was born, which means though she had been a U.S. citizen for 10 years, (or citizen perhaps because of Hawaii being a territory) the mother fails the test for being so for at least 5 years **prior to** Barack Hussein Obama's birth, but *after* age 16. It doesn't matter *after* . In essence, she was not old enough to qualify her son for automatic U.S. citizenship. At most, there were only 2 years elapsed since his mother turned 16 at the time of Barack Hussein Obama's birth when she was 18 in Hawaii. His mother would have needed to have been 16+5= 21 years old, at the time of Barack Hussein Obama's birth for him to have been a natural-born citizen. As beforementioned, she was a young college student at the time and was not. Barack Hussein Obama was already 3 years old at that time his mother would have needed to have waited to have him as the only U.S. Citizen parent. Obama instead should have been naturalized, but even then, that would still disqualify him from holding the office.

*** Naturalized citizens are ineligible to hold the office of President.

*** Though Barack Hussein Obama was sent back to Hawaii at age 10, all the other info does not matter because his mother is the one who needed to have been a U.S. citizen for 10 years prior to his birth on August 4, 1961, with 5 of those years being after age 16.

Further, Obama may have had to have remained in the country for some time to protect any citizenship he would have had, rather than living in Indonesia. Now you can see why Obama's aides stopped his speech about how we technically have more than 50 states, because it would have led to this discovery. This is very clear cut and a blaring violation of U.S. election law.

I think the Governor of California would be very interested in knowing this if Obama were elected President without being a natural-born U.S. citizen, and it would set precedence.

mccain lives off of public financing his grand dad was an admiral liveing off public funds, his dad was an admiral also living on base with public funds he was educated by the navy on public funds which being his folks were admirals probably helped. he is in the us senate on public funds. if he would chose not for the public to pay him off again we could send the money to help the folks in the flood areas. john mccaine has never worked a steady job in his carrear

i'm not sure if david brooks thinks that's a bad thing...

or if he seems to be getting off on it!

Of course the public financing system is broken. 527s have changed the playing field and made it impossible for anyone to run a competitive campaign inside the rules. Bravo for Barack Obama for saying so and for taking this step.

Those who want to "blame" him for doing so are only worried that this step will make him that much more resistant to 527 tarring. These blaming whiners aren't interested in fairness, not really. They are only interested in supporting the continued gaming of the system by 527s so McCain has a chance.

Obama would not get any credit for staying within this system if he lost.

Smart move from a smart candidate.

The first poster must be a die hard republican as he simply ignored everything the article stated and is just regurgitate what FOX News told him to say.

Obama may not change everything he is promising. What politicans has? But these next 4yrs will be important in America's future and Barack is a breathe of fresh air.

My hope is he can get things done with the republicans as BUSH as done nothing of the sort.

Democrats 08'. And I dont feel sorry for any of you who have lost jobs, pay huge gas prices or if a family member has joined the Bush War, you voted him in, you deal with it. Teach you to vote in a Texas Oil Man with the IQ less then dried cat decal matter.

sucker use public money.
he will rather use money from lobbyists and rich business men buying $2000 a dinner ticket.
Do you really think your little internet money can get him to presidency?
He still need donation from big money, union and lobbyists.
He is a typical politician, just like Mc Cain.
Every politician takes big but do little.
Whatever the poll is...that is where they are.
What they support today is not same as tomorrow.
No backbones...no guts.

So, instead of introducing legislation NOW to assist the suffering populace, something Oblama could surely do within his capacity as a US Senator, the voters are just supposed to take his word for it. Yeah, I got this bridge over here, and since gas prices are rising unchecked...

Oblama should show up for work in Washington more than a mere 60% of the time. I don't give a damn if he is running for President, he should earn the salary he continues to collect for doing basically nothing the last six months but tooting his own horn. He needs to show me the legislation.

What a crock. Essentially what B. Hussein Obama is saying here is that the system is broken for everyone EXCEPT him! The hubris in that statement is awesome! He's either lying or delusional when he says that his campaign is free from special interests.

What a joke.

He is not the candidate for change. He is just more of the same.

David Brooks is an entertaining commentator, and likely will write next week that Obama is the Second Coming of Ronald Reagan.

I love how the GOP wants to attack Obama for being too naive, then attack him for being tough minded and pragmatic.

The single characterizing phrase of Obama has been "change". Change is presumed by anyone with more than two brain cells clanging around between their ears as change from politics as usual. If his "change" in position regarding campaign finance reform (one of the sentinel cornerstones of his campaign from early on) can go from that of being an ardent supporter, touting its merits from the rooftops to who cares because “I don’t need to deal with its limitations anymore” overnight, then apparently his definition of “change” and the definition the rest of us use are polar opposites. This is the epitome of sleaze politics and we will see that he, just like most other politician’s is lower than the proverbial whale dung when it comes to relying on them to keep their word. Combine that with inexperience, his racists, anti-American background and I honestly cannot in good conscious as a lifelong Democrat see myself putting him anywhere near the Whitehouse. Where has this party sunk too that he and Hillary are the best of what we have to offer this country.

