Obama, McCain Forged Fleeting Alliance

Washington Post: Efforts To Collaborate On Ethics Reform Fell Apart Within A Week

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Paul Kane.

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A year into his tenure on Capitol Hill, Barack Obama (D-Ill.) approached John McCain on the Senate floor to propose the two work together on a lobbying and ethics reform bill. The four-term Arizona Republican, 25 years Obama's senior, quickly saw a willing apprentice to help shake up the way business was done on Capitol Hill.

"I like him; he's probably got a great future. We can do some work together," McCain confided to his top staffer.

Instead, what began as a promising collaboration between two men bent on burnishing their reformist credentials collapsed after barely a week. The McCain-Obama relationship came undone amid charges and countercharges, all aired publicly two years ago in an exchange of stark and angry letters. Obama questioned whether McCain sided with GOP leaders rather than searching for a bipartisan solution; McCain accused Obama of "typical rhetorical gloss" and "self interested partisan posturing" by a newcomer seeking to ingratiate himself with party leaders.

"Please be assured I won't make the same mistake again," McCain wrote Obama on Feb. 6, 2006.

It was the first, and only, time the two ever tried extensively working together.

More than two years later, with McCain and Obama potentially poised to go head to head in a presidential campaign with stakes far greater than regulating who picks up steakhouse tabs, the reform fight has emerged as a looking-glass moment of what a fall campaign could resemble.

McCain's backers view it as emblematic of Obama's ability to talk grand ideas and aspirations, but also of his ultimate failure to produce substantive results. Obama's supporters contend that the moment was vintage Obama, with the newcomer defusing the feud with a cool demeanor that allowed him to claim the high ground while rolling up his sleeves to eventually help pass a broader ethics overhaul bill in August 2007.

"There was a little bit of grandstanding there [by Obama] that made it difficult to get a bipartisan effort," said former senator Trent Lott (R-Miss.), a McCain backer deeply involved in the failed push for ethics and lobbying reform in 2006. "This idea that, as president, he's going to be able to reach across the aisle -- there's very thin gruel that would indicate that."

"Senator Obama has every right to tout his role in that legislation," said Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.), a supporter of the senator from Illinois who has often worked with McCain on reform issues. "He wasn't showboating. He was trying to get things done."

Officially, both presidential campaigns downplay the significance of the encounter, saying that the two enjoy a cordial relationship and attributing the fact that they have not since found occasion to work together to time constraints and assignments on different committees. But their first tentative campaign jousting this year suggests that both men walked away from that initial encounter with doubts about the other's sincerity, in contrast with the working relationship built up over this decade between McCain and Obama's remaining Democratic rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.).

On the stump Obama mocks McCain's maverick image, saying McCain "fell in line" with Republican othodoxy on tax cuts after initially opposing the $1.3 trillion tax-cut plan in 2001. He tweaks McCain for surrounding himself with lobbyists as advisers, arguing that presidential ambition has trumped his reformer convictions.

"Somewhere along the line, the Straight Talk Express lost some wheels," Obama said in January during a Democratic debate.

And McCain's camp has relentlessly questioned what Obama, 46, has done that has prepared him for the presidency.

"He really doesn't have any accomplishments. It's not a slight against Obama; he's only been in the Senate for a few years, and most of that time he was running for president," Mark Salter, McCain's former chief of staff and now senior campaign adviser, said in an interview.

In January 2006, McCain and Obama looked like natural allies. Jack Abramoff, the Republican lobbyist whose actions had been exposed largely by the work of a committee headed by McCain, had recently pleaded guilty to bribing members of Congress.

[sosoe-2009]

Barack "initiated" the possibility of working with the OLD MAN! The "OLD MAN" didn''t like the young, brash senator''s CONFIDENCE, and bad-mouthed Barack. Barack, taking "the high road," as usual, "defused the feud," and went on help pass a BROADER ethics overhaul bill in Aug,2007. BARACK DIDN''T NEED JOHN McCAIN''S HELP!! SOUNDS LIKE MY KIND OF GUY!!!!!

