DNC's complaint to the FEC about McCain...was too complicated for Wolf Blitzer.

[madfloridian]

It just went right over his head. He presented a little of it and ignored the rest because it took too much checking and investigating. Of course the DNC Kicking Ass blog has it all spelled out clearly. But that is just too easy.

The blog even has a copy of the letter Howard Dean got from the FEC in 2003 so he could opt out of public financing. John McCain has no such letter, and to opt out he must present one.

Here is the simplest explanation I have seen anywhere.

McCain spins campaign finance issue

The DNC filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Monday against McCain alleging the Republican had violated spending limits and other conditions he had agreed to in order to qualify for federal funds. The complaint was made after the FEC said in a letter to McCain last week that it could not approve his withdrawal for matching federal funds without examining a bank loan made by his campaign late last year. McCain applied for matching funds in June, when his campaign was struggling with poor poll numbers and few donors. His request was approved by the FEC in spring with $5.8 million in matching funds. McCain withdrew his application early this month after sweeping Super Tuesday, but the FEC said it had to check if McCain had used the matching funds to secure a bank loan.

On Tuesday, the DNC said "a 2003 letter from the Federal Election Commission that shows that John McCain and his campaign are playing fast and loose with the facts to justify its decision to break the law by unilaterally withdrawing from the FEC's matching funds program."

"The new documents prove that McCain used his qualification for matching funds to get on the ballot in Ohio and Delaware," the Committee said before citing the FEC's letter approving the request of fomer Democratic hopeful and now DNC chair Howard Dean to opt out of the public financing system.

"Unlike McCain, the Dean campaign followed the law and received written permission from the FEC to withdraw from the public financing system. Additionally, the FEC approved the Dean campaign's request to withdraw because Dean had not yet received any public funds and had not used matching funds as collateral to secure a private loan, a condition the McCain campaign has already violated," the Committee said.

David Shuster (glad to see him back) and Keith Olbermann surely understood the situation and explained it well in this video which is linked at the DNC site.

McCain's Sweetheart Deal

But not Wolf Blitzer. Media Matters has a video and summary of the way Wolf handled it today. He was shameless in his lack of understanding and his lack of investigation into this topic. He presented McCain as being picked on by the DNC.

In report on McCain's attempt to opt out of the public financing system, Blitzer did not note loan agreement that might force him to remain in

Summary: On The Situation Room, Wolf Blitzer noted that "Howard Dean today formally asked the Federal Election Commission to investigate John McCain." Blitzer added, "Dean accusing McCain of trying to skirt campaign finance laws by opting out of the public financing system for his primary campaign," but did not explain why McCain's ability to opt out is even an issue: namely, that he obtained a loan for his campaign in November 2007, agreeing under certain circumstances to remain in the race, regardless of the viability of his campaign, in order to apply for matching funds to pay back the loan.

Contact info at the Media Matters link, and a video at the site also.

Governor Dean explained it today on MSNBC so clearly that even Norah O'Donnell seemed to understand it. Here is the video link from that interview.

[annabanana]

1. Poor boy has NEVER been the

sharpest knife in the drawer...

[tularetom]

2. Unfortunately the FEC lacks a quorum to even act against violators

I heard there are like 3 vacancies which bush has neglected to fill so that in effect the FEC has been stripped of all enforcement powers.

[madfloridian]

4. But there is a vital point being made, and a reporter should try to understand it.

Whether the quorum is there or not, the battle was enjoined. The DNC is going to go after McCain in an email a day, because our nominee is not yet chosen to do it.

Wolf is dense not to understand the importance...or perhaps he did not want to do so.

[tularetom]

5. You're right about Blitzer and the media in general being morans

and that's why it's vital for congress to keep holding hearings and dragging repubs in on a daily basis to testify so they can't ignore what they see right in front of them.

But we should not be surprised when the FEC charges against MCCain sort of, well, evaporate.

[madfloridian]

7. The WP has a good article about it....maybe they could talk to Blitzer.

Loans Could Paint McCain Into Corner

Another question, Elias said, is whether McCain received special treatment in obtaining the loan. Watkins said McCain did not. But he noted that Fidelity's bankers had prior relationships with several top McCain advisers, including lobbyist Charles R. Black Jr. and campaign manager Rick Davis. Davis's consulting firm borrowed money from Fidelity bankers in the mid-1990s when they worked at Franklin National Bank, according to Watkins and public records. (Franklin National later merged with BB&T.)

