The true cost of accepting soft money support
Like it or not, the now famous Swift Boat advertisement in the last Presidential election harpooned John Kerry. The result: brace yourself for an entire season of off-based, dishonest commercials. It's already started. On the Democratic side, Move On published the now infamous "General Betrayus" advertisement -- lampooning a decent man's testimony even before he took the stand. On the Republican front, "The Foundation for a Secure and Prosperous America" (a group started by Rick Reed who helped produce the Swift Boat advertisement) is running an advertisement in South Carolina to bolster the sagging election of Sen. John McCain.
The problem? Once again politicians haven't put their money where their mouth is. John McCain is the chief antagonist of just this sort of group. His McCain /Feingold law helps dictate soft money policy and regulation today. But here he is, sitting back, benefiting from the very sort of advertisement McCain /Feingold sought to regulate. It's one reason my own support has shifted from McCain this election cycle. I've always thought he was a man who spoke his own mind, unlike most politicians, and that is what got him into trouble with the GOP. I saw him immediately after the Abu Ghraib prioson scandal in a hallway at the US Capitol, directly after he viewed the infamous abuse photos in a private room. He was shaken to his boots, while other politicians seemed, well, miffed. And, whether or not you support the war in Iraq: you know where John McCain stands. I respect that. Unfortunately, in this election cycle, he's lost site of that moral compass and has "moved to the right". In other words, he's traded his convictions for votes, as evidenced by staying silent while benefiting from these soft-money advertisements in South Carolina.
Who can blaim McCain for taking a few political points after the horrible smears by W and his team during the last primary election? Oh, wait...I seem to remember it wasn't really W who was in charge of those smears, but an exterior, 501-C-4, non-regulated, not for profit group....a group very similar to The Foundation for a Secure and Prosperous America. Remember, Senator, what goes around comes around. Go back to following your moral compass.