In McCain Camp, Lobbying A Family Affair

Washington Post: Judy Black, Wife Of Senior Advisor And Lobbyist Charlie, Has Vibrant Lobbying Practice

(WASHINGTONPOST.COM)  This story was written by Matthew Mosk and Jeffrey H. Birnbaum.

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Charles R. Black Jr., the senior adviser to Republican John McCain whose work for foreign dictators has led Democrats to call for his ouster, is not the only lobbyist in the family volunteering on the senator from Arizona's presidential campaign.

His wife, Judy Black, is a national co-chair of the fundraising group "Women for McCain," and she has a vibrant lobbying practice that includes a foreign client and several companies with business before the Senate Commerce Committee, where McCain is a senior member.

Judy Black works at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, a firm that earned $12.9 million in lobbying fees last year. She is listed as an agent of Dubai Aerospace Enterprises, whose partners include the government of Dubai, according to forms filed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Since 2004, she has also represented telecomunications companies AT&T and Global Crossing Ltd., which have matters before the Commerce Committee.

At one point on the campaign trail, Charles Black joked with reporters that deciding to leave behind his lucrative lobbying practice and volunteer full time for McCain left him to seek an allowance from his wife.

The roles assumed by Judy Black as campaign volunteer and lobbyist highlight the difficulties McCain faces as he tries to eliminate the impression that their campaign work is also aimed at helping clients.

Last week, McCain established strict rules for lobbyists trying to help him reach the White House, in an effort to defuse the revelation that he had top advisers working for unsavory foreign clients.

The rules addressed more than just those doing work for foreign governments. McCain's new policy also prohibited part-time volunteers such as Judy Black from lobbying him or his staff while volunteering for the campaign. It also required lobbyists to disclose their clients to the campaign.

Judy and Charles Black have complied with the policies, according to a senior McCain campaign aide who requested anonymity because he is not permitted to make public comments. Judy Black is one of "hundreds of people" who are both lobbyists and volunteers, the spokesman said.

Judy Black did not return messages seeking comment.

In October, she helped host a tea in honor of McCain's mother, wife and two daughters at the home of Lea Berman, the wife of Wayne Berman, another lobbyist advising McCain.

On McCain's Web site, she has co-signed a letter explaining the goals of Women for McCain. "Like most of you, we have many roles," it says. "Wife, mother, daughter, single mom, widow, businesswoman, volunteer, multi-tasker and churchgoer. Balancing all of that is a challenge . . . We believe John McCain addresses all the things that really matter to us."

Judy Black is listed as a "Trailblazer" for McCain, meaning she has raised more than $100,000 for his bid, according to the group Public Citizen.

There is no way to know whether her efforts on behalf of McCain's campaign will ultimately serve the interests of clients who could need his help, either as president, or as a high-ranking member of the Commerce Committee, which oversees the telecom industry and the Federal Communications Commission.

McCain has supported telecom industry-backed legislation, particularly during his second stint as committee chairman from 2003 through 2005. His efforts to eliminate taxes and regulations on telecommunications services won him praise from industry executives.

Charles and Judy Black have deep Republican ties. She worked in the Reagan administration before registering as a lobbyist in 1988, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The Wall Street Journal asked Charles Black last week whether his wife's lobbying creates a possible conflict of interest. "That is utter nonsense," he said. "My wife has never gotten a client from her relationship with me."

He was a pioneer of the revolving door between campaign consulting and lobbying, having served as a senior adviser on President Ronald Reagan's reelection campaign before returning to K Street. His clients, as often as not, were foreign leaders eager to burnish their reputations.

In addition to Jonas Savimbi of Angola, Black and his partners were registered foreign agents for a remarkable collection of U.S.-backed foreign leaders whose human rights records were sometimes harshly criticized, even as American conservatives embraced their opposition to communism. They included Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, Nigerian Gen. Ibrahim Babangida and Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre.

[watcher269-2009]

McBush supports the supporters of Terrorism - so a vote for McSame is a vote for Dead Americans!

[eddynewhope]

"Obama is up to his eyeballs in terrorist allies!"

