McCain Pushed Land Swap That Helps Backer

Washington Post: Senator Championed Bill That Lets Fundraiser Trade Remote Grassland For Valuable Federal Lands

(Washingtonpost.com)  At first, the trade appeared to have broad support, but opposition soon developed. Clarkdale Mayor Doug Von Gausig, whose house overlooks the Verde River, said he feared that development would overtax an already fragile water source.

Other critics included a national taxpayer group that questioned the land values. "It was just a bad deal -- a rip-off to the public," said Janine Blaeloch, who heads the Western Lands Project, another opponent of the legislation.

McCain initially withheld support for Hayworth's bill, which failed in 2002. Ruskin saw McCain's restraint as an obstacle. He said Senate staff members warned him that the senator was wary of a swap because "he spent some political capital and got some bricks thrown at him" over the Tonto National Forest deal.

Ruskin, who is a pediatrician by training, said he realized he needed to hire lobbyists "to open communications with McCain's office."

He turned to some of McCain's closest former advisers. In 2002, he sought out Mark Buse, McCain's former staff director at the Senate commerce committee, which the senator chaired.

"I had gone to him to see if he had any advice as to how to deal with McCain," Ruskin said. "We had a couple of meetings and I paid him a little bit." Buse's federal lobbying records do not list the ranch as a client.

That year, lobbying records show, Ruskin also paid $60,000 to Michael Jimenez, another former McCain aide. Wes Gullett, who had worked in McCain's Senate office, managed his 1992 reelection bid, and served as deputy campaign manager for his 2000 presidential run, also lobied on the bill, documents show. The watchdog group Public Citizen lists Gullett and his wife, Deborah, as bundlers who have raised more than $100,000 for McCain's White House bid. Ruskin also hired Gullett's partner, Kurt R. Davis, another McCain bundler and member of the senator's Arizona leadership team, to work with local officials and "to help with McCain if we needed help." Buse, Jimenez and Gullett did not return calls seeking comment.

Davis said that he and Gullett were not hired just to win over McCain. "Each member has issues that are more important to them. You have to be able to address their individual concerns. We had familiarity with the issues important to McCain." In this case, Davis said, "Senator McCain was very, very engaged and concerned about water issues."

In April 2003, McCain introduced his version of a land-swap bill. But he remained reluctant about the exchange, speaking to opponents and organizing meetings in towns that would be most affected.

Flagstaff Mayor Joseph C. Donaldson, a supporter of the swap, said McCain's hesitation stemmed from his "insistence that the environment be protected." But opponents were baffled by the senator's seemingly contradictory positions. Said Blaeloch: "The bizarre thing to me regarding McCain is, we spent a lot of time with his staff, and we all seemed to be on the same page about the problems with this swap. But somehow, John McCain kept pushing it forward."

Ruskin said a "crucial meeting" occurred on Aug. 4, 2004, when McCain added a provision aimed at appeasing many opponents. It created a management group that would monitor water reserves and document any danger to the Verde River.

The legislation also was revised to mandate that the parcels in the exchange be of "equal value." Forest Service officials say they can adjust the amount of property given to Ruskin to ensure that each side gets an equal share of land. Blaeloch and some other opponents remained concerned that appraisals could still be manipulated. The language helped win Senate passage on July 16, 2005.

Ruskin said he first engaged in confidential discussions with SunCor in 2003. Betts said the company was not "really interested in spending a lot of time on it until we knew if the legislation would pass."

Ruskin said SunCor officials formally expressed interest in October 2005, a month before President Bush signed the bill into law.

In Arizona, SunCor is a subsidiary of Pinnacle West, the state's largest power company. Betts, as Ruskin described him, "politically is a very powerful guy in the state."

Officials from the company and its subsidiaries have accounted for $100,000 in contributions to McCain's political campaigns over the years, records show.

SunCor is now working directly with the Forest Service to complete the swap, which has been delayed by administrative glitches.

As for McCain, some in the Verde Valley say they counted on him to broker a deal that would protect their precious river. Von Gausig now heads the water management commission that McCain added to the bill to gain community support. The Congressional Budget Office estimated it would cost $8 million over five years to fund water studies. But to date, none of that money has been budgeted.

Research editor Alice Crites contributed to this report.

[fuzzybear9]

Hello America

here again we have an example of Senators in power land swapping for their friends, a common practice in the West you know, Bill Richardson would swap all of your Federal Land to Mexico if given the chance,
yes swapping land, your land, away.
and so again America is only left with the choice,
of either a Land Thief and Mortgage Fraud Specialist
or a Socialist Hawvard Elietist
for electing to office.
any of the possible good candidates went by the wayside months ago.
well here we go again four more years of chaos and Shinnanigans.
nothing changed Who will be the losers in this falls election? you and me.

sincerely Fuzzy Bear

[aj4321-2009]

McCain is a wolf in sheep''s clothing. He has perfected the art of deceiving the voters. He pretends to be an "honest" senator - while he is the most corrupt of them all.

[brwillham]

Sounds a lot more legit than Harry Reid''s land dealings, or Obama''s, or the post presidential land swindle the Clitoon''s pulled over the American people. And that was a doozie. What a bunch of hypocrites. Probably the worst thing that could possbly happen i sif a Dem got elected to POTUS. Wouldn''t have anything to harp on but your own crappy party.

[gce65]

This is a Keating 5 type swindle all over again, except there''s only one involved on the govt side: McCain!
He hasn''t changed in 30 years, he''s just learned to sweet talk the media so they won''t ask tough questions.

[rufisgufis]

McCain ought to know this *** is unconstitutional. After all, he was there when the Constitution was written.

