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   Read the story and see the video discussion by the authors about why creeping consolidation is crushing American livelihoods.
 Career colleges and the paper of record face off.
 If you liked Hamid Karzai and Pervez Musharraf, youll love our latest ally, Yemens Ali Abdullah Saleh.
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October 20, 2008
MCCAIN: BROTHER, CAN YOU SPARE A RUBLE?.... Some campaigns just don't have good timing. Today, the McCain campaign decided to cast aspersions on the Obama campaign's extraordinary fundraising success, referencing "secret donations" and "illegitimate money." Now, as a substantive matter, McCain aides whining that Obama has more donors than McCain seems like a rather pointless exercise. There's nothing "secret" or "illegitimate" about Obama's contributions -- every dollar is reported, and donors who meet the legal threshold are disclosed. McCain should be familiar with these rules, since he helped write them. (McCain wants Obama to itemize every donor, including small donors. The Obama campaign has said there are too many of them to make this feasible.) But more importantly, the same afternoon McCain aides were complaining about Obama's fundraising success, we also learn that the McCain campaign sought illegal contributions from the Russian ambassador to the United Nations.
Accepting foreign money is, of course, against the law. The McCain campaign was, in effect, asking the Russian ambassador for an illegal campaign contribution. Now, in fairness, this was almost certainly the result of some kind of innocent mix-up. Churkin received a generic email solicitation, probably by accident. Russian officials don't believe the McCain campaign was deliberately asking for an illegal donation. Ruslan Bakhtin, press secretary of the Russian mission, told Ben Smith, "We just find it amusing." As do I. I'm curious, though. If the Obama campaign had inadvertently sought illegal campaign contributions from a Russian official, do you suppose the McCain campaign and Fox News might raise a fuss? —Steve Benen 3:35 PM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (20)Comments
If the Obama campaign had inadvertently sought illegal campaign contributions from a Russian official, do you suppose the McCain campaign and Fox News might raise a fuss? Hell yes. SASQ. Posted by: Gregory on October 20, 2008 at 3:43 PM | PERMALINKRe: Fox News: Bill O would be apoplectic with rage. I've always figured that the right would do anything to retain the White House this year, but this post and the one immediately preceding are just scary as hell. Who the F do they think they are? Talk about unAmerican. Posted by: LP on October 20, 2008 at 3:44 PM | PERMALINKRhetorical questions aside: Is the McCain campaign running one of the most inept campaigns in modern history ? Any comments ? Posted by: OhNoNotAgain on October 20, 2008 at 3:44 PM | PERMALINK"I'm curious, though. If the Obama campaign had inadvertently sought illegal campaign contributions from a Russian official, do you suppose the McCain campaign and Fox News might raise a fuss?" Not at all. The "McAce/Pallin around" people can see the Russian fund raising from their front porch and Fox Noise just loves fundraising stories. What fun... Posted by: stevio on October 20, 2008 at 3:47 PM | PERMALINKPerhaps if McCain wants to solicit foreign donations, Georgia would be a better target than Russia, given his inflammatory rhetoric. Posted by: doubtful on October 20, 2008 at 4:01 PM | PERMALINKOf course, it's a mistake. When you're running the most inept campaign in the history of presidential politics, these are the sort of fuck-ups that happen. I hope Obama hangs this mistake around McCain's neck like one of one of those South African necklacings -- where the victim wears a rubber tire soaked in gasoline that's then set ablaze. No more mercy for McCain. He's used up whatever reservoir of decency and integrity he might once have enjoyed. He's scum and deserves to spend the next two weeks explaining how, if he makes mistakes like this, what that says about his fitness to govern. Or, if it's not a mistake, then let's question his patriotism. Although since McCain hates Putin, the letter's so obviously a mistake I doubt the latter approach will gain traction. Posted by: Cash on October 20, 2008 at 4:02 PM | PERMALINKMuch as I know Obama is the better candidate, and will make the better President, and has run the better campaign, and has better policies and plans for what he will do in office, and has better and more competent staff and advisors, and works harder, and McCain brought a lot of this on himself by throwing stones from his house made of glass...I also have to admit that Obama's the luckiest SOB on the face of the earth. Seriously, this is just hysterical. Posted by: anonymiss on October 20, 2008 at 4:04 PM | PERMALINK>Now, in fairness, this was almost certainly the result of some kind of innocent mix-up. OZRS strikes again, that crazy kid! Oh, what hijinks you pull. How does that address even get in McCain's fund-raising database? They do not magically appear in them! Posted by: mat1492 on October 20, 2008 at 4:07 PM | PERMALINKDear Mr. Vitaly Churkin - Sorry to trouble you with that letter asking for a campaign contribution. My bad. But is there any chance you could kick in a few billion for our bailout? Signed, The Maverick P.S. I didn't mean to get on your case about Georgia. Posted by: Chris S. on October 20, 2008 at 4:13 PM | PERMALINKIf the Obama campaign had inadvertently sought illegal campaign contributions from a Russian official, do you suppose the McCain campaign and Fox News might raise a fuss? I assume this was a rhetorical question? Posted by: ET on October 20, 2008 at 4:15 PM | PERMALINK"innocent mistake"? about the same as Mickey Mouse being registered to vote, I'd say. Posted by: Stewart Dean on October 20, 2008 at 4:29 PM | PERMALINKStewart Dean, Mickey Mouse was never registered to vote. Someone falsified a registration with that name, but it was never approved. Posted by: doubtful on October 20, 2008 at 4:32 PM | PERMALINKWho is John McCain, and why is he soliciting campaign contributions from Russia? The American people have a right to know. Is John McCain some kind of Manchurian Candidate? This calls into question everything we know about the man... :)
This may be a stupid question, but the e-mail sent by the McCain campaign asks for a donation of "$2500 or even $5000." I thought the individual limit was $2,300. Doesn't this e-mail solicit a contribution that would be unlawfully large? Posted by: rh on October 20, 2008 at 4:43 PM | PERMALINK"the McCain campaign asks for a donation of "$2500 or even $5000." I thought the individual limit was $2,300. Doesn't this e-mail solicit a contribution that would be unlawfully large?" It's probably split with the RNC. You can make a party donation up to $30k or something. Posted by: anonymiss on October 20, 2008 at 5:09 PM | PERMALINKI'm curious, though. If the Obama campaign had inadvertently sought illegal campaign contributions from a Russian official, do you suppose the McCain campaign and Fox News might raise a fuss? My Comrads, in Russia, ruble spares you! Posted by: Ivan Cainyckoff on October 20, 2008 at 7:42 PM | PERMALINKHow do you say "ratfuck" in Russian? Posted by: Jackmormon on October 20, 2008 at 9:33 PM | PERMALINK
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