CNN's Campbell Brown Attacks Obama's 'Broken Promise' on Funding

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Campbell Brown, CNN Anchor | NewsBusters.orgOn Tuesday's Election Center program, CNN anchor Campbell Brown criticized Barack Obama's decision earlier this year to break his November 2007 pledge to accept public financing of his presidential campaign: “For this last week, Senator Obama will be rolling in dough. His commercials, his get-out-the-vote effort, will, as the pundits have said, dwarf the McCain campaign's final push. But, in fairness, you have to admit, he is getting there, in part, on a broken promise.”

Brown's attack, which she made in her regular “Cutting Through the Bull” commentary at the beginning of her program, came 24 hours before Obama is scheduled to run a 30-minute infomercial on five television networks. She began her commentary by describing how “Barack Obama is loaded, way more loaded than any presidential candidate has ever been before at this stage in the campaign. Just to throw a number out, he's raised well over $600 million since the start of the campaign, close to what George Bush and John Kerry raised combined in 2004.”

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The CNN anchor then reminded her viewers of Obama's public financing promise: “One year ago, he made a promise. He pledged to accept public financing, to work with the Republican nominee to ensure that they both operated within those limits. And then it became clear to Senator Obama and his campaign that he was going to be able to raise on his own far more cash than he would get with public financing. So, Obama went back on his word. He broke his promise...”

Towards the end of the segment, Brown quoted from former senator and Obama supporter Bob Kerrey to hint that Obama is a hypocrite: “On this issue today, former Senator Bob Kerrey, an Obama supporter, writes in The New York Post quote, 'A hypocrite is a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue, who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings, and that, it seems to me, is what we are doing now.'”

The full transcrpt of Campbell Brown's commentary, which began one minute into the 8 pm Eastern hour of Tuesday's Election Center program:

CAMPBELL BROWN: First, though, 'Cutting Through the Bull' -- you may have heard by now that tomorrow night, Barack Obama will be on five different TV networks speaking directly to the American people. He bought 30 minutes of air time from the different networks, a very expensive purchase. But, hey, he can afford it. Barack Obama is loaded, way more loaded than John McCain, way more loaded than any presidential candidate has ever been before at this stage in the campaign. Just to throw a number out, he's raised well over $600 million since the start of the campaign, close to what George Bush and John Kerry raised combined in 2004.

Without question, Obama has set the bar at new heights with a truly staggering sum of cash. And that is why, as we approach this November, it's worth reminding ourselves what Barack Obama said last November. One year ago, he made a promise. He pledged to accept public financing, to work with the Republican nominee to ensure that they both operated within those limits. And then it became clear to Senator Obama and his campaign that he was going to be able to raise on his own far more cash than he would get with public financing. So, Obama went back on his word. He broke his promise, and he explained it by arguing that the system is broken, and that Republicans know how to work the system to their advantage. He argued he would need all that cash to fight the ruthless attacks of 527s, those independent groups, like the Swift Boat Vets. It's funny though, rather -- those attacks never really materialized this cycle. The Washington Post pointed out recently that the bad economy has meant a cash shortage among the 527s, and that this election year, they have been far, far less influential, and the courageous among Obama's own supporters concede this decision was really made for one reason, simply because it was to Obama's financial advantage.

On this issue today, former Senator Bob Kerrey, an Obama supporter, writes in The New York Post quote, 'A hypocrite is a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue, who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings, and that, it seems to me, is what we are doing now.' For this last week, Senator Obama will be rolling in dough. His commercials, his get-out-the-vote effort, will, as the pundits have said, dwarf the McCain campaign's final push. But, in fairness, you have to admit, he is getting there, in part, on a broken promise.

—Matthew Balan is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.


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Great.  This comes out one

Great.  This comes out one week before the election.  What good is it going to do now?????

And what is wrong with John McCain (yeah, I know, rhetorical question) that he has not been hammering away at this ever since Obama declared his intention?

And the media either ignoring it or saying he was right to do it!!

Talk about hypocrisy!!

If he couldn't keep his first promise, what good are the rest of them?

I said in another thread, if he's elected, I fully expect a speech outlining how he's just so sorry, but he can't provide that tax cut he promised.

Get ready for Barack Obama kept all the promises that he intended to keep - George Stephanopoulos re Bill Clinton

 

gmta mother

This all smacks of "too little too late."  

Edit: the MSM knows more of Obama's crap will surface if he wins the election, so look for them to shift into more criticism after the damage is handily done so they can try to get back some credibility.

 

Change is what you're left with when you've spent all your dollars.

There is NO WAY they will

There is NO WAY they will ever get their credibility back!  It is absolutely shredded beyond repair.

Who ever heard of a candidate having enough money at the end of the campaign to buy 30 minutes of time on 5 networks?!?!

I have been complaing about this travesty by Obama on this blog for months.  I have lost all respect for the major news media...even Fox hasn't harped on this!

If he wins this will be the most egregious example of "buying the election" in the history of this country!

And I hope no one jumps in here and says if he didn't have great ideas people would vote for him no matter what he spent.  If that were true,  why would he be doing this so late? 

When it comes to influencing people's thoughts and opinions, it's usually last in, stays on top.