Posted by S_Temper at 08:25 PM

In ''04, this kind of scare tactics may have garnered attention because we were all shell-shocked by 9/11. In ''08, this kind of desperate and baseless attack is just laughable. Good luck with that. ;) LOL

[eddynewhope]

"Too bad you didn''''t have sense enough to research your candidate before you started mouthing off! Go on, I dare ya! Do you even know how to research?"

Posted by RowdyWicca at 08:55 PM

I''ve been researching my dandidate since he spoke at the DNC convention in 04. Still waiting on ONE SINGLE example of Obama''s "hate-filled racist marketing machine". You don''t have one because you''re a hypocrite and a blow-hard. You are also a bona fide liar. Show me one example if you''re going to whine and accuse. Not one example? That''s what I though - proof that you are dumbsh-t.

[rowdywicca]

You''''re full of sh-t per usual Rowdy. Still waiting on ONE EXAMPLE of Obama''''s "hate-filled, racist marketing machine" as you put it. You can''''t cite one single example? That makes you a bona fide liar, and a rank hypocrite pointing your accusatory finger in all of your faux sanctimony. What a joke - pathetic piece of sh-t.


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Posted by EddyNewHope at 07:17 PM : May 25, 2008

Too bad you didn''t have sense enough to research your candidate before you started mouthing off! Go on, I dare ya! Do you even know how to research?

[eddynewhope]

"http://tinyurl.com/5tghqr

To sign, enter code: poiuy"

Posted by truthyness at 01:51 PM

Wow truthyness - that is shaaaaaaaady. There is no contact info on that site you posted whatsoever. Sing the petition but they won''t tell you who the organization is, who created the iPetition, etc. Ya''ll are pathetic and desperate.

[eddynewhope]

"To sign, enter code: poiuy"

Posted by truthyness at 01:51 PM

Hahahahaha - Does the Clinton campaign pay you by the number of folks who register? Is that why you need to enter a code? LOL *******.

[eddynewhope]

"Obama is up to his eyeballs in lobbyists!

What kind of sick double standards you people apply!"

Posted by RowdyWicca at 12:16 AM

You''re full of sh-t per usual Rowdy. Still waiting on ONE EXAMPLE of Obama''s "hate-filled, racist marketing machine" as you put it. You can''t cite one single example? That makes you a bona fide liar, and a rank hypocrite pointing your accusatory finger in all of your faux sanctimony. What a joke - pathetic piece of sh-t.

[fuzzybear9]

Hello Former American Citizens

Fuzzy Bear why are you here at CBS this morning and not on memorial day vacation ?

the same reason your not, gas prices $5.09/gallon
yes it will be all we can do to afford a small frozen beef paddy for the barbeque, let alone the Popane to run the thing.

why ?

all because of Barrack Obama the Hawvard Elietist
and the Socialist Liberal Black Caccus ( the Ted Kennedy Party )
yes he opposes gas tax breaks
decreasing consumer debt,
Barrack Obama is responsible for the Housing Crisis,
along with the Congress of Change under Nancy.

no my friends he is the champion of
CHANGE,
yes change, change from George Bush policies back to Ted Kennedy policies !
now thats Change !

and he needs Jews , Illegal Cubans, and Illegal Mexicans to bring that change about.
under the tutialage of Ted Kennedy and the Black Caccus of Washington D.C.
never fear I will get back to Ted later

sincerely barbequing a spam can Bear
Fuzzy

[rowdywicca]

Obama is up to his eyeballs in lobbyists!

What kind of sick double standards you people apply!

[antoniof123]

Hi my name is John McCain and I want to tell you I reject the good rev and his followers of hate wink wink. Also I reject lobbiest wink wink. Do I need to reject anyone else wink wink.

Oh yes I support the troop as long as they are able to fight in Iraq which will will stay for 100 years. Wait I am sorry I can have us out of Iraq by 2013, so you will need to reelect me for a second term.

I don''t know the first thing about economics or about being a normal person my wife is worth over $100 million dollars so being able to understand the little persons problem well I just can''t be bothered with that one.

John now you can see why the swing voter swung in 2006 and is going to swing even farther in 2008.

Goon night and good luck.