The Changemaker = fraud

It's no surprise that after the money began pouring in from academics, Hollywood and Hyde Park elites and starving college kids who gave their meal money to Howard Dean four years ago, Barack Obama has done a complete 180 and changed course on accepting public financing. He will outman and outspend McCain by a considerable margin.

But per David Brooks:

"In January 2007, he told Larry King that the public-financing system works. In February 2007, he challenged Republicans to limit their spending and vowed to do so along with them if he were the nominee. In February 2008, he said he would aggressively pursue spending limits. He answered a Midwest Democracy Network questionnaire by reminding everyone that he has been a longtime advocate of the public-financing system."

So after NAFTA-gate, Rezkogate, Wrightgate (and subsequently, throw-grandma-under-the-bus- gate) and a host of others, it's no surprise that Barack Obama, the most captivating, magnanimous politician of our lifetimes and the man who promises to transform Washington, retracted his promises to take public financing (and thus be limited in his spending) and unabashedly lied to the American people. It's worth asking how much more of a free pass he will get from the media. This is the biggest story of the election cycle thus far, and it will likely be brushed aside.

However, regardless of whether the story receives significant play, this is another enormous piece of ammunition for McCain to use come September. As has been written in this space before, he must attack Obama's extremist record and his empty promises. He must paint Obama for what he is: Not a transformative public figure, but rather a conventional liberal politician from Chicago who is willing to say anything and throw anyone under the bus to get ahead. He must attack Obama's truthfulness, his character and his image, because only one word comes to mind:

Fraud.

If you're an Obama supporter and still can find nothing wrong with the man, we suggest you put down your copy of The Nation, turn off "Countdown" and do some digging.