On Commitment

Let me get this straight: Senator Obama offers to work toward an agreement with the eventual Republican nominee to accept public financing for the general election.

Meanwhile, Senator McCain secures a loan in January to bail out his moribund primary campaign, either offering his expected public funding as collateral in case his campaign fails, in which case he cannot legally avoid the associated spending limits, or offering no collateral at all, in which case he has received an improper loan. Now he wants out of public financing. In short, McCain is abusing the system, and is on the verge of breaking the law that bears his own name.

Yet Senator Obama is excoriated by McCain's campaign, with the help of the press, for "failing to keep a commitment," because he will not reiterate a "promise," which he never made unconditionally, to opt into public funding for the general election? Typical Republican behavior: do something highly unethical, then rationalize it while at the same time accusing the other of exactly the same unethical behavior.

If we're talking about a test of commitment here, let's talk about commitment to the rule of law. And Barack Obama has that all over John McCain.