Just in, Mark Halperin at The Page reports that Barack Obama is opting out of public financing this morning.
He'll be making a video announcement to his supporters, so we all should presumably receive his e-mail. Please feel free to use this as an open thread to discuss the ramifications of his decision.
Says the reason is because the system is "broken" and McCain and the RNC will be fueled by contributions from lobbyists, PACs.
"So join me. And declare your independence from this broken system and let’s build the first general election campaign that’s truly funded by the American people. With this decision, this campaign is in your hands in a way that no campaign has ever been before."
LET'S MAKE THIS CAMPAIGN OWNED BY US ONLY!
Here's more background on why Obama took this route:
Obama spokesman Bill Burton is blaming Senator John McCain's campaign for failing, he says, to negotiate in good faith on a course to public financing.
"In the past couple of weeks, our campaign counsels met and it was immediately clear that McCain's campaign had no interest in the possibility of an agreement," Burton said. "When asked about the RNC's months of raising and spending for the general election, McCain's campaign could only offer its expectation that the Obama campaign would probably, sooner or later, catch up. And shortly thereafter, Senator McCain signaled to the 527s that they were free to run wild, without objection."
Burton said that while Obama had essentially shut down fundraising for Progressive Media USA, which aspired to be a major anti-McCain media voice, McCain had sent no such clear signal to GOP 527s.