John McCain is the chief author of the 2002 campaign finance overhaul, but he sent out a statement today to let voters know he won't accept blame for the Supreme Court's decision today to strike down part of that law.

In the decision, the court overturned the provision allowing candidates to break the rules if they face another wealthy, self-funded candidate. Under the law, once someone spent enough of his own money, his opponent could go raise more than the usual legal limits to respond.

"The 'Millionaire's Amendment' was not part of the original legislation, and was added on the floor during debate," McCain said in a statement.

Campaign finance is at the root of McCain's image as a reformer, but also still irks some conservative and liberal voters who see it as an infringement on political speech. McCain, in his statement, made clear he still stands behind his own product.

“Today's Supreme Court decision in Davis v. FEC does not affect the Court's landmark ruling in McConnell v. Federal Election Commission upholding the constitutionality of the soft money ban contained in BCRA. That ban is at the core of the reforms I worked for in the long bipartisan fight to pass campaign finance reform."

— Stephen Dinan, national political correspondent, The Washington Times

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