GOP Leader Quits Over Myanmar Junta Ties

Lobbyist Picked By McCain To Be Republican Convention Coordinator Also Worked For Military Government

(AP)  The man picked by the John McCain campaign to run the 2008 Republican National Convention resigned Saturday after a report that his lobbying firm used to represent the military regime in Myanmar.

Doug Goodyear resigned as convention coordinator and issued a two-sentence statement:

"Today I offered the convention my resignation so as not to become a distraction in this campaign. I continue to strongly support John McCain for president, and wish him the best of luck in this campaign."

Goodyear, chief executive of lobbying firm DCI Group, resigned a few hours after Newsweek posted a story online that the company was paid $348,000 in 2002 and 2003 to represent Myanmar's junta.

"We respect Mr. Goodyear's decision, and look forward to the convention in September," said Brian Rogers, a spokesman for the McCain campaign.

Cyclone Nargis left more than 60,000 people dead or missing, and the U.N. estimates that at least 1.5 million people have been severely affected. Human rights organizations and dissident groups have bitterly accused the junta of neglecting disaster victims and blocking foreign donations of relief supplies.

Justice Department records covering agents of foreign agents that are required to register with the U.S. government show DCI signed a contract to work to "improve relations between the United States and Myanmar" and to act as the junta's public relations agent in Washington.

Newsweek said the firm drafted news releases praising Burma's efforts to curb the drug trade and denouncing claims by the Bush administration that the regime engaged in rape and other abuses.

"It was our only foreign representation, it was for a short tenure, and it was six years ago," Newsweek quoted Goodyear as saying. The magazine said Goodyear added that the junta's record in the current cyclone crisis is "reprehensible."

The Newsweek article also reported that some of Goodyear's allies worried the choice of Goodyear could fuel perceptions that McCain is surrounded by lobbyists. DCI Group earned $3 million last year lobbying for ExxonMobil, General Motors and other clients, the report said.

Newsweek also reported DCI has been a pioneer in running "independent" expenditure campaigns by so-called 527 groups, the kind of operations that McCain has denounced in his battle for campaign finance reform.

The convention runs Sept. 1-4 at the Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul.

[realpatriot1]

Myanmar Junta or Bush-Cheney junta, what''s the difference?

One lets its people die in New Orleans while the other lets its people die in Rangoon.

Senator McCain, isn''t it about time for another "forgotten people" photo opp tour?

[kansas1946]

Another day, another corrupt (evil) Republican. Yawn...not even news.

[aldon61]

RandalIDS: You''re right, we don''t know for sure how Obama will select his supreme court justices. We do however, have a great clue....he voted against both Roberts and Alito, and that''s good enough for me. McCain has already said he would appoint new justices in the Roberts/Alito mold; now That''s scary as h.e.l.l. to me!

[quetzalcrist]

/These GOPhers sure do like to have blood on their hands dont they?
all the while taking "a wider stance" for family values.......

[crater7]

homespunlady;

FYI, THE COMMENT THAT I MADE ABOUT "MIDDLE EAST POLICY ADVISOR FOR BARACK OBAMA, HAS LEFT THE CAMPAIGN; SHOWS THAT ONE SHOULD NOT THROW STONES, WHEN YOUR OWN CAMPAIGN, IS DOING THE SAME AS THE ONE YOU ARE THROWING STONES AT. SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY, SO TO SPEAK. THAT RELATES THE COMMENT TO THE ARTICLE.

I AM AN INDEPENDENT. OF THE THREE CANDIDATES I AM SUPPORTING CLINTON.

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

[homespunlady]

crater7
so, which Candy-date do you advocate to be head Corporate Puppet of the US?

Personally I leaned toward Ron Paul but the Corporations RUNNING this country went into epileptic fits at even the thought. He''s too honest of a guy and has too many brains about economics for them to allow that.

My perspective on your comment is that I''d rather address and read comments pertaining to the subject of the article rather than stray onto other subjects that are played out and off topic. Find a link to the subject at hand and point it out.

