The issue isn't so much whether it's good to take public money or not. The issue is that when you take public money, new campaign finance rules say that you are then limited in how much money you can raise privately. Early in the primaries, when Obama wasn't raising much private money, he said that in a general election, he'd make a deal with his opponent to use the public money and the restricted rules that come with it. Once he started raising boatloads of money, he backed away from that statement saying he'd have to wait and see what kind of deal his opponent was willing to make. Now he seems to be backing away from it entirely.

scaeagles, I think you need to back away from the televisison for a while.

To qualify for the public funds you have to accept spending limits.

So the math is:

Is the amount Obama can raise and spend personally greater than the total he'd be allowed to spend if he takes the public funds.

And the answer, if primary trends continue, is a clear yes. I'm not a fan of public financing of campaigns but this is still a disappointing decision from him since he is a supporter of it. But then I'm hugely opposed to McCain-Feingold so McCain gains no advantage in this particular issue.

Damn it, Alex, now I'm in a pissy mood about that, too. McCain-Feingold is a freakin' ridiculous piece of legislation and McCain should be drummed out of the Senate for authoring and sponsoring that trash.

Back to thinking I can't vote for him.

I'm reading. I can't watch TV news anymore.

Ok, I should have known the government would have their own rules and stipulations that would go with the money.

So basically he thinks he would be better off on his own and not have to play by their limits and rules.

So what about McCain? I know Republicans seem to have a lot of fundraiser and such, will he follow suit? Who's Feingold?

Feingold was the cosponsor with McCain of the bill that would impose the spending limits.

They're both pretty equally guilty here. Back when Obama was pledging that he would abide by the limits, McCain was saying he wouldn't. Now that the rolls are reversed, the stories are predictably reversed.

Heinz is pulling this ad which was only airing in the UK, because Bill O'Reilly objects to it. Who the f*ck cares what Bill O'Reilly thinks. It's a funny video. Work safe.

Just how riled up do they want to get me before tonight's LHC meeting??

So, do all Heinz commercials have to be pre-screened by O'Reilly from now on?