Just over a year ago, we reported gleefully on Sen. Obama’s challenge to the Republicans to accept public financing in the general election (“Sen. Obama Throws Down the Public Financing Gauntlet”). Should Sen. McCain be the nominee, we reasoned, it was an especially potent challenge, given his history setting up the public financing system and apparent willingness to forgo it in order to remain competitive.

Then, in March, Sen. McCain accepted the challenge. We noted that development in a post called “A Victory for Principle,” observing that “the 2008 presidential campaign could be the first in U.S. history to be completely special interest-free. Let’s hope we have a chance to see that.”

Fast-forward 11 months. Sen. Obama is now outraising Sen. McCain 3-to-1. Of course, Sen. McCain is very publicly challenging Sen. Obama to remain true to his word, and so far Sen. Obama appears hesitant to do so.

Okay, here’s the thing. This blog was created to help generate interest in Sen. Obama’s candidacy before there was a candidacy. Given that, we’ve refrained from being critical of the campaign to the extent possible, staying out of scuffles like the Obama MySpace melee, which struck me as especially poorly handled by the campaign, though not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things.

On this issue, though, the time has come for some tough love.

This has been a principled campaign of which Obama supporters and staffers can and should be proud. But part of being a principled campaign is that you have to stay true to your principles.

I know that accepting public financing would mean walking away from a boatload of money. And I know that the boat we are talking about here is the size of Rhode Island. But that can’t matter now. John McCain wants the reformer mantle, he wants the “change candidate” title. Sen. McCain has been in Washington forever and is as much a change agent as he is a real estate agent, and he doesn’t deserve it. But if Sen. Obama walks away from this pledge, McCain will get it.

Come on, Senator Obama! I know you’ve got plenty of seasoned advisors telling you that with your fundraising power and donor base you will be able to bury Sen. McCain in ads and placards. They are wrong. America does not let its presidential candidates buy elections. And even if we did, you are not interested in winning that way. It runs contrary to the whole message of your campaign.

Stay on the path you’ve trailblazed, the path of principle and integrity and substance that so many Americans have so eagerly followed you down. Show the country that it’s not all talk. Raise the bar for all of us, and we’ll reward you by clearing it every time.

I hope the Obama camp comes through on this, I really do. I think it’s crucial to a November victory. Not only would it completely change the landscape of American politics for the better by cutting out special interests, but it would prove that the principles that gird the Obama campaign are not for sale, even for hundreds of millions of dollars.

Best of all, we’d still win.

Most heartening are headlines like “Obama stealing Clinton’s base” and “Independent voters break for Obama and against McCain.” This really is a campaign that people from all walks of life can support. And they are — from every age group, every racial heritage, every gender, every demographic. The Democratic tent has never been so big.

In December 2006, we took aim at the ridiculous “Is America ready for a black president?” meme. We called the question “a complete and utter cop-out…just a way to pass the buck and speculate without the danger of having to draw a conclusion.” For our part, we concluded that “America will demonstrate the state of its readiness soon enough.”

Fourteen months later, America is doing precisely that.

From TPM Election Central:

Obama Wins Maine By Large Margin, Signaling Dark Stretch Ahead For Hillary Camp

With 70% reporting, Obama had 58% to Hillary’s 41%. The surprisingly big victory for Obama came on the same day as the Hillary campaign signaled a recognition of its travails by announcing a shuffling of their inner circle, replacing campaign manager and longtime loyalist Patti Solis Doyle with longtime Hillary confidant Maggie Williams.

Obama’s victory effectively left Hillary advisers grappling with the possibility that the worst case scenario that they’d been anticipating for some time could come true: The prospect of no victories for the rest of February. This coming Tuesday, Obama could very well sweep the Potomac Primary — Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.

The train has left the station. Time to get on board.

A nasty case of this condition is reportedly sweeping through the Clinton campaign, according to Steve Clemons:

A well-placed spouse of a Clinton campaign insider just told me that a rumor is spreading like wild fire in Hillaryland that Al Gore is going to endorse Barack Obama.

My source emphasizes that this is rumor and may just be paranoia and hyperventilation of the campaign, but it’s important to know that this rumor is out there. Another source of mine inside Obamaland has told me that they have been working very hard to secure Gore’s public support and trying numerous avenues to “encourage” him.

Fingers crossed.

Big wins all over!  California exits are not looking great, but the delegate breakdown is another ball of wax entirely.  But MO is enormous, plus Minnesota, Connecticut and all the others.

Keep the momentum going!

For an explanation of why hateful videos about Sen. Obama are screening on this site, please see this post.

You can view all “Expose the Hate” posts here.

Glad to hear it! This is a huge day, the Halley’s Comet of electoral politics. What better way to kick off the general election campaign of the most transformative candidate in modern history?

And while you’re waiting for the polls to open, enjoy this video, created by supporters totally unaffiliated with the campaign:

Which makes this especially exciting news:

A new poll out Sunday suggests Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are locked in a dead heat for the biggest prize on Super Tuesday: delegate-rich California.

According to a just released poll from the Field Research Corporation, Clinton only holds a statistically insignificant 2 point lead over Obama in California, 36 percent to 34 percent. Meanwhile the poll shows 18 percent of California Democrats have yet to make up their minds.

The poll suggests the race has significantly narrowed in the state in only a matter weeks– most polls two weeks ago showed Clinton with a double-digit lead there. A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll taken a week ago showed Clinton with a 17 point lead there.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy will endorse Barack Obama for president tomorrow, breaking his year-long neutrality to send a powerful signal of where the legendary Massachusetts Democrat sees the party going — and who he thinks is best to lead it.

Kennedy confidantes told the Globe today that the Bay State’s senior senator will appear with Obama and Kennedy’s niece, Caroline Kennedy, at a morning rally at American University in Washington tomorrow to announce his support.

That will be a potentially significant boost for Obama as he heads into a series of critical primaries on Super Tuesday, Feb. 5.

Kennedy believes Obama can “transcend race” and bring unity to the country, a Kennedy associate told the Globe. Kennedy was also impressed by Obama’s deep involvement last year in the bipartisan effort to craft legislation on immigration reform, a politically touchy subject the other presidential candidates avoided, the associate said.

The coveted endorsement is a huge blow to New York Senator Hillary Clinton, who is both a senatorial colleague and a friend of the Kennedy family. In a campaign where Clinton has trumpeted her experience over Obama’s call for hope and change, the endorsement by one of the most experienced and respected Democrats in the Senate is a particularly dramatic coup for Obama.

Great timing. Bring on Super Duper Tuesday.

UPDATE: Commenter Deb points out that the Ted Kennedy endorsement comes on the heels of the Caroline Kennedy endorsement, articulated beautifully in a NYT op-ed today:

I want a president who understands that his responsibility is to articulate a vision and encourage others to achieve it; who holds himself, and those around him, to the highest ethical standards; who appeals to the hopes of those who still believe in the American Dream, and those around the world who still believe in the American ideal; and who can lift our spirits, and make us believe again that our country needs every one of us to get involved.

I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans.

More impressive is the exit poll information, which shows him winning handily in nearly every demographic: Men, Women, African Americans, every age cohort between 18 and 64, White voters age 18-29, and churchgoers.

What’s more, of voters who said that former President Bill Clinton’s campaigning played an important role in their decision, most by far voted for Sen. Obama. Looks like sending a former head of state into the muck of disingenuous politicking has its price.

Anyone think we’ll be seeing less of the Pit Bill in the weeks ahead? Judging from these polls, I’m inclined to hope not.

UPDATE: The video: