Obama GA ballot challenge, Natural born citizen status, Judge Michael Malihi, Why did Obama refuse matching funds in 2008?, Part 1

“In February 2007, I proposed a novel way to preserve the strength of the public financing system in the 2008 election. My plan requires both major party candidates to agree on a fundraising truce, return excess money from donors, and stay within the public financing system for the general election. My proposal followed announcements by some presidential candidates that they would forgo public financing so they could raise unlimited funds in the general election. The Federal Election Commission ruled the proposal legal, and Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has already pledged to accept this fundraising pledge. If I am the Democratic nominee, I will aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election.”…Barack Obama

“Today, Barack Obama has revealed himself to be just another typical politician who will do and say whatever is most expedient for Barack Obama. The true test of a candidate for President is whether he will stand on principle and keep his word to the American people. Barack Obama has failed that test today, and his reversal of his promise to participate in the public finance system undermines his call for a new type of politics. Barack Obama is now the first presidential candidate since Watergate to run a campaign entirely on private funds. This decision will have far-reaching and extraordinary consequences that will weaken and undermine the public financing system.”…Jill Hazelbaker, McCain campaign communications director

“Sen. Obama (IL) opted out of the public financing program for the general election. Primary matching fund payouts in 2008 were the lowest since the inception of the presidential election public funding program in 1976.”…FEC website

Why did Obama refuse matching funds in 2008?

Part 1

To Judge Michael Malihi , presiding judge of the Obama GA ballot challenge, members of congress, presidential candidates and other interested Americans. This multi part series on facts regarding Obama refusing Federal Matching Funds in 2008 will raise reasonable doubts about Barack Obama’s Natural Born Citizen status.

From Politico February 07, 2007.

“Obama Wants Public Financing Option

My colleague Ken Vogel emails that the reports today that Obama has opted out of public financing aren’t quite right.

Vogel writes:

Contrary to media reports today, Sen. Barack Obama is trying to leave open the option of accepting public financing for his expected presidential bid.

Obama, D-Ill., last week asked the Federal Election Commission whether he could raise contributions that would disqualify him from receiving public financing, but return them later if he decided he wanted to receive taxpayer money for his campaign.

Obama’s question, tendered in the form of a request for an advisory opinion, is a new one for the Commission, which is expected to post the request on its Web site Wednesday afternoon. (UPDATE: Here it is now(.pdf).)

The request lays out the following scenario: Obama’s campaign would accept contributions for both the primary and general elections, but then return the general election contributions later if the Republican nominee agreed to accept public financing. The public financing system provides taxpayer dollars to candidates who abide by restrictions on how much they can raise.”

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0207/Obama_Wants_Public_Financing_Option.html

From ABC News June 19, 2008.

“Obama to Break Promise, Opt Out of Public Financing for General Election”

“In a web video to supporters — “the people who built this movement from the bottom up” — Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, announced this morning that he will not enter into the public financing system, despite a previous pledge to do so.

“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.”

In November 2007, Obama answered “Yes” to Common Cause when asked “If you are nominated for President in 2008 and your major opponents agree to forgo private funding in the general election campaign, will you participate in the presidential public financing system?”
Obama wrote:

“In February 2007, I proposed a novel way to preserve the strength of the public financing system in the 2008 election. My plan requires both major party candidates to agree on a fundraising truce, return excess money from donors, and stay within the public financing system for the general election. My proposal followed announcements by some presidential candidates that they would forgo public financing so they could raise unlimited funds in the general election. The Federal Election Commission ruled the proposal legal, and Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has already pledged to accept this fundraising pledge. If I am the Democratic nominee, I will aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election.”

Not so “aggressively,” according to the McCain campaign, which argues that Obama did not discuss this or try to negotiate at all with the McCain campaign, despite writing that he would “aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election.”

The Obama campaign disputes this. Obama campaign counsel Bob Bauer met with McCain campaign counsel Trevor Potter and, according to Obama spox Bill Burton, Potter “immediately made it clear there was no basis for further discussion,” that they weren’t interested in any sort of agreement.”

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2008/06/obama-to-break/

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU5V3fO7B1U]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELoKGvOwSI4&feature=related]

Judge Michael Malihi, et al,

Why did Obama break his promise to use Federal Matching Funds?

For those paying attention, the answer is obvious.

More to come.