No Principle Here

In the wake of Barack Obama's decision on June 19, 2008 to channel Richard Nixon- er, to be the first major party presidential candidate to refuse public financing since the Watergate-era reform- there has been on the left both criticism and support of the senator's coldly calculated decision. Daily Kos and some others have argued that, well, the importance of electing Obama trumps any other principle or consideration.

But before we give any credence to that line of reasoning, hear the defense of Obama's move by conservative Repub Britt Hume of GOP TV. On Fox News Sunday on 6/22/08, Hume said

It’s a flip-flop. It’s worth it. And I say by and large good for him for a couple of reasons. One is that Obama really has proved that the limits necessary, because of public financing, if you take it, do not merely screen out the evil influence of all the rich people in America, but they also make it impossible for a great many individual donors to make their voices heard through their contributions.

So there you have it: forego public financing and "hear the voices" of powerful individuals tied to the pharmaceutical, energy, telecommunicationsand other special interests; or accept public financing and allow 150 million or so American taxpayers have their say. Britt Hume has made his choice- and likes Barack Obama's choice, too.