McCain's could lose $85 million in public money

This is a storyof Bush Administration meddling in federal regulatory agencies jumping up and biting the GOP in the ass -- specifically McCain's.

It seems that the Bush Administrations scheme to gut the Federal Election Commission by not appointing new members and thus assuring the FEC has no quorum is causing a big problem for McCain.

McCain is depending on $85 million in public financing for the general election -- money he can't get if the FEC can't meet.

The agency, which monitors compliance of federal election laws, has had only two commissioners out of a normal complement of six for months, leaving it without a quorum and powerless to act. Without a functioning commission, campaign finance experts said, Mr. McCain’s ability to collect $85 million in federal money for the general election through the country’s public financing system would be severely complicated.

"Without an act of the commission, you don’t get the money," said Kenneth Gross, a campaign finance lawyer with Skadden, Arps.

Mr. McCain has already begun returning checks designated for the general election to donors, but if the deadlock over nominees to the commission continues, campaign finance experts said he would need either a court order or an act of Congress to amend the statute so he could receive the public money.

So, naturally, Bush has decided to go ahead and appoint three new commission members.

But not before one meddling some more:

President Bush also decided on Tuesday to pull a pending renomination of the current chairman of the commission, David M. Mason, a Republican. Mr. Mason raised questions this year about Mr. McCain’s right to withdraw from the public financing system for the primary.

Gosh, it sure would be a shame if confirmation of the new FEC members were held up for -- oh, say -- six months.

That'd be a damn shame.