I'm glad to see that corrupt 527 scheme finally get some attention.

"In 2004, Obama noted, public funding totaled $192 million for the two major-party candidates, but advocacy groups known as 527s, which can accept unlimited contributions, spent more than $440 million."

Republicans corrupt? oh no no no. never.

Obama re-evaluated his position. Imagine where we might be if Bush would have been able to re-evaluate his position on Iraq.

So--did he just "figure out" it was broken?
Why doesn't he tell the truth--back then he didn't know he'd have all this money--so he is flip flopping. Why doesn't he just tell the truth.
The varnish is cracking....

The only reason that John McCain and his thugs are speaking so self righteously is that their corporate lobbyists are maxed out on their contributions and now must rely on the swift boaters for support via the 527 smears. He refused to disavow these attacks on Obama and his family so now he alone must rely on public financing via the tax payers..

Senator Obama has built a huge grassroots following. Why should they be left out just because some Republicans want them to be?

I'm a retired Air Force pilot- veteran of Viet-Nam who shudders at the prospect of McCain and his antiquated cold war views on foreign policy.

I will be sending in $100 per month to the Obama campaign so that they can reply in force to the Republican smear machine. It's already started as witnessed the many incredibly ignorant posts on these message boards.

Not this time, folks. No Bush 3 in 2008.

Obama IS intelligent, and that's what this country needs in president more than anything else. US has lost its steam in the Bush days, and the only way to regain the momentum is to give the wheel to a really smart guy. Let's hope he is as good as he is smart.

Am I and the other 1.5 million supporters not considered public citizens? I have donated a small amount and plan on doing so again.

Something is strange when a Republican complains that a Democrat is not using taxpayer dollars to finance anything!

If all politicians learned to "democratize" fund raising, there would be no need for public financing of campaigns and we can ask citizens to donate $3.00 on something worthwhile.

1.5 million grass roots small dollar donors to Obama's campaign speaks volumes. I say no to lobbyists and their money...they won't represent me in Washington and I honestly believe Obama will.

McCain is wrong, Off Shore Oil Drilling won't help us today, tomorrow or next year. Changing our dependency on oil will.

I agree with Obama's decision. Obama would have had to take tainted lobbyist money to keep up with McCain money from lobbyist. McCain would have done the same thing, except individuals are not funding his campaign.

It is time to take away the power away from lobbyist and give it to the people.

So Eloquently put Steve from Belmont MA,
Oviously the intelligent comment from a Barack Obama fan Mark Ostrum , true to form!!! in the second post.
Wake up America, Obama will hang himself and all will come out in the wash.

The only bull here is Tucker Bounds' reply....I've yet to see anyone attempt to explain how off-shore drilling will lower prices today, or tomorrow, or next year. Does this plan involve some sort of time travel which facilitates a present drop in prices based on future supply?

I am a life-long Republican who has just changed his party affiliation to Democrat.
Ask yourself..........would I burn my house down to keep warm?
If your answer is YES............then go ahead and vote for McCain.
If you think the Republicans care about you and your problems and your future.......then go ahead and vote for McCain.
If you want to go on bankrupting our country in the un-winable war in Iraq........then go ahead and vote for McCain.
If you are happy with the erosion of your personal rights of privacy and due process......then go ahead and vote for McCain.

If.......on the other hand.............you seek hope for your future and that of your family..........then VOTE FOR OBAMA.

If you want then President Obama to be able to make the changes required to restore happiness and success to our wonderful nation..................then elect a strong majority Democratic Congress.

It's all UP TO YOU .......and to me.

Barack Obama has a Split Political Personality? He just wants to win and like any other politician & will go back on his word to do it. He knows that the money's more valuable in the campaign then actually keeping his word.

If your talking split personality's how 'bout MCcain's new image? He's got himself all tangled in a crazy web of popular opinion; he doesn't even know who he is anymore.

I second #2 above! Obama is absolutely right about the finance system being broken! He has a real grass roots movement that does not depend on the special interests or 527s to work the system. The same old crap comes out of the republican machine. We have heard it all before, nothing new there! Obama is being a realist. McCain totally flipflops on just about everything he ever said he stood for, except staying in Iraq for a hundred years!

