Highlights from tonight's Larry King/McCain Interview:

[SemiCharmedQuark]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/29/lkl.mccain/index.html

"Look, there's racism in America -- we all know that," the Republican hopeful told CNN's Larry King Wednesday.
"But I am totally convinced that 99 and forty-four-one-hundredths percent of Americans are going to make the decision based on who is best to lead this country," he continued.

McCain repeatedly accused Obama of "not telling the American people the truth," particularly on the question of public financing for his campaign. Video Watch McCain accuse Obama of lying about campaign financing »
"Twice he looked into the camera when he was in debate with Sen. Clinton and said, 'I'll sit down and negotiate with John McCain before I decide on public financing,' " McCain charged."I'm still waiting for the call."
Obama announced after clinching the Democratic nomination for president that he would not take public funding for his campaign, freeing him to raise unprecedented amounts of money directly from contributors.
McCain accused him not only of breaking a pledge, but of failing to account properly for his donations.
"We don't know where they came from, we don't know who contributed," he said.

He said the Obama campaign had been "intelligent" to try to tie him to the unpopular President Bush, but denied the tactic would be successful."I think that the American people realize that I'm very different in many ways, whether it be spending, or the conduct of the war in Iraq, or climate change, or treatment of prisoners, or a number of other issues," he said.

[GoesTo11]

1. What's missing: anything about McCain

What is this, an interview about Obama? Is all this guy can do is be negative?

yes.

[Drunken Irishman]

2. What is up with the 99 and forty-four-one-hundredth comment?

That is a random number.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

4. Maybe he's discounting all the racist supporters that have already outed themselves at his rallies.

[MarjorieG]

5. Pure. Ivory Snow?

[onenote]

6. NOt random at all: Ivory soap used to bill itself as 99 44/100ths pure

and "it floats"!!

http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/ivory.htm

[Drunken Irishman]

10. Ah, so it's a saying?

[onenote]

11. an ad slogan, yes.

[atreyu]

16. "an ad slogan, yes"

Yeah, an ad slogan for a pure white bar of soap. Ivory Snow, and the use of that 99 and 44/100th percentage, connotes one thing: purity. And not just any purity. White purity. No, I'm not tripping. Think about it.

To me, dropping that percentage into a conversation about race is race-baiting. Simple as that. And, in this man's opinion, is not that far from the way White Supremacists "innocently" sing the song "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas."

Up until now, I'd given McCain a break, thinking that all the race-baiting and code words were coming from Palin and surrogates and extreme members of the party. But no more. He'd already lost my vote, now he's also lost my respect.

[SidDithers]

17. It was also the combination Gene Wilder used...

to open a door, when playing Willy Wonka in the original Chocolate Factory movie.

/moviegeekmode

Sid

[DFW]

3. Oh, we realize he's different, all right

Bush combs his hair in a completely different way, and he has more of it.
You can spot the difference at a glance.

[BostonTLover]

7. McCain tried to opt out of public financing too

! but couldnt cuz he had already taken a loan out against it, so the FEC didn't allow. McCain tried to do it, but it would have been illegal. Obama could do it because he didn't try to use any public money before opting out. That is the difference now. The man is incredulous!

[Cha]

8. Thanks, BostonTLover..I

did not know that! And, Welcome to DU:bounce:

[BostonTLover]

12. Yep, there's more articles, but here is one

There's more articles out there, but just quickly browsing, I found this:

http://majikthise.typepad.com/majikthise_/2008/02/mccain-promised.html

In plain English, McCain got the loan by promising a publicly-funded bailout, if anything went wrong. The FEC is not amused.

McCain opted for public financing when his campaign was struggling last summer. Then, when his electoral fortunes rebounded, he told the FEC he wanted out again.

Rick Hansen of the Election Law blog writes, "Meanwhile, as Marc Schmitt has documented (see here, here, and here), McCain, in applying for a campaign loan, apparently promised to remain a candidate and opt back in to the system in the event his campaign faltered again."

McCain didn't get the public money in his pocket, but he borrowed against the promise of public money. In the eyes of the FEC, benefiting from the prospect of public money may be tantamount to taking the cash.

McCain could be in big trouble if the FEC won't release him from the program. Public financing imposes strict spending and fund raising limits. McCain has already burned through about $46 million, betting on his ability to raise still more money from private donors.

What a smarmy sleazeball. The McCain of McCain Feingold can't even make it to through the primary without embroiling himself in shady private financing schemes.

[Cha]

15. Thank you so much! This should be spread far

and wide.

The one thing mccain does the best besides lie is whine.

[terrya]

9. "Yeah, there's racism, right, whatever"

My, such concern. Try not to get upset about it or anything, asshole.

[Thrill]

13. No one cares about Public Financing. Or they wouldn't donate

[high density]

14. Nobody cares about campaign finance!

I can't believe this is McCain's final argument-- "Obama was mean and raised more money than me!"