I saw an argument from Howard Dean, that McCain also used his commitment to public financing to get himself on the ballot in many states. Perhaps you could follow up on that as well?

This is a bit like the Enron deal structures.

Don't you all get it? Laws that restrict only apply to Democrats! That is the new Rethuglican spoils system.

Of course the actual election is optional based on the predicted outcome.

Contracts only apply in a democracy. Now that we have decided to forego our democracy, important people no longer have to pay attention to these little problems. We common folk, however, will find ourselves in trouble if we neglect to abide by them..

"If he can does that mean that if I sign up for the volunteer Army can I opt out at any time if I don't cash the checks they send me? Can I still do it if I finance a new car based on the fact that I am employed with the Army?"

this is gold.

I think Steve has it dead on here, and Paul, despite your great reporting I think you are not emphasising this enough -- it's not just the loans, it's the ballot lines. Dean spent MILLIONS getting on ballots after he opted out of public financing. That is not just a promise to a bank -- there's an argument to be made that banks can take whatever they like as adequate collateral, it's a private contract between two parties, and he only said he would use the public financing IF he needed it, which is not a lie -- the free ballot lines were a concrete monetary gain premissed on his accepting public financing. That is an explicit lie McCain told for his own benefit.

geez,

The straight talk express sounds pretty crooked.

A 71 YO crook is at the helm who earned his stripes in the all male crooks club: the US Senate.

Imagine if Hillary was in such trouble. She'd be trashed and burned by the msm. Instead, McCain is going ot duke it out,through his lawyers. What a sad state of affairs this election cycle is turning out to be.

Its giving me further reason to disparage lawyers and lawmakers.

Geez, McCain, y'know, ordinarily, i'd feel bad about you losing your 'constitutional rights,' however, you haven't done jack sh*% as We The People have lost ours, so I hope this hits you where it hurts--in the wallet!

This initial discussion has ignored the aspect that Howard Dean mentioned, that McCain has used the public financing promise to get his name on many state ballots thereby bypassing the need to go through the process of getting signatures. This is something that usually costs millions of dollars. That alone should represent having accepted public financing. As for any claim of constitutional freedoms, it actually seems a lot like Bush, where laws are only meant for other people. McCain has a constitutional right to ignore a law he helped bring about. Others don't have that choice - others likely being non-Republicans. He's the war president candidate.

But even on a superficial level, the public financing law is more like a contract than a law that restricts one's constitutional rights. McCain agreed to the contract when it suited his needs and now that it doesn't he no longer wishes to abide by its terms. A deadbeat in other words. Certainly not any sort of freedom fighter or rights advocate.

On a fundamental level McCain's attempt at gaming the system with a promise to get public financing only if his presidential run tanked and was worthless, makes Reagan's mythical and racist "welfare queen" seem like a paragon of virtue concerned about "what you can do for your country." "Welfare John" would go to the race track and borrow money to make his bets. If he won, he'd pay off the bet loan with his winnings and go around like a sharp eyed horseman. If he lost he'd get the welfare state to cover the costs. Nice. A man of integrity. Someone quite suitable for the office of U.S. President.

"Welfare John." I wonder if he runs onto public buses after they've been in traffic accidents to claim personal injury.

We all know who is going to blink first.

Our govt. and officials have eyelid Turrettes syndrome from all the blinking they do, in favor of corps and rightwingers and against the people, the left.

We wouldn't want an uncomfortable scene, no matter how bad the people are defrauded. We wouldn't want to cause a little discomfort to a well connected or well-heeled personage, no matter how many little people's necks get stood on.

Please, Josh and David and the rest, keep pushing. Keep pushing.

McCain stands revealed as just another Republican crook. But, the voters don't mind that at all. So, don't expect any payback from the voters. And, any action by the government has to await the FEC having a quorum, which means sometime in 2009. By then McCain may be President. End of story. But, a Democrat may instead be President. End of story.

So, the real serious issue facing us is that Obama may have roots in Africa. You coulda knocked me over with a feather when I read about that. I thought the guy was just a sun bather.

Has anyone done an analysis of what happens to McCain's delegate count if you subtract the states where he got a free ballot line as a result of agreeing to public financing? Seems like the GOP race might have another presumptive front-runner. (unless of course by "runner" you mean "fugitive".)

Another question no one in the press seems to be asking is why the hell McCain got a bank loan in the first place.

McCain's wife is worth at least $100 Million Dollars.

So why did he get the loan with the bank instead of his wife?
So his wife didn't want to lend him the money, why not use her fortune as collateral instead of going through with that public financing sham?
His wife knew he was good for it, the public financing ensured she would be repaid. So why'd he go to a bank?

It's obvious that McCain's wife didn't give him her full support, Someone needs to ask him (or her) Why?

I'm not holding my breath, most of the press doesn't have the temerity to ask tough questions like that. Perhaps they're worried that McCain's response would be to blow his top.

I'm not a newsman, but a candidate blowing his top sounds like a good news story to me.

Obama may have roots in Africa

also rumored to have fathered a black child

oh, wait, that's next week's smear ...