The Democratic National Committee is circulating a quote that a
liberal blog dug up from John McCain five years ago in which he says candidates should not try to game the public financing system for presidential elections for "tactical advantage."

They argue that's exactly what Mr. McCain is now trying to do by opting out of the system for the primaries, just months after he asked to be included.

On Nov. 21, 2003, Mr. McCain introduced a bill with his campaign finance partner Democratic Sen. Russell D. Feingold that would have revamped the public financing system, boosting the spending limits and making candidates have to take public financing for both the primary and general elections, or to reject it for both, but not pick and choose.

In his statement introducing the bill, Mr. McCain said:

"The purpose of the presidential public financing system is to allow candidates to run competitive races for the presidency without becoming dependent on or obligated to campaign donors. That purpose is undermined when a candidate opts out of the system to raise and spend large amounts of private money for a primary or general election race. Such candidates should not be able to reject public financing and then get the system's benefits when it suits their tactical advantage. A candidate should have to opt in or out of the system for the whole election."

If tactical advantage is what he was trying to stop then, it's just what he appears to be trying to gain now by picking and choosing when he will accept public funds and when he won't, all based on which allows gets him the most money.

Last year he applied to qualify for taxpayer-funded matching funds for the primary campaign, though his campaign says that does not mean he intended to take them. This year he announced he would, indeed, refuse federal funds, but, according to his campaign, will still take public funds for the general election starting in September.

It was clear from both Mr. McCain's and Mr. Feingold's statements that they were trying to stop folks from gaming the system like that. As Mr. Feingold said:

"One very important provision of this bill ties the primary and general election systems together and requires candidates to make a single decision on whether to participate. Candidates who opt out of the primary system and decide to rely solely on private money cannot return to the system for the general election. And candidates must commit to participate in the system in the general election if they want to receive federal matching funds in the primaries."

Mr. McCain's campaign rightly points out that his bill wasn't passed, and so the old — and in his view broken — system remains in place.

"The very reason that McCain advocated for that bill — the undisputed fact that the primary funding system is inadequate and completely broken — is the reason he is not staying in it now," said spokesman Brian Rogers.

They also say Sen. Barack Obama, one of his potential Democratic opponents, is considering breaking his own pledge to take public financing in the general election.

But the issue with the quote goes to whether Mr. McCain is consistent with his own principles. Even though the law doesn't require it right now, he could could choose to follow his own principles and opt out of public financing for the general election. But that could cost him millions of dollars.

As Mr. McCain said yesterday in talking about American leadership, sometimes you have to be the model citizen first if you want others to view you as a model. Here's his chance.

— Stephen Dinan, national political reporter, The Washington Times