Worth repeating.

Arianna on McCain, via Steve Benen...

He denied ever talking with John Kerry about his leaving the GOP to be Kerry’s ‘04 running mate — then later admitted he had, insisting: “Everybody knows that I had a conversation.”

He denied admitting that he didn’t know much about economics, even though he’d said exactly that to the Wall Street Journal. And the Boston Globe. And the Baltimore Sun.

He denied ever having asked for a budget earmark for Arizona, even though he had. On the record.

He denied that he’d ever had a meeting with comely lobbyist Vicki Iseman and her client Lowell Paxon, even though he had. And had admitted it in a legal deposition.

And those are just the outright denials. He’s also repeatedly tried to spin away statements he regretted making (see: 100-year war, Iraq was a war for oil, etc.).

McCain has decided to make Obama's decision to opt out of the public financing system an issue of trust. I don't entirely disagree with the premise, but my conclusion is, unsurprisingly, somewhat different.

Indeed, by creating the opportunity for Americans to invest in a campaign whose success is staked on involving historic numbers of individual contributors, Obama displays a trust in the people that enhances my trust in him. I'm reassured, as well, that he wouldn't dogmatically stick to a position when the facts on the ground shifted in a way that affords this historic opportunity. If he were to accept public financing in the current enviroment, he would betray his trust in us, which is one of the strongest causes for trust in him.