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by jgunther7 at 07:56 AM : Apr 01, 2008

Put Obama on the top of the ticket, watch the numbers fall like rocks. McCain will look like God to the rescue!

[future_watch]

Another good non-partisan comparison of the Senate records of Obama and Clinton is available at http://www.newsweek.com/id/129976/page/1

More reasons to let the contest continue and to look for the real facts on the candidates.

[future_watch]

There seem to be lots of discrepant information in Barack''s words when compared to his actions. He worked across the aisle for ethics reform, well sort of before John McCain saw through him. He doesn''''t take money from energy companies, but he does take it from their corporate leaders (shhhh, we won''t talk about that). He doesn''''t take money from PACS, but the FEC records seem to differ (you can view that for yourself at www.fec.gov by searching on his name). He didn''''t see a survey, but his handwriting is on a version of it. He is a uniter, but spent 20 years attending a church where the pastor engaged in racist, unpatriotic hate speech. He couldn''t disown his pastor any more than he could disown the black community, but wait, he was about to leave the church if the pastor wasn''t retiring. His father came from Africa due to the support of the Kennedy''''s. Oops, he actually came over a year prior to support of the Kennedy''''s. His mom and dad met at the Selma marches. Oops, he was born a year before them. He took a little bit of money from Rezko, well maybe a little more or maybe even a little more than that. The list of inconsistencies just keeps growing and growing. This guy has more stories than the unabridged version of Aesop''s fables. And people think he is transparent and a refreshing change. He says whatever will get him ahead, even if it''s not quite the truth.

[rowdytexan2]

Obama caught with his pants down again! He has to run around to meetings and steal everybody elses legislative plans because he hasn''t a frigging clue how to make any of his own. He''s notorious for this!

[jgunther7]

Hillary can%u2019t hurt the Democratic Party. She is a looser and will just go away and hide under a rock. She has served a purpose by being such a dreadful person, and making Obama look so good in comparison. He is now, Obama the Dragon Slayer. He has already shaved 6% off her lead in Pennsylvania and looks set to go on and sweep the rest of the primaries. Then he can campaign in Florida and Michigan unopposed and unify the party. Clinton can%u2019t do that, she has run out of support and money. I feel a bit sorry for poor old bomb bomb McCain. He won%u2019t even know what hit him.

[mistered9]

Kansa 1946, and the other halfs were Obamas.

[mistered9]

Truth Hurts, nothing would surprise me these days.

[mistered9]

Jed108, did your Mother have any children that lived???

[jedi08]

Wouldn''t it be funny if when Hillary loses the election she loses by the same number of old women that died before the primary plus the number of her idiot less educated supporters who couldn''t read the ballot.

You Clinton supporters are a sad and dying breed.

Never trust anything the bleeds for 5 days and doesn''t die!!!1

[kansas1946]

"There was a little bit of grandstanding there [by Obama] that made it difficult to get a bipartisan effort," said former senator Trent Lott (R-Miss.), a McCain backer deeply involved in the failed push for ethics and lobbying reform in 2006. "This idea that, as president, he''s going to be able to reach across the aisle -- there''s very thin gruel that would indicate that."
**************************************

LOL. This is really rich. Obama trying to work with a Republican on ethics reform, and since that time how many Republican criminals have been indicted. No wonder he was having a problem. Half of McCains party memebers were crooks.

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by jamesm12341 at 10:01 PM : Mar 31, 2008

Yeah, or something! I''d say she drank the Kool-Aide, but it''s just so...so...trite!

[obama8years]

youtube.com/watch?v=LIe4d9Nmg9k

Obama is backing muslim extremist!

badbarack.org

obamatruth.org

OBAMA TIES TO HAMAS

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency today reports that the Wright, Jr., long-time pastor of Obama, published an op-ed piece signed by a Hamas leader. The item appeared in the July 22, 2007 edition of his Trinity United Church newspaper on the "Pastor''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s Page." Justifies attacks on Israeli civilians, and carries a supporting introduction by Mr. Wright.

Obama issued a statement strongly condemning these views of his pastor. "I certainly wasnt in church when that outrageously wrong [Hamas] piece was re-printed in the bulletin.


