John McCain can't raise money for his campaign and wants to use the public financing system for the general election. He really wants Obama hamstrung by those spending limits, too. What McCain thinks doesn't matter because McCain's already gotten himself into legal trouble with the public financing system - an issue largely ignored by the traditional media. But, today, there was some progress -- not nearly as far as we need them to go, but at least an acknowledgment that McCain has serious problems with campaign finance laws:

 Quote:
As for Mr. McCain, he has crusaded against the influence of money in politics in the Senate and has criticized Mr. Obama for hedging on his earlier decision to apply for public financing. But Mr. McCain drew criticism of his own earlier this year when he backed away from public financing for the primary elections. He initially sought those public matching funds, which come with limits of their own, after his campaign nearly ran out of money, but decided to bypass them after donations started coming in.


Okay, like I said, this is just a start. And, there are some very important points that are missing. For example, McCain can't decide to bypass the system. The FEC decides and the FEC Chair (a Republican) said explicitly McCain can opt out on his own:

 Quote:
But McCain's attempts to build up his campaign coffers before a general election contest appeared to be threatened by the stern warning yesterday from Federal Election Commission Chairman David M. Mason, a Republican. Mason notified McCain that the commission had not granted his Feb. 6 request to withdraw from the presidential public financing system.


McCain, therefore, is still in the public financing system and subject to its limitations. McCain already exceeded the spending cap and that is a campaign finance crime:

 Quote:
Knowingly violating the spending limit is a criminal offense that could put McCain at risk of stiff fines and up to five years in prison.


That makes McCain a campaign finance criminal.

Keep in mind that the FEC is not functioning because McCain's GOP Senate colleagues won't allow a vote on new Commissioners.

Given McCain's shady dealings with the FEC and his attempt to scam the public financing system, Barack Obama should never, ever enter into any deal with McCain about campaign spending. And, any pundit or editorial writer who challenges Obama's position is ignoring McCain's criminality.