PrintJune 20, 2008
Obama Fights Phantom 527 Groups
The main reason Barack Obama has given for eschewing public financing of his campaign was based on a lie:
"We've made the decision not to participate in the public financing system for the general election," Obama says in the video, blaming it on the need to combat Republicans, saying "we face opponents who've become masters at gaming this broken system. John McCain's campaign and the Republican National Committee are fueled by contributions from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs. And we've already seen that he's not going to stop the smears and attacks from his allies running so-called 527 groups, who will spend millions and millions of dollars in unlimited donations."
"Millions and millions of dollars" from GOP 527 groups? This is a lie as Obama well knows. Jonathan Martin exposes Obama:
Obama's alarmist prophecy - a bit of typical campaign rhetoric meant to scare his own donors into reaching for their credit cards - is wildly at odds with the flatlined state of conservative third-party efforts.
The truth is that, less than five months before Election Day, there are no serious anti-Obama 527s in existence nor are there any immediate plans to create such a group.
Conversations with more than a dozen Republican strategists find near unanimity in the belief that, at some point, there will be a real third-party effort aimed at Obama.
But not one knows who will run it, who will pay for it, what shape it will eventually take or when such a group may form.
More worrisome for Republicans who believe such an outside attack apparatus is essential to defeating Obama, some key individuals and groups who were being looked to for help say they won't be involved.
In short, there are presently no 527 groups with prospects dim for the formation of one. Obama is fully aware of this which makes his self serving statement about refusing federal financing the height of cynical lying.
This is certainly change that we can lie about.
Hat Tip: Ed Lasky
