February 11, 2009 6:48 PM
- Text
Senate War Of Words
(CBS/AP)
There's an unusually angry feud on Capitol Hill between two high-profile senators over the contentious issue of lobbying ethics reform.
Republican Sen. John McCain accused his Democratic colleague Barack Obama of "partisan posturing" on the issue — a charge Obama called puzzling and regrettable.
The exchange, made in letters between the pair, was the latest sign of trouble as the two parties try to come up with legislation governing relations with lobbyists.
Based on past Obama statements, "I concluded your professed concern for the institution and the public interest was genuine and admirable," McCain wrote in a letter to Obama on Monday. "Thank you for disabusing me of such notions."
"The fact that you have now questioned my sincerity ... is regrettable but does not in any way diminish my deep respect for you nor my willingness to find a bipartisan solution to this problem," Obama wrote.
"I've never seen anything like it," said of the angry exchange of letters.
"It's very clear that lobbying reform is a very personal issue for John McCain, it's very important to John McCain. He believes Sen. Obama gave him a private assurance to work with him on bipartisan reform," Borger said. "He thinks Sen. Obama backed out for partisan reasons because like most Democrats, Sen. McCain thinks, Sen. Obama would rather have the issue than solve the problem heading into the 2006 election."
McCain was responding to an earlier Obama letter in which the first-term Democrat last week thanked McCain for including him in bipartisan talks on lobbying reform but expressed some differences in approach to the issue spurred by recent lobbying scandals.
Republican Sen. John McCain accused his Democratic colleague Barack Obama of "partisan posturing" on the issue — a charge Obama called puzzling and regrettable.
The exchange, made in letters between the pair, was the latest sign of trouble as the two parties try to come up with legislation governing relations with lobbyists.
Based on past Obama statements, "I concluded your professed concern for the institution and the public interest was genuine and admirable," McCain wrote in a letter to Obama on Monday. "Thank you for disabusing me of such notions."
Obama, a rising star in the Democratic Party, responded in a letter later Monday that he had "no idea what ... prompted" McCain to strike out like that.
Read Obama's Feb. 6 letter to McCain (.pdf)
Read McCain's Feb. 6 letter to Obama
Read Obama's Feb. 2 letter to McCain (.pdf)
"The fact that you have now questioned my sincerity ... is regrettable but does not in any way diminish my deep respect for you nor my willingness to find a bipartisan solution to this problem," Obama wrote.
"I've never seen anything like it," said of the angry exchange of letters.
"It's very clear that lobbying reform is a very personal issue for John McCain, it's very important to John McCain. He believes Sen. Obama gave him a private assurance to work with him on bipartisan reform," Borger said. "He thinks Sen. Obama backed out for partisan reasons because like most Democrats, Sen. McCain thinks, Sen. Obama would rather have the issue than solve the problem heading into the 2006 election."
McCain was responding to an earlier Obama letter in which the first-term Democrat last week thanked McCain for including him in bipartisan talks on lobbying reform but expressed some differences in approach to the issue spurred by recent lobbying scandals.
- 1
- 2
- Next Page »
Popular Now in Politics
- CPAC: Will Sarah Palin spring a surprise?
- Sarah Palin revs up CPAC faithful
- Mitt Romney wins Maine GOP caucuses
- CPAC: Anti-Obama beats pro-Romney
- Ann Coulter riles up the CPAC crowd
- Romney takes on hecklers at Maine town hall
- Romney on Obama: I will "knock him on his heels"
- Mitt Romney wins CPAC straw poll
- Gov. Jindal prepping for national stage
- Occupy protestors kicked out of CPAC
- Immigration speaker sparks controversy at CPAC
- Santorum infers straw poll-rigging at CPAC
- What Does 'GOP' Stand For?
- Health Care Bill: What's In It?
- Timothy Dolan: Birth control tweak a "first step"
- After uproar, Obama tweaks birth control rule
- Santorum: Women could bring "emotions" to combat
Latest CBS News Headlines
on Facebook Most Discussed Stories
on CBS News
- Cyprus opens area for oil, gas exploration
- Halfway through Fashion Week, fierce fitted looks
- Adele reflects on body image, her weight
- US probes door fires in 2006, 2007 TrailBlazers
on Facebook Most Discussed Stories
on CBS News