Obama is a long-time member of Trinity United, and his financial contributions to his church are reported to be substantial ("All told, the [Obama] couple gave $27,500 to [Trinity United] in 2005 and 2006," according to the New York Times of March 26). His moral support to the church has been unwavering. As more and more and more details of the extremist political positions of the church are revealed, Obamas response has been to distance himself from these, but also to repeat, over and over, that he didn''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''t know, that he wasn''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''t there.

I find it very difficult to believe that an intelligent, energetic, and very political man like Obama is perpetually ignorant about what goes on in the church to which he devotes so many of his resources. If he does get to the White House....

[obama8years]

youtube.com/watch?v=LIe4d9Nmg9k

Obama is backing muslim extremist!

badbarack.org

obamatruth.org

OBAMA TIES TO HAMAS

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency today reports that the Wright, Jr., long-time pastor of Obama, published an op-ed piece signed by a Hamas leader. The item appeared in the July 22, 2007 edition of his Trinity United Church newspaper on the "Pastor''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s Page." Justifies attacks on Israeli civilians, and carries a supporting introduction by Mr. Wright.

Obama issued a statement strongly condemning these views of his pastor. "I certainly wasnt in church when that outrageously wrong [Hamas] piece was re-printed in the bulletin.


Obama is a long-time member of Trinity United, and his financial contributions to his church are reported to be substantial ("All told, the [Obama] couple gave $27,500 to [Trinity United] in 2005 and 2006," according to the New York Times of March 26). His moral support to the church has been unwavering. As more and more and more details of the extremist political positions of the church are revealed, Obamas response has been to distance himself from these, but also to repeat, over and over, that he didn''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''t know, that he wasn''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''t there.

I find it very difficult to believe that an intelligent, energetic, and very political man like Obama is perpetually ignorant about what goes on in the church to which he devotes so many of his resources. If he does get to the White House....

[obama8years]

youtube.com/watch?v=LIe4d9Nmg9k

Obama is backing muslim extremist!

badbarack.org

obamatruth.org

OBAMA TIES TO HAMAS

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency today reports that the Wright, Jr., long-time pastor of Obama, published an op-ed piece signed by a Hamas leader. The item appeared in the July 22, 2007 edition of his Trinity United Church newspaper on the "Pastor''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s Page." Justifies attacks on Israeli civilians, and carries a supporting introduction by Mr. Wright.

Obama issued a statement strongly condemning these views of his pastor. "I certainly wasnt in church when that outrageously wrong [Hamas] piece was re-printed in the bulletin.


Obama is a long-time member of Trinity United, and his financial contributions to his church are reported to be substantial ("All told, the [Obama] couple gave $27,500 to [Trinity United] in 2005 and 2006," according to the New York Times of March 26). His moral support to the church has been unwavering. As more and more and more details of the extremist political positions of the church are revealed, Obamas response has been to distance himself from these, but also to repeat, over and over, that he didn''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''t know, that he wasn''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''t there.

I find it very difficult to believe that an intelligent, energetic, and very political man like Obama is perpetually ignorant about what goes on in the church to which he devotes so many of his resources. If he does get to the White House....

[janiet3]

Rowdy, what else has Rush and Hannity told you today?

[rowdytexan2]

Obama went to the meeting stole the ideas for reform, then wanted to rush out and write the bill himself! He is NOTORIOUS for this! He steals his ideas from everybody, then tries to take credit for it.

He has to do this because he is incompetent and has no idea how to write clear legislation on his own.

[lsigalov]

It''s McCain whose flip flops have evaded the coddling press corps.
Educate yourself before you vote.(therealmccain.com)
McCain''s military service ain''t gonna pay the bills. A third Bush term is the last thing we need.

[broncfan1661]

Every time I see posts from bleeding heart Obama supporters, I think of the movie (novel) Being There.

Could he be another Chauncey Gardiner? LOL

[gslinger3]

Isnt it curious how the Jeremiah Wright firestorm has all but dropped off the radar screen. You can wager good money that if McCain wasthe center of this scandel, that it wouold be headline news from here on out to November. Gotta love the loberal media!

NOBAMA 08