Lawrence M. Noble, a former FEC general counsel, said he believes the commission, which currently lacks a quorum to consider the matter, would want to study the loans when they are at full strength.

"This is a very unusual loan, and at the very least it does look like they were trying to use loopholes to make it work," Noble said.

Still, questions about the legality of the deal have turned the fine print of McCain's borrowing into a source of intense scrutiny among leading campaign lawyers. Several suggested McCain has landed in a legal bind: If McCain used the promise of public financing to secure the loan -- as Democrats suggest -- he faces strict spending limits. If public funds were not involved -- as Potter argues -- that poses other problems.

Potter said the campaign offered as collateral its assets, including McCain's massive fundraising lists and his willingness to keep raising from them. But that may not satisfy the FEC, which requires that politicians borrow using only terms that assure repayment.

[AZ Criminal JD]

11. To be accurate Bush has made his appointments

The Senate has not voted on them. Obama, ironically has a hold on one of them.

[madfloridian]

13. One of the Bush appointees was involved in the politicizing of the Justice Dept.

I think...don't remember the details. It is good the Dems are not letting him through.

I think this is him...from the Politico:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1107/6972.html

"Normally, confirmations at the Federal Election Commission are done with a rubber stamp and each party confirms the other’s nominees. But the current crop is distinctly different. T

he problem is one nominee’s shameful record of voter disenfranchisement of minority, low-income and elderly Americans for political advantage while serving at the Department of Justice.

Hans von Spakovsky’s nomination to the FEC has provoked outrage from the civil rights community and one of the leading presidential candidates and has raised the profile of the FEC confirmation process to a level rarely, if ever, heard outside the Beltway.

Von Spakovsky was deeply involved in the scandals stemming from the politicization of the Department of Justice. "

[AZ Criminal JD]

15. True but both sides are now at a standstill and both sides need some FEC guidance.

[madfloridian]

16. It might be worse with the Hans fellow.

Not sure what the answer is.

[DainBramaged]

3. Opening his Metamucil is too complicated for Blitzo

[madfloridian]

6. It is important this be presented correctly by the media...Obama..

is facing this now. He said in the debate tonight he wanted to check if McCain had dotted the i's and crossed the t's.

No one really came out and presented it completely.

[gratuitous]

8. Ooooh, it's just too complicated for my widdle head!

Astonishing, isn't it, how tough it can be to understand something a man doesn't want to understand? The very idea of Straight-Talkin' Johnny Maverick being disingenuous is too much for Wolf to comprehend.

[madfloridian]

9. McCain tells Obama to denounce Howard Dean.

http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/02/26/mccain-to-obama-denounce-howard-dean/

"In their latest attempt to turn their lemons into lemonade, the McCain camp is using it’s quick condemnation of the anti-Obama comments by a radio talk show host to go on offense against their potential Democratic rival. The campaign released a statement tonight by Communications Director Jill Hazelbaker calling on Sen. Obama to condemn Howard Dean for his recent attacks on the AZ Senator. Very, very unlikely but here you go Bill Burton:

“Today, a speaker at our event made a highly inappropriate statement about Senator Obama. In response, Senator McCain immediately denounced the remarks and apologized to Senator Obama.

“In contrast, Howard Dean and the Democratic National Committee leadership have launched a personal and negative assault on Senator McCain’s character. Howard Dean himself questioned Senator McCain’s integrity, and a DNC official called McCain a liar.

“We agree with the Obama campaign’s statement today that this debate should be ‘respectful and focused on issues,’ and it would be encouraging to see Senator Obama denounce the character attacks coming from the leadership of his Party.” — Jill Hazelbaker"

Simply amazing.

[madfloridian]

10. TPMtv explaining it also. Tell Wolf about this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG2OMJLT5c4

[blondeatlast]

12. My grocery list would flummox Leslie Blitzer. Polenta? nt

[madfloridian]

14. Dean continues putting heat on McCain...Georgetown Univ. this week. Video

http://blog.thehill.com/2008/02/27/dean-keeps-heat-on-mccain/