Well that's rich considering McCain's gaming of the system. McCain entered into a loan agreement with his bank that if he lost the primary, he would stay in the race long enough to reapply for public funding in order to repay the loan.

He wanted to be able to raise unlimited funds if he won...but if he lost then he was more than happy to stick the American taxpayer for his failed bid.

Paragraph from the loan agreement:

Additional Requirement. Borrower and lender agree that if Borrower [McCain's campaign commitee] withdraws from the public matching funds program, but John McCain then does not win the next primary or caucus in which he is active (which can be any primary or caucus held the same day) or does not place at least within 10 percentage points of the winner of that primary or caucus, Borrower will cause John McCain to remain an active political candidate and Borrower will, within thirty (3) days of said primary or caucus (i) reapply for public matching funds, (ii) grant to Lender, as additional collateral for the Loan, a first priority perfected security interest in and to all Borrower's right, title and interest in and to the public matching funds program, and (iii) execute and deliver to Lender such documents, instruments and agreements as Lender may require with respect to the foregoing.

Monies received from public financing are nowhere near enough to counter false charges from 527s. That's a fault with McCain-Feingold, quite a flawed system. And 527s are where the Republicans (and possibly the Democrats) will do their dirty work.

Just look up lobbyists and McCain's campaign for fun. He's full of them. This guy is so far up Bush's playbook, that every strength he had in 2000 (And reasons I had to work for his campaign then) are gone. I am embarrassed that he is the nominee, over far more qualified and diverse opponents. I'd like to think he wouldn't have gone this route save for his loss to Bush, and 911. But if that isn't the case and this was his plan for America from day one, then I'm glad he lost then and will actively campaign against him. He is truly out of touch with America, admittedly knows NOTHING outside of foriegn policy (even then it's just advocating more undeclared wars) has no clue about how to address the sinking economy and offshoring of jobs that has destroyed the middle class. And has nothing to offer but more sacrifice (like he says blood and treasure, as in your blood and your wealth) without any planning nor reason for a change from Bush's failed foriegn and domestic policies. This man is cheif advocate of the direction that the majority of America is at the very least exhausted with, if not has totally rejected by now. (See Bush's, or Congress approval ratings if you need proof) Both the man and the party deserve each other, they are both abject failures.

Zip it McCain. You don't matter. Go home and enjoy your quickly dwindling "golden" years.

Pilots have to retire after 60, right. Should there be an age limit on presidents too. I mean I think we want our president to be alert the same as we like our pilots to be alert. I have a lot of respect for McCain, but I do think in some ways it would be a continuation of Bush-years. Obama 2008!

Republicans: Hallaburton, Financial Institutions, Global Corporations, Foreign Oil Interests, Wall Street, Investors, Utilities, Foreign government owned Businesses owning USA land on USA soil, etc. Guess what Republicans, you have been found out. Republicans ARE THE LOBBYISTS. All of the Republicans money IS FROM LOBBYISTS. As a White female who is no longer voting Republican, I know the truth of Republican Funding. Obama08

"There's nothing to talk about," McCain said today. "What's there to talk about? People have made a commitment to take public financing. There's nothing to talk about. We either keep our word or we don't keep our word. I intend to keep my word to the American people."

Am I the only one who thinks Mac sounds like he is ready to blow a gasket here? The anger! He cannot discuss this rationally but goes ballistic. "There is nothing to talk about."

OKOK, we are faced with a national crisis, and we need to talk to the other side to avert all-out war. McCain feels his manly pride is at stake and tells the other leader "There is nothing to talk about."

That legendary temper is not a myth folks.

So, did Obama sign a pledge committing to Public Financing in the general election? Is this the same type of lie and spin McCain used on Romney and the timetable debacle?

mccain and clinton voted for this war. vote mccain so he can institute the draft so all americans can carry the burden of their sons and daughters fighting in the war. my newphew has done three tours - let us all do our civic duty and place your 18-30 year relatives' lives on the line for liberty, justice, and freedom. talk is cheap when your relative is not on the front lines. vote mccain so we can continue this 100 year war!!