I love political satire and humor that works BTW.

[parrot123-2009]

Goodyear, chief executive of lobbying firm DCI Group, resigned a few hours after Newsweek posted a story online that the company was paid $348,000 in 2002 and 2003 to represent Myanmar''s junta.

The Newsweek article also reported that some of Goodyear''s allies worried the choice of Goodyear could fuel perceptions that McCain is surrounded by lobbyists. DCI Group earned $3 million last year lobbying for ExxonMobil, General Motors and other clients, the report said.


What sort of administration was McCain trying to run ? Are there anymore Americans still being deceived by this Repug and his Party of RINO''s.

[crater7]

homespunlady, Seems like you are a little confused. What part of my comment are you refering too? Do you believe that my comment is not true?

IF YOU ARE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT I AM A McCAIN SUPPORTER, OR A SUPPORTER OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION, YOU APPERANTLY HAVEN''T READ ANY OF MY COMMENTS, DURING THE LAST THREE PLUS YEARS, ON BUSH AND HIS GANG OF CORRUPT,LYING AND BLUNDERING IDIOTS.

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

[homespunlady]

That kind of campaign money usually gets thoroughly "cleaned up" (laundered)before nearing use by a NEOCON or in this case - NEOCON PUPPET.

[homespunlady]

Crater7
Too much of McCain''s wife''s BEER??
However did you CONFUSE Hamas with the Myanmar Junta and McCain''s CONVENTION MANAGER with Obama?

Better drink more and faster. IF McCain even gets close to getting in the PRICE of BEER will probably be MORE than you can afford.

Just look at what King George did for HIS and his SAUDI "friends" OIL INTERESTS and Cheney did for his TRUST FUND INVESTED in his WAR PROFITEERING Corporation HALIBURTON!

Want to KNOW what to invest in NEXT? Just PAY ATTENTION to the NEOCONS that slime their way into "leadership" or otherwise known as personal "interest" PRICE MANIPULATOR-SHIP.

[gentryfunk-2009]

Operation Chaos = Operation Destroy Democracy = The Republican Party version 2008.

[ahrats]

Just one more reason not to vote for McCain, he supports that corrupt government in Manymar (Burma).

[crater7]

MIDDLE EAST ADVISOR FOR BARACK OBAMA, HAS LEFT THE CAMPAIGN AFTER ACCKNOWLEDGING HAVING HELD TALKS WITH "HAMAS."

IMAGINE THAT !

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

[ranger1948]

vmcneal2
Samm the bad luck. If McCain hadn''t been shot down when he was he was on his way to becoming an ace for the North Vietnamese.

[ranger1948]

trishab
If you support obama then you are the idiot.

[fibonacci_]

Chaos00001, little Christian brain.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Today I offered the convention my resignation so as not to become a distraction in this campaign. I continue to strongly support John McCain for president, and wish him the best of luck in this campaign."

And so we can safely assume that the Myanmar government will still have the ear, and favor of McCain. Retiring is pointless, the connection is still there, one can whitewash schitt, but in the end it is just white schitt.

[chaos00001]

*****OPERATION CHAOS in full effect*****

come on democrats, the DNC has destroyed the democratic party, come to us Republicans, together we will destroy the democratic party, Hilary and Obama are two ****** bags, that''s the best you all could''ve have come up with, ha ha ha

[nonayabiness]

In response to someone else:

Is GW profiting from Bush Beer? Too bad, I''ll have to give up the Natural Ice''s and won''t even touch Bud, never have, and find another carrier for my beverage of choice. LOL.

Really, though. Is Bush not only getting TONS in oil moneys with the cost rising as it has been, he''s created an economic crisis causing people to drink, and then, perhaps unknowingly drinking his brand, furthermore supporting him while not intending to....hmmmm....

[nonayabiness]

RandaLDS

-So, what steps are you or have you been taking exactly to ''work around'' GW?