McCain Defends Lobbyists Working For Him

Says Advisers Who Are Lobbyists Are "Honorable"; Declines Further Comment On New York Times Article

(CBS/AP)  Sen. John McCain said Friday that while lobbyists serve as close advisers to his presidential campaign, they are honorable and he is not influenced by corruption in the system.

McCain, who has styled himself as an enemy of special interests, defended having lobbyists working for his campaign. He is the expected Republican presidential nominee.

"These people have honorable records, and they're honorable people, and I'm proud to have them as part of my team," McCain told reporters following a town hall meeting in Indianapolis.

The issue of lobbying and influence has arisen in published reports, first in The New York Times and then in The Washington Post, suggesting that McCain had an inappropriate relationship with a female lobbyist and advanced the interests of her clients. McCain on Thursday emphatically denied the reports.

Siding with McCain, the White House accused the Times of repeatedly trying to "drop a bombshell" on Republican presidential nominees to undermine their candidacies.

White House deputy press secretary Scott Stanzel noted at a Friday morning briefing that the story has received a lot of attention.

"I think a lot of people here in this building, with experience in a couple campaigns, have grown accustomed to the fact that during the course of the campaign, seemingly on maybe a monthly basis leading up to the convention and maybe a weekly basis after that, The New York Times does try to drop a bombshell on the Republican nominee.

For his part, McCain refused to comment on the White House statements.

"I don't have any more comment about this issue. I had a press conference yesterday morning, and I answered every question," McCain said.

"I'm moving on. I'm talking about the issues and the challenges of America and the big issues that Americans are concerned about. I addressed the issue and addressed every question that was addressed to me.

"I do not intend to discuss it further," he told reporters.

His aides had spent Thursday attacking the Times, but McCain said Friday: "My campaign is not doing that anymore."

McCain was asked how he squares his image as a fighter of special interests with the fact that his senior campaign team is largely made up with lobbyists. McCain has battled to reform the system of influence in Washington through campaign finance restrictions, new ethics rules and opposition to the use of earmarks by members of Congress to fund pet projects.

"I square it one way," McCain said. "The right to represent interests or groups of Americans is a constitutional right. There are people that represent firemen, civil servants, retirees, and those people are legitimate representatives of a variety of interests in America.

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Horserace: Conservatives Rallying - At Least Against The Times

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"It's not whether the individuals, many of whom are very honorable - it's whether a system or people have violated the trust of the people as representatives," he said.

The Times said McCain was not alone among presidential candidates to rely on lobbyists to help run his campaign. In McCain's case, the Times said, "Since a cash crunch last summer, several of them - including his campaign manager, Rick Davis, who represented companies before Mr. McCain's Senate panel - have been working without pay, a gift that could be worth tens of thousands of dollars." McCain serves on the Senate Commerce Committee.

"Once you're setting yourself up as a paradigm, as the example -- the best example -- of how an ethical member of Congress should behave, then you've got to know people are gunning for you if you're going to make a mistake," Melanie Sloan of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington told CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes.

"I'm proud of the record of many of my advisers. One small example, Charlie Black. Charlie Black was involved in the first Reagan campaign, and he's been involved in every national presidential campaign since," McCain said.

[twocanpete]

Prinzowhales,the unemployment rate remains so low because they only count the people who are recieving unemployment checks. Once the checks stop, usually after 26 weeks, you are no longer counted. This makes perfect sense for Bush, if he doesn''t acknowledge something then it must not exsist. I hope I''ve answered your question. You can check out my blog if you''d like to learn more.
http://twocanpete.blogspot.com/

[prinzowhales]

twocanpete--Be sure to note the job creation that "taotxzen" notes and then look how the unemployment rate magicly remains so low...even in the face of increased population.

Ask why the so-called opposition that controls Congress isn''t making a bigger issue about this.

[twocanpete]

taotxzen, you had an awesome post. If you don''t mind I would like to put this on my blog. I will of course site and if you have a blog I will be happy to link to it.

regards

twocanpete
http://twocanpete.blogspot.com/

[taotxzen]

There is that old saying, if you want to keep getting what you are getting keep doing what you are doing.

