Sen. Barack Obama Sets the Record Straight on Campaign Financing

“The key has always been making sure the special interests aren’t yanking my chain.”


(New York, NY) June 27, 2008—In a candid interview on Our World with Black Enterprise airing this weekend, U.S. presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama discusses his decision to forego public financing. He tells host Ed Gordon, “If you look at my very specific statement, it said that we will try to work to preserve the public finance system. In a letter I wrote to the FEC, I reserved the right to opt out during the primary, but perhaps participate in the general election. But I never said that I was definitely going to be in the public financing system, because we anticipated that there might be problems with people outside of the system spending a lot of money attacking me, and I intend to win this election.”

“The key for me has always been making sure that the special interests—the banks, the oil companies, the insurance companies, the lobbyists—that they’re not yanking my chain. We’ve been able to do that and make sure that I’m independent, and that I can speak my mind. And that’s always been my goal, and that’s what we’re going to accomplish.”

This weekend on a special edition of Our World with Black Enterprise, Ed Gordon sits down with Democratic Presidential Candidate Sen. Barack Obama for the entire program to talk about the economy, universal healthcare, the plight of black families and black men, his wife, the war, and his opting out of public campaign financing.

This episode airs in NYC on WABC-TV, Sunday, June 29th, at 5:30PM, right before the evening news. For people living outside the New York area, check your local listing at http://ourworld.blackenterprise.com. Tune in and spread the word!

To see a sneak peak, click here: www.blackenterprise.com/Obama-Exclusive


Monique S. Myles

Marketing Manager
Black Enterprise
P: 212.886.6762 F: 212.886.9618 E: mylesm@blackenterprise.com

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