McCain urges Obama to keep his pledge to take federal campaign dollars

February 15th, 2008 at 09:28pm Chuck Sweeny

Republicans aren’t having a lot of luck raising money this year; Democrats are. So, Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain made a point Friday in Oshkosh, Wis., of reminding reporters that he and Barack Obama had agreed to sign-up forĀ  government funding of their general election campaigns. (No, Obama has not won the Democratic nomination yet, but McCain seems to think so.) McCain said he hopes Obama keeps his pledge.

But if Obama were to do so, he’d shut down a fantastic cash raising machine that any candidate for president would drool to have. Obama does not take money from lobbyists, but his Internet-based small donor base has grown by leaps and bounds to the point that he easily out-raises Hillary Clinton in contributions.

That huge cash flow, some $32 million in January, has allowed Obama to field a muscular campaign in any state he chooses. If he wins the nomination, does he give up his personal ATM and take the federal cash?

McCain would like it if Obama did.

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