McCain is Bush 2.0

THE LEGACY OF GEORGE W. BUSH''S PRESIDENCY

The Country He Inherited, The Country He Leaves Behind

THE ECONOMY


REAL GDP GROWTH

JANUARY 20, 2001 (the day the Bush Gang took office)
4.09% Over Prior 8 Years

TODAY UNDER BUSH
2.65% Over Prior 7 Years

NATIONAL DEBT

JANUARY 20, 2001
$5.7 Trillion

TODAY UNDER BUSH
$9.2 Trillion (most not incurred from the war)

BUDGET DEFICIT/SURPLUS

JANUARY 20, 2001
$431 Billion Surplus over the Previous Three Budget Years

TODAY UNDER BUSH
$734 Billion Deficit over the Previous Three Budget Years


NEW PRIVATE SECTOR

JOBS CREATED

JANUARY 20, 2001
1.76 Million Jobs Per Year Over Previous 8 Years

TODAY UNDER BUSH
369,000 Jobs Per Year Over Previous 7 Years

AMERICANS IN POVERTY

JANUARY 20, 2001
31.6 Million

TODAY UNDER BUSH
36.5 Million

(cont)

[taotxzen]

(cont)


QUALITY OF LIFE


AMERICANS UNINSURED & CHANGE IN UNINSURED LEVEL

JANUARY 20, 2001
38 Million Uninsured
4.5 Million Less in 2 Years

TODAY UNDER BUSH
47 Million Uninsured
8.5 Million More in 6 Years

ANNUAL TOTAL PREMIUM COST

JANUARY 20, 2001
$6,230 for Family Premium

TODAY UNDER BUSH
$12,106 for Family Premium

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME & CHANGE IN MEDIAN INCOME

JANUARY 20, 2001
$49,163
$6,000 Increase in 8 Years

TODAY UNDER BUSH
$48,023
$1,100 Decrease in 6 Years

PRICE OF GAS

JANUARY 20, 2001
$1.39/Gallon

TODAY UNDER BUSH
$3.07/Gallon

COST OF COLLEGE

JANUARY 20, 2001
$3,164 per year

TODAY UNDER BUSH
$5,192 per year

PERSONAL SAVINGS RATE

JANUARY 20, 2001
+2.3%

TODAY UNDER BUSH
-0.5%

CONSUMER CREDIT DEBT

JANUARY 20, 2001
$7.65 Trillion

TODAY UNDER BUSH
$12.8 Trillion


PERSONAL SAVINGS RATE

JANUARY 20, 2001
2.3%

TODAY UNDER BUSH
-0.5%

[twocanpete]

There is still time for people to get behind Mike Huckabee and put a good man in the White House. We don''t need Juan McCain and Vickigate!
http://twocanpete.blogspot.com/

[watcher269-2009]

How about this Republicans! I bet you''''re really proud of these FACTS!

During the Austin debate last week, Barack Obama made this comment:

%u201CYou know, I%u2019ve heard from an Army captain who was the head of a rifle platoon %u2014 supposed to have 39 men in a rifle platoon,%u201D he said. %u201CEnded up being sent to Afghanistan with 24 because 15 of those soldiers had been sent to Iraq. And as a consequence, they didn%u2019t have enough ammunition, they didn%u2019t have enough humvees. They were actually capturing Taliban weapons, because it was easier to get Taliban weapons than it was for them to get properly equipped by our current commander in chief.%u201D


Well, you had to know that a statement like that%u2013insinuating that life is not all wine and roses for our troops being sent for their third, fourth and fifth rotation into the Gulf%u2013was just going to make the wingnuts crazy.

ABC%u2019s Jake Tapper took a look at Obama%u2019s anecdote, and guess what? Pretty much confirmed it as true. Silly Jake, wingnuts don%u2019t care about the truth. But I give you full points for this little dig at the end:

I find that Obama%u2019s anecdote checks out.

Some are quibbling about whether or not the %u201Ccommander in chief%u201D can be held responsible for how well our soldiers are being equipped, since Congress provides the funding for the military, but the Pentagon (and ultimately President Bush) are in charge of the funding mechanism.

[b-easy63]

From Hilary to McCAin and yes even (slightly) to Obama and Bush and Bill--they all lie. A culture of such deceit exists in Washington--that they don''t even recognize their own duplicity any more or the lies that just float out of their mouths.