PS:  I'd have to be strapped in a chair with my eyeballs taped open to watch it.  

if he wins this will be the

if he wins this will be the most egregious example of "buying the election" in the history of this country!- And if he loses it will say to them and me God is beside us .. for now.  Hopefully it will have pointed out to the American people that we need to rethink the process.

MB, remember 1 Kings 18 Elijah, when he challenged 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah to a challenge and upped the ante many times and God pulled through.  Sounds like this election, errily similar in scope.

Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.

600 Million could buy a lot of jobs

Or insurance for "poor folks" in the projects, eh Senator Obama?

Nah.  Way better spent on expensive, high-tech professional film crews to record a perfectly lighted vignette in a studio mock-up of the oval office. 

This all smacks of "too little too late."

I wonder what the precentage is  of people who have already voted?

Seems like I have people here if florida wearing "I voted" stickers for about a month.

update: while I was typing this I had another one walk into the store.

Last minute hypocrisy.

Last minute hypocrisy.  Who's fooling who?  After 18 months of Obama lovefest, the MSM is pretending to be objective?

I missed this after I vowed to never watch CNN again

After she gave a very sarcastic commentary of Joe the plumber, actally mumbling "are you kidding" after showing him at a campaign event, my husbands said change this station and never put it on again.  I peaked this morning, but only during a Fox commercial break.  I haven't even peaked at MSNBC in a month

In Fairness? What fairness?

This "broken promise" has been known for months and she  brings it up with less than a week left in the campaign?

I believe there will be a lot more broken promises befor Barack gets sent to wherever failed politicians go.

SHES SORRY SHE HAS TO TALK AGAINST MESSIAH

Thats what "in fairness" means

um okay

A few quick questions:

1) Why does Brown only notice it a week before the election when most minds have already been made?

2) Why is she not hammering Obama for getting early votes in before bad news like this is revealed?

3) Will she apologize for her past assistance to Obama's cause and pledge to walk down the middle more often? 

Change is what you're left with when you've spent all your dollars.

candance, I can't answer

candance, I can't answer the first two, but regarding the third:

<Chris Matthews wide-eyed, open-mouth imitation>

HAH!

mmmm

I think she is worried, she is going to win the 'Sweet on Obama' award from Newsbusters!

She probably doesn't want a 'leglamp' award in her house...

Sheesh - I think I'm going to faint

Someone in the MSM actually called him on this!  It's been briefly mentioned before but always with the immediate excuse of "well, in fairness, many people say the public financing system is broken anyway...".

Yeah, sure.  And it was "broken" when Barry made the commitment.

Mr. "Bring Change to Washington" - unless, of course, it's not politically expedient to do so.

I've been getting the impression lately that the media thinks this election is in the bag and they're actually starting to FINALLY scrutinize The ObamaMessiah ever so slightly - thinking it's safe and that they will be able to counter the overwhelming public opinion that they've been an extension of the Obama campaign for the past 9 months with a few examples where they criticized him.

Mr. "Bring Change to Washington"

(Love the title! Even better than "The Great Pretender"...)

So, let's identify what he's bringing here:  hipocrasy, waffling, putting money and power first.

So, in what way is this "Change"? How is he delivering something "better"? 

"I was one of the few who wasn't in the tank..."

Too little, too late for sure.

Brown is obviously trying to rehabilitate her image at this late date, so after the election she can defend herself by proffering up a few lame examples of her 'neutrality'.

I'm not buying it. The damage has been done, and she played her part loyally.

In a nutshell, not a man of his word

One of the true tests of Obama's extremely short stint on the national scene, and he failed spectacularly.

Wonder what other promises we can expect him to break, e.g., Iraq, the economy, energy, taxes........ 

Hedging their bets

Been a lot of this lately. Campbell, Whoopi, etc.

Either "they" are a little nervous about a McCain win or they're padding themselves for the old "see, we were not biased" line if B Hussein does squeek in.

McCain press secretary should be Jeri Thompson ... now that would REALLY get these morons worried.

"All generalizations are false, including this one.” Mark Twain

Just getting their message out.

Just to throw a number out, he's [Obama] raised well over $600 million since the start of the campaign, close to what George Bush and John Kerry raised combined in 2004.

Pat yourselves on the back Brown.  You and your establisment media peers have run the most successful political fund raising campaign for any candidate in history.

Did Brown report that Obama in addition to breaking his promise on public funding has just as importantly nuanced his way around the spirit of the McCain/Feingold Campaign Finace Reform Act that CNN championed when it was signed into law? ?  No? 

Maybe Obama's questionable campaign financing will finally convince McCain that Republicans reaching across the aisle to the New Socialist Democratic Party is not bipartisanship....it's political suicide.  America will need that realization by McCain when he becomes POTUS.

I applaud McCain for running an honest financing campaign and would not support the GOP resorting to the despicable tactics used by the DNC in fund raising.  However, the GOP must recognize that this new bunch of dem leaders are not to be bargained with but defeated.  We must assist the GOP by defeating the establishment media that has morphed unashamedly into the public relations office of the New Socialist Democratic Party.

The New Socialist Democratic Party is the most corrupt group of individuals running a major party in US history.  Which makes the establishment media's unethical position of in the tank all the more understandable while explaining them throwing McCain/Feingold down the memory hole. 

What's the problem here??

Isn't CNN on the list to broadcast the O'Bambi 1/2 hour variety show? Are they feeling hurt and shunned?

 

"I need more cowbell!" SNL