[rufisgufis]

Looks like that "STRAIGHT TALK EXPRESS" HAS GONE BACK INTO THE DITCH AGAIN!

[greatdrivew]

Nothing but straight talk, folks.

Straight from the colon of the GOP that is.

[downsteamjim]

It is amazing that the Washington Post and the New York Times decided to dig into McCain only after the Republican nominee was decided. McCain and Obama need to do infomercials on land swaps so nonelitists can join the fun.

[panhandlpete]

Isn''t is interesting how Congress (that representative body of elites) gets to vote on issues which should be handled with MORE input from the citizen taxpayers? As the old addage says..."Follow the money trail if you want information." People don''t make enormous contributions to political campaigns without expecting something in return......be it a job offer, a land deal, a first at inside information of future events, or just ego recognition......they usually get it, too, and the public does not always know. Remember the house deal with the newly elected Senator Obama and Rizo''s wife purchasing the lot next door so he could purchase his house. Hmmmmmmmmmmm?

[greatdrivew]

R.I.P. G.O.P.

[kansas1946]

In an interview, Betts said there is "absolutely no" connection between his contributions to McCain''s presidential bids and the deal involving rancher Fred Ruskin and the Yavapai Ranch Limited Partnership.
*********************************

Yeah, whatever. I really thought McCain was above this sort of BS, but I guess the "trickle-down" really does work, at least concerning corruption in the Republican party.

[samthetvcat]

---"MCVet;

YOUR IGNORANCE OVERSHADOWS YOU BRILLIANT COMMENT."--
Posted by crater7

Well it was me who said it - interesting that you chose to blame it on mcVet. And the only other poster to use your tag line is ''grammawhamma'', and I DID have in mind that she was a blue-dog Democratic Hillary supporter when I said it. So I think you''re the one making the assumption that it was a mistake and not an implication . . .

[mcvet]

You like the Dixie Chicks? Doncha think that lady''''s neck is too short?


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Posted by lookinup2 at 04:42 PM : May 09, 2008
+ report abuse

With all that lady has to offer a Male EYE YOU noticed the NECK??? I think that say''s more about you than I ever could!

[mcvet]

MCVet;

YOUR IGNORANCE OVERSHADOWS YOU BRILLIANT COMMENT.

YOUR ASSUMPTION THAT I AM A McCAIN SUPPORTER OR THE BLUNDERING IDIOT IN CHARGE NOW, SHOWS MORE OF YOUR IGNORANCE. I BET YOU VOTED FOR BUSH TWICE? I HAVE NEVER SUPPORTED OR VOTED FOR BUSH.

GOD "BLESS" AMERICA. NOT "G D" AMERICA.


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Posted by crater7 at 04:42 PM : May 09, 2008
+ report abuse

I don''t give a rat''s behind who you voted for or who you support... what you did was LIE PERIOD!! DO you hear me... I live in Chicago and I should know YOU LIED! You lied to aid a canidate who has done what he said the other pols should NOT do... he LIED as well... SO if you are not fascist... you are a liar! Sieg Heil Bush

[oscarez]

John, John, John up to the same old Republican tricks. I would vote for mudrose for president before I would vote for John McCain. mudrose is a sweetheart.

[crater7]

MCVet;

YOUR IGNORANCE OVERSHADOWS YOU BRILLIANT COMMENT.

YOUR ASSUMPTION THAT I AM A McCAIN SUPPORTER OR THE BLUNDERING IDIOT IN CHARGE NOW, SHOWS MORE OF YOUR IGNORANCE. I BET YOU VOTED FOR BUSH TWICE? I HAVE NEVER SUPPORTED OR VOTED FOR BUSH.

GOD "BLESS" AMERICA. NOT "G D" AMERICA.

[samthetvcat]

---"GOD "BLESS" AMERICA. NOT "G D" AMERICA"---
Posted by crater7

Oh, and after 8 LONNNGGGGG years seeing ''patriotism'' used as a cover for everything from crusading and colonialism in the Middle East, to war profiteering, seeing troops without proper equipment harmed or worse, use of torture, denial of habeus corpus, outing of Valerie Plame and ruining the Dixie Chicks, I am SOOOOO ready to knock the GOPigs off their claims to the ''patriotism'' mantle so that it can instead stand for great values like inclusion, progress, and prosperity.

''Bring it on'' GOPigs!

[mcvet]

Wow! Swap Swamp Land for Choice FEDERAL Land... Now thats what I call a sweatheart deal... Wonder how much MORE that deal cost WE the PEOPLE??

[mcvet]

OBAMA''''S LAND DEAL WITH REZKO''''S WIFE, THAT EXPANDED THE NEWLY PURCHASED $1.6 MILLION OBAMA HOMESTEAD THAT OBAMA OTHERWISE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD.

HMMMMMMMMMM

GOD "BLESS" AMERICA. NOT "G D" AMERICA.


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Posted by crater7 at 04:25 PM : May 09, 2008
+ report abuse

Do you FASCIST think lie''s will save your bacon?? Those days are over Sparky! Obama had NOTHING to do with any Land Deal in his neighborhood, let alone do what McSame did! Now ready?? Let the fuhrer know you are out here licking those boots! SIEG HEIL BUSH

[crater7]

OBAMA''S LAND DEAL WITH REZKO''S WIFE, THAT EXPANDED THE NEWLY PURCHASED $1.6 MILLION OBAMA HOMESTEAD THAT OBAMA OTHERWISE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD.

HMMMMMMMMMM

GOD "BLESS" AMERICA. NOT "G D" AMERICA.