Kerry on leaving federal campaign funding...

[helleborient]

"I'm disappointed that campaign finance on the Democratic side is coming apart," Kerry said. "(Dean's decision is) a reversal of his own statements and a reversal of his signing of legal statements."

Kerry, one of the wealthiest members of Congress, then added of his own campaign finances, "It may well involve personal money. You know, if we're out of the system, we're out of the system."

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/TheNote/TheNote.html

My primary question for Sen. Kerry --

If Bush left the system...weren't we already out of the system?

Why is leaving the system blamed on Howard Dean instead of on Pres. Bush where it rightfully belongs?

[LuminousX]

1. Dean is more important than Bush

[helleborient]

2. Which saddens me...and seems a problem in Kerry's campaign...

Dean didn't get where he is just from attacking other Democratic candidates, regardless of what the other candidates may say.

When I talk to Dean supporters, one of the primary reasons they support him is his willingness to make direct attacks on Bush administration policies and principles. They don't see that as strongly or clearly in other candidates.

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

3. Kerry will condemn Dean any chance he gets

He will condemn Dean for opting out while in the same breath he will opt out himself. If his excuse for opting out is that Dean did it first so he must, then why isn't it just as good for Dean to opt out because Bush* did?

[CMT]

4. I'm sure he will probably end up using personal money

including that of Mrs. Kerry. On the PR war though Dean will still come out on top because he will be getting his money from small donor amounts not personal money.

[genius]

5. Because the Democrats are not Republicans. If they want to stand

for something, they need to stand for it. If Dean goes against his own pledge, I hope Kerry uses his personal funds to make Dean wish he hadn't.

[LuminousX]

6. Yeah, teach Dean a lesson. Don't worry about Bush

[helleborient]

9. And he apparently doesn't worry about his own scruples...

In Kerry's world do two wrongs make a right? Or you bludgeon someone with the second wrong?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

7. "Dated Jordan, Married Cahill."

Lol.

[Pez]

8. dean made it a point earlier this year...

...to "take serious issue" with anyone who abandoned campaign finance; everyone knew (including D) who was donating what and how much BUSH INC. was expected to raise... D made it a moral issue, and has since backpedaled (as he has done on several key issues). if kerry had done it first y'all would be crying and hugging and howling "foul!!!1!"

And why is the Iraq War blamed on John Kerry instead of on BUSH INC. where it rightfully belongs?

[helleborient]

10. Now be honest,

When Dean was talking about this, did you have any idea he would be sitting on $30 million right now?

I don't think he did either.

At that point, Kerry had the luxury to play this issue any way he wanted to...because he could be self-righteous and stick with the federal limits and believe that no candidate could best him in fundraising...or, he could abandon the federal limits if necessary, because he has his wife's fortune that no other candidate has as a resource.

I'm still crying foul if Kerry injects personal money into the race, because it wasn't his money until he married into it.

[Pez]

11. so it's ok to have schitzophrenic dollar-driven morals?

point is dean made a huge issue that it was a moral/character flaw to opt out of public funding.

be honest; if kerry had opted out first you guys would be all over him like white on rice. when dean does something questionable somehow people see it as at least being "more right" than when someone else does it, which i find a little tiresome.

[helleborient]

12. My opinion on the campaign financing is...

George W. Bush broke the system...something Kerry has never directly acknowledged.

Howard Dean is responding to a situation he, and no one else, expected.

John Kerry is attacking with one side of his mouth and ready to throw personal millions of dollars from his wife's inheritance into the race.

In my estimation, George W. Bush broke the system...and all of the rest is logical to have happen.

George W. Bush deserves John Kerry's ire more than anyone else if he's truly ticked the federal funding system has been violated.