FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                        Contact: Maggie Duncan, LWVUS

February 15, 2008                                             (202) 263-1332

www.lwv.org                                                        mduncan@lwv.org

Campaign Legal Center - Common Cause - Democracy 21
League of Women Voters - Public Citizen - U.S. PIRG

Reform Groups Urge Senator Obama to Reaffirm
the Commitment He Made Last Year to Use Public Financing
System if He Gets the Democratic Nomination and if His
Republican Opponent Also Agrees to Use Public Financing in General Election

In a letter sent today, reform groups urged Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) to personally make clear to citizens that he remains committed to using the public financing system in the presidential general election if he is the Democratic nominee and if the Republican nominee also agrees to use the public financing system in the general election.

A copy of the letter is available here.

The reform groups include the Campaign Legal Center, Common Cause, Democracy 21, the League of Women Voters, Public Citizen and U.S. PIRG.

According to the letter:

Our organizations are deeply concerned about recent statements by your campaign spokesperson, Bill Burton, regarding the commitment you made last year to participate in the public financing system in the presidential general election if nominated by your party and if your major party opponent also agrees to use public financing in the general election.

The letter states, “According to Politico (February 14, 2008), Mr. Burton stated that the commitment you made last year is an ‘option,’ not a pledge.”

The letter further states:

Mr. Burton further said, “the only reason this is an option is because we pursued the decision from the FEC. As the Clinton campaign continues to remind you, Obama is not the nominee, but this is a question we will address when he is.”

The letter adds:

According to the New York Times (February 15, 2008), “‘We will address that issue in the general election, when we’re the nominee,’ Mr. Burton said. ‘We’re just not entertaining hypotheticals right now.’”

The letter states, “These statements by Mr. Burton conflict with the commitment you made last year. There was nothing said in your commitment about public financing in the general election being an ‘option,’ or ‘a question we will address’ at such time as you are the nominee.”

According to the letter, “Last year, on March 1, 2007, following a favorable FEC response to your advisory opinion request, Mr. Burton, stated: ‘If Senator Obama is the nominee, he will aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election,’ according to the Associated Press.”

The letter adds, “On the same day, Senator McCain’s campaign issued a statement making the same kind of commitment. The statement said, ‘Should John McCain win the Republican nomination, we will agree to accept public financing in the general election, if the Democratic nominee agrees to do the same.’”

The letter states, “Some nine months later you repeated the commitment in response to a questionnaire.”

The letter continues:

On November 27, 2007, the Midwest Democracy Network, an alliance of 20 civic and public interest groups based in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin, released the results of a questionnaire that they sent to all of the presidential candidates.

The following question was on the questionnaire:

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 presidential public financing system?

You answered this question as follows:

OBAMA: Yes. I have been a long-time advocate for public financing of campaigns combined with free television and radio time as a way to reduce the influence of moneyed special interests. I introduced public financing legislation in the Illinois State Senate, and am the only 2008 candidate to have sponsored Senator Russ Feingold’s (D-WI) bill to reform the presidential public financing system. 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.

The letter states, “This commitment was made without any conditions and clearly stated, ‘If I am the Democratic nominee, I will aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election.’”

The letter states, “On February 13, 2008, in response to a question, Senator McCain’s campaign manager reaffirmed the pledge Senator McCain made last year. According to a February 13, 2008 post by David Broder on washingtonpost.com:

Asked whether McCain, a longtime advocate of campaign finance reform, would accept public financing of the general election campaign, with its spending limits, Davis reiterated McCain’s pledge to do so — if the Democratic candidate also complied.”

The letter points out, “Given the uncertainty created by your campaign spokesman in the last two days about the status of the commitment you made, our organizations request that you reaffirm the commitment you made last year.”

The letter concludes:

Our organizations strongly urge you to personally make clear to citizens that you remain committed to using the public financing system in the presidential general election if you are the Democratic nominee and if the Republican nominee also agrees to use the public financing system in the general election.

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The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Membership in the League is open to men and women of all ages. With more than 88 years of experience and 850 local and state affiliates, the League is one of America’s most trusted grassroots organizations.