I agree with Steve at 1. Those who vote for Obama based on Hope and the promise of Change should take note, as I have, that throughout his (albeit brief) political career, when Obama's stated idealism confronts tough reality, he's a pragmatist. Friends, policies, and symbolism are for Obama as they are for all practitioners of old-school politics... a means to an end. And that end is Power. I'm not saying Obama would be a bad President, but people are operating under a dangerous delusion if they feel Obama represents Change in some anti-Washington-establishment sort of way. Obama represents an Evolution, not a Revolution. He is the new and improved Bill Clinton. That's not necessarily bad, but it's not what's being advertised.

Moderator-

Please remove ignorant post # 6 from this board. I have seen it posted on many other sites and it is totally false.

Barack Obama's mother was born in Kansas- not in Hawaii. Barack Obama is a citizen of the United States by birth- not by naturalization.

Stop the lies. Not this time, folks. Time for a change that works for us- not for the corporate lobbyists and their fat cat clients. Out with Bush/Cheney and their surrogate McLame.

Viet-Nam veteran U.S. Air Force 1963-1968

Poster #6: Parents have to be US Citizens only if the child was born outside the US. Hawaii became a state before Obama was born there.

Poster #6- go back to the drawing board or your sinking swift boat.

Hawaii became a state on August 21, 1959.

Barack Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on August 4, 1961;

He is a United States citizen by birth and will be inaugurated as President of the United States of America on January 20, 2009.

Poster # 6 give up your fear and ignorance and certainly just get over yourself.

Not this time.

NObama
Just say NObama!

America can not afford Obama. We can not afford further domestic terror attacks, We can not afford the liberal values that he would bring. We can not afford the continued give-a-way programs that the Democrats have become known for. We can not afford the divisive accord that he would bring to Washington and America.

We can not afford Obama

For # 26 above, as a lifelong dedicated and loyal republican, let me say that I am ashamed of you and should you should be too. If you think switching to be a Democrat was better than being a Republican, Think About this. When The Dems took control of Congress and the Senate in '06, Gas was at or below 2.00 a gallon. They spent too much time talking about Steroids in Baseball and not enough time worrying about more important things. The Dems spent a lot of time since the 30's and 40's screwing you out of your Social Security. The Dems Started the give-a-way programs of the 60's that paid minorities and the underprivileged for having children they didn't want so they could get more welfare. The Democrats under Jimmy Carter let the Immigrants of this country receive social security benefits even if they had never paid in. The dems under Bill Clinton let them attend college at your and my expense. I say be a Republican and give people a Rod and Reel; teach them to fish, but do NOT give them the fish.

If you want to continue the same old give-a-way tax and spend policies of the Democrats, then vote for Obama. McCain is my man.

I say:
NObama
Just say NObama!

America can not afford Obama. We can not afford further domestic terror attacks, We can not afford the liberal values that he would bring. We can not afford the continued give-a-way programs that the Democrats have become known for. We can not afford the divisive accord that he would bring to Washington and America.

We can not afford Obama

To the previous posters referring to Obama as "B. Hussein Obama," and "Barack Hussein Obama," at every iteration in your post: You are only revealing your O'Riely Factor education credentials. So what if his middle name is Hussein? Sure, use it once in the post. It's his real name after all. But every time? Get real. You are only revealing your O'reily factor education credentials.

Yeah, I really was all for Obama. But then I realized he's related to Saddam. Now I'm going to vote for McCain. Seriously. Drop the Fox News devisive anger crap, grow up, think for yourself and learn to evaluate people on their merits and not their name.

For # 26 above, as a lifelong dedicated and loyal republican, let me say that I am ashamed of you and should you should be too. If you think switching to be a Democrat was better than being a Republican, Think About this. When The Dems took control of Congress and the Senate in '06, Gas was at or below 2.00 a gallon. They spent too much time talking about Steroids in Baseball and not enough time worrying about more important things. The Dems spent a lot of time since the 30's and 40's screwing you out of your Social Security. The Dems Started the give-a-way programs of the 60's that paid minorities and the underprivileged for having children they didn't want so they could get more welfare. The Democrats under Jimmy Carter let the Immigrants of this country receive social security benefits even if they had never paid in. The dems under Bill Clinton let them attend college at your and my expense. I say be a Republican and give people a Rod and Reel; teach them to fish, but do NOT give them the fish.

If you want to continue the same old give-a-way tax and spend policies of the Democrats, then vote for Obama. McCain is my man.

I say:
NObama
Just say NObama!

America can not afford Obama. We can not afford further domestic terror attacks, We can not afford the liberal values that he would bring. We can not afford the continued give-a-way programs that the Democrats have become known for. We can not afford the divisive accord that he would bring to Washington and America.

We can not afford Obama

FYI - The 'Bull" comment was "Bull" to obama's false statements. I am most definitely not pro-obama. When I posted there were no other comments.