McBush wants to talk about campaign financing? Let's start with his new senior moneyman, Mercer Reynolds, III, put in place by the capo himself, George I.
Mercer's background includes stints at Spectrum 7 (oil), Arbusto Energy (oil), and his current hobby, Reynolds, DeWitt & Co. (more oil). If McBush gets elected do you think we'll be drilling in Anwar? And we'll continue our close relationships with Saudi Arabia, those wild and crazy Wahhabis. Vote McBush so we can continue the 100-yr. Oil Wars.

It is very sad that McCain and Hillary can only run their campaign by attacking. Hillary tells us she will change things while she takes millions from corporate interests for her campaign. As for McCain, he scares me with his talk of remaining in Iraq for fifty maybe 100 years. Does he honestly not see we would go bankrupt? It is very telling that our young men and women serving voted for Ron Paul overwhelmingly. Ron Paul has the most aggressive plan to leave Iraq, he questions our over-involvement for the last fifty years in the mid-east. Yet staying in Iraq is McCain's big selling point. Do yourself a favor and read Obama's website under 'issues' to get a true picture of what we could accomplish if we get rid of corporate influence in our government.

John McCain is a funny little man, and there is no way I can ever take his little person antics seriously. Finally, an approprate face to the Rep. party.

the days of old white guys are coming to an end. The world is changing, we're in deep trouble all over and McCain wants to continue the failed policies of GWB and keep us in Iraq for 100 years and to bomb Iran. Give it up John. It isn't goin to happen!

Totally. Mr. "straight talk" agreed to literally perpetuate a fraud on the American taxpayer so he could use matching funds to pay off his loan if he didn't win (why would he do this? So he could make sure he wouldn't be reined in by the pesky campaign finance restrictions that he wrote if he won).

It's all there, in unambiguous (and legally enforceable) contract language! You want to talk about promises, that's the promise he made! To run after he'd lost so he could make American taxpayers pay off the bank!

I'm convinced McCain just wrote the campaign finance laws so he'd know how to exploit the loopholes. This is just such a sleazy, egregious violation of a law--in spirit, if not in letter--whose goals he supposedly supported.

!!! THE PROSPECT OF JOHN MCCAIN BEING COMMANDER IN CHIEF SCARES ME MORE THAN ANYTHING. THIS IS AN HONORABLE MAN, NO DOUBT. BUT THIS IS A MAN WITH AN UNPREDICTABLE TEMPER WHO WAS TORTURED IN A WAR. I CAN SEE THE SCENARIO NOW WHERE A SMALL INTERNATIONAL ISSUE COMES UP THAT CAN BE EASILY SOLVED WITH DIPLOMACY ANF HE TURNS IT INTO THE NEXT WORL WAR. !!! THERE IS A REASON WHY HIS OWN PARTY REJECTED HIM SEVERAL OTHER TIMES THAT HE RAN FOR PRESIDENT AND ITS NOT BECAUSE HES NOT AN HONORABLE MAN !!

Ah, more grumbling from Presidential candidate John "No You Can't" McCain.

If Obama signed that pledge as John McCain said he did, and if he is the nominee, will he honor it? A simple yes or no is all that is required at this point otherwise Obama's words are no better than the ones he took from other friends letting people think they were his own. There is NO hedging at this point - are you a man of your word or not? If NOT then get out of the race as you are nothing but as described. There is no escaping it by complaining about McCain's past actions or his temperament or anything negative about anyone else...will Obama keep his pledge - yes or no?

All the sniping and claims of hypocrisy aside, I think the question put to Obama is legitimate? As an undecided voter, I'd like to know where he stands on the issue.

Me too! Me too! The question of whether to accept public financing is straightforward enough. Obama owes us a straightforward response. Wouldn't we all rather see a cap on the millions of dollars both parties pour into TV advertising and useless, thrown-away crap like brochures, mass mailings and the rest? Wouldn't it be marvelous to only see a campaign commercial 4-5 times instead of repeated uselessly 40-50 times, until it becomes completely meaningless, nothing but fodder for mockery? Spare us all. Go Public.

so. IF these two guys end up being their perspective parties nominees, it sounds to me that this is a settled issue. It would be foolish to say this is how I am going to finance this, and lock yourself into it before you know what the opponent is going to do. I do not trust McCain and his pledge, he also said he was against the bush tax cuts, but he seems to support them now.