No way is any lobbyists going to work for someone without expecting and getting something in return. McCAin said he did NOT help Paxton, then his deposition from 2002 came out and it all "suddenly came back to him" that he wrote the FCC and told them they better respond by the 15th or he would want to know why..they approved the license that day. (McCAin is on the committee that is over the FCC)
So..why are all the lobbyists who just want to help McCAin from areas that McCAin is in committee on?

Coincidence? Okay. The man is a big fat, greedy, lying war hog. I''m gong for the lesser of 3 evils--that will be Obama--he did lie or at least fudge on going for public funds..but still--he is the least controlled (to date) of the 3 of them.

[hbevis]

There is no excuse for a lobbyist working for a Senator, it just proves what McCain is all about. GOP thanks for all but finishing this nomination, you have been an enormous help in getting the Socialist Party to the White House

Posted by lorinkundert at 07:58 PM : Feb 23, 2008

I seems to me that the clinton crew are SOCIALIST as they come. What else would you call letting the government telling you what you can and can''t do?

[kaly1984]

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[twocanpete]

Hey, this whole thing with Vickigate, didn%u2019t it all happen at about the same time that Cyndi McCain was addicted to those drugs that she was stealing from the charity that she ran? Come on kids, do we really want another pill-head in the White House?

[jowand]

Nothing but sleaze, double-talk and apathy coming from the GOP. What''''s new?
Posted by GreatDriveW at 07:34 PM : Feb 23, 2008

Harry Reid has two sons who are lobbyists.

[incog-nito]

Why does McCain think that it''s not OK for lobbyists to work for other politicians, but it''s OK him?

[lorinkundert]

There is no excuse for a lobbyist working for a Senator, it just proves what McCain is all about. GOP thanks for all but finishing this nomination, you have been an enormous help in getting the Socialist Party to the White House

[greatdrivew]

Nothing but sleaze, double-talk and apathy coming from the GOP. What''s new?

[nmsuip]

"...Sen. John McCain said Friday that while lobbyists serve as close advisers to his presidential campaign, they are honorable and he is not influenced by corruption in the system..."

Of course. We aren''t smart enough to understand. All the OTHER lobbyists are evil. Just not his.

What do they say about lawyers & politicians? "If their lips are moving..."

[taotxzen]

Top McCain Adviser Says He Does Much Of His Lobbying From Aboard Straight Talk Express!

By Greg Sargent - February 22, 2008, 5:50PM
This is pretty great. Today''s Washington Post piece all about the fact that John McCain is surrounded by lobbyists on his campaign has gotten lots of attention today. It''s key context for understanding the big Times story yesterday about his allegedly improper relationship with that female lobbyist, as well as his constant railing against lobbyists and "special interests."


But the piece has a lovely and very revealing little nugget buried in it that has passed unnoticed. It turns out that one of McCain''s top advisers, lobbyist Charlie Black, does lots of his lobbying from the Straight Talk Express. From aboard the bus itself...

Of all the lobbyists involved in the McCain campaign, the most prominent is Black...even as Black provides a private voice and a public face for McCain, he also leads his lobbying firm, which offers corporate interests and foreign governments the promise of access to the most powerful lawmakers. Some of those companies have interests before the Senate and, in particular, the Commerce Committee, of which McCain is a member.

Black said he does a lot of his work by telephone from McCain''s Straight Talk Express bus.

[candide777]

McCain use to have some dignity as an independent republican, but he sold his soul to the party so that they''d stop shunning him. He''s a mouse, not a man, and I wouldn''t vote for a mouse, would you?

[jsl45]

Just another hyprocrite conservative, who says one thing and does another. McCain committed adultery when he was married to his first wife amd was having a sexual relationship with his present second wife.....another example of those conservative family values..

[glossypan]

"This is Sen. John McCain. I''m calling to urge you to support my friend Rep. Rick Renzi for Congress. Rick has represented the first district of Arizona with tenacity, honesty and integrity beyond reproach. I work with Rick every day and can report to you his total dedication to the people of Arizona and the United States. Please join me in supporting rural Arizona''s workhorse congressman on Nov. 7. [Paid for and authorized by Rick Renzi for Congress]."
=============== ================
Text of a robocall to voters in Rick Renzi''s district.
=============== ================
Mr. Renzi is now under federal indictment for fraud and corruption. Despite making the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington "Most Corrupt Members Of Congress" list for the last three years, Renzi was co-chair of McCains Arizona presidential campaign.