McCain's Principle, and its Price

The McCain campaign, having enjoyed a resurgence of late, continues to suffer from its lack of funds. And now it will suffer because of the candidate's principles. The New York Times today carries a front-page piece about the emergence of a new 501 c (4) group that has been broadcasting an ad on cable TV in South Carolina. The ad is ostensibly devoted to pressing for the passage of a bill that would improve health care for veterans, but its obvious goal -- obvious because of its glowing representation of the Arizona senator, because the veterans care bill is in no danger of failing and because the director of the 501 c (4) and most of its funders are his supporters -- is to boost McCain's presidenital candidacy in the South Carolina GOP primary. Given that McCain co-authored a famous and eponynous campaign finance reform bill, and given that the Senator has long railed against the perversion of democracy caused by the influence of well-funded, shadowy third-party interest groups that dump cash into pre-election advertising, the emergence of this ad, and the 501 c (4), presented his campaign with an awkward problem.

The Times article suggests that while McCain has called on the group to pull its ad, his request has been half-hearted. This morning the campaign responds with a statement that would seem to make the senator's position on the matter quite clear:

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain today issued the following statement:
"I have long opposed the use of soft money by independent groups trying to influence elections. It is a position I hold without reservation. Anyone who believes they could assist my campaign by exploiting a loophole in campaign finance laws is doing me and our country a disservice. I ask all of my donors and supporters, including Mr. Reed, to cease and desist immediately from supporting any independent expenditures that might be construed as benefiting my campaign indirectly. If you respect me or my principles, I urge you to refrain from using my name and image in any ads or other activities. I will not win this election, nor would I want to win it, by acquiescing in anyone's attempt to put my campaign before my principles. I will run on my principles, my record, and my vision for our country, and I will trust the voters to make the right decision. I will never betray my trust to them or my own conscience for the sake of expediency, and I want all who support me to honor that commitment."

McCain needs all the help he can get, in South Carolina and everywhere else. But he's rejecting this help, even though it would seem to be perfectly legal under current campaign finance laws, with their many loopholes. That's a principled stand, even if it's one that might extinguish McCain's already flickering hopes of winning his party's nomination.

UPDATE: As I was about to post on this, I noticed Karen and Ana had beaten me to it. But I'm posting anyway, fwiw.