Reform Groups Urge Candidates to Abide by Primary Spending Limit

[The Sushi Bandit]

http://www.democracy21.org/index.asp?Type=B_PR&SEC={F01F57D8-7E6D-4233-A788-53E18109E23D}&DE={D5C11FC9-6782-4A59-9ACD-BDDAA51560B8}

Campaign Finance Reform Groups Urge All Democratic Presidential Candidates to Stay Within the $45 Million Campaign Spending Limit for the Primaries Until the Nominee Is Apparent



WASHINGTON, D.C. – With George W. Bush opting out of the presidential public financing system and declining to stay within the system’s $45 million spending ceiling during the primary elections, some of the Democratic candidates are actively considering whether also to opt out of the public financing and spending ceiling program. Howard Dean is expected to announce tomorrow whether he will opt out of the presidential public financing system.

While we wish that all the presidential candidates were opting into the public financing system and running for president on a level playing field, Bush’s campaign spending – which could amount to four times the spending ceiling for any candidate who stays within the primary public financing system – places a Democratic nominee who chooses to accept public financing and limit spending at a severe disadvantage.

Since Bush has no opposition in the primary elections, the $200 million he plans on spending is expected to target the Democratic “presumptive nominee.” Some Democratic candidates are concerned that if they abide by the $45 million spending ceiling and become the presumptive nominee they will be unable to respond to Bush during the rest of the primary period.

If any of the Democratic candidates decide to opt out of the public financing system, we believe those candidates should agree to voluntarily limit their primary spending to $45 million until a Democratic nominee becomes apparent. The rationale for a Democrat opting out of the system to be able to respond to Bush does not apply to running against other Democratic opponents. By agreeing to a voluntary $45 million spending limit until the Democratic nominee is known the candidates would compete on a level playing field as intended by the presidential public financing system.

These circumstances show why it is essential to make reform of the presidential public financing system a top priority in time for the 2008 elections.

[Demobrat]

1. Dean is nuts if he agrees to this.

The others have banded together to get Dean, and they will have $45 million each to attack him. Now, if all the candidates agreed to go after Bush instead of each other, that would be a different story. But that won't happen. So as long as it's 4-5 against one, that one should fight with every weapon at his disposal.

[DemDogs]

2. Dean is moral if he agrees to this

No one has banded together against Dean anymore than they band together against anyone who leads the poll in one or two early states (which is the most he does). And no one is using money to attack him (they are pretty satisfied with the way he is torpedoing himself these days).
And Dean said it was immoral to step outside the system. So you don't have to trust me: use his own test (when he was talking about Kerry) and judge him.