Top McCain Aide Has Mixed Money, Politics

Washington Post: Rick Davis's Relationship With Ariz. Senator Has Been A Lucrative Commodity

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Matthew Mosk.

---

As Sen. John McCain's top presidential campaign adviser, Richard H. "Rick" Davis has worked for almost a year without compensation, telling reporters that the sacrifice shows his dedication to the cash-strapped Arizona Republican. He also took a protracted leave from his Washington lobbying firm to distance himself from ethical questions.

But in the eight years since Davis first managed a McCain campaign, his relationship with the senator has been a lucrative commodity. He and his lobbying firm, Davis Manafort, have earned handsome fees representing clients who need McCain's help in the Senate. He also has made money from a panoply of McCain-related entities, some of which have operated from the upscale riverfront office space that houses his lobbying shop.

In all, Davis, his firm and a company he helped start have earned at least $2.2 million in part through their close association with McCain, his campaign and his causes, according to a review of federal campaign, tax and lobbyist disclosure records.

Their relationship is typical of the symbiotic ties that have come to define the culture of the nation's capital. Last summer, Davis provided McCain free tactical advice that rescued his White House bid and helped him clinch the GOP nomination. In the political offseason, Davis turned the relationship into a business asset.

Davis is not the only McCain adviser to earn substantial income from McCain-affiliated endeavors both during and after his campaigns. Longtime fundraiser Carla Eudy earned $138,434 working for McCain's 2000 presidential bid. But she made far more -- $813,000 -- working for McCain's leadership committee, the Reform Institute, and another nonprofit McCain chaired, the International Republican Institute, tax records show. Some of the money has gone to her company. Trevor Potter, McCain's top lawyer, has brought in nearly $750,000 in fees for his law firms by working for such endeavors, as well as $949,000 in compensation over five years for the nonprofit he helped create, the Campaign Legal Center, which has defended in court the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, tax records show.

Firms run by Rebecca Donatelli, McCain's Internet strategist in 2000, have since then done more than $700,000 in work for McCain-related endeavors, though the campaign notes that some of that money has gone to cover credit card transaction fees for money raised online.

Davis declined repeated requests for an interview. In response to detailed questions, the campaign issued a brief statement. "During this campaign, Mr. Davis has not received a single penny from any company doing business with the McCain campaign," it said. Through the campaign, Eudy, Potter and Donatelli declined to comment.

While the three serve on McCain's advisory team, Davis, 49, is now the candidate's campaign manager and point man on ethics. He wrote the conflict policy that spurred resignations a few weeks ago among McCain advisers, who also had roles as Washington lobbyists or were affiliated with outside groups.

Several of those who have left were foreign lobbyists, and since then some advocacy groups have called for Davis's ouster because his lobbying firm in 2006 represented a Ukrainian politician opposed by the U.S. government. "Why would a candidate for president hire a lobbyist whose firm worked against our national interests?" asked David Donnelly, director of Campaign Money Watch.

McCain has stood by Davis and promoted him after bitter infighting last summer. McCain's friend Scott Reed, who managed Robert J. Dole's 1996 presidential campaign, with Davis as a deputy, said Davis deserves credit for "being the manager of the most amazing political comeback in modern political history."

A Navy brat who left the University of Alabama for the campaign trail, Davis once said his father warned him, "You can't make any money from doing politics." Davis did not listen. After learning the campaign business in Alabama and Mississippi, he became national field director for the College Republican National Committee during Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential bid.

He left the Reagan White House to work with longtime lobbyist Paul Manafort, a job that later evolved into a partnership. In their political work, Davis served as Manafort's deputy in orchestrating the 1996 Republican National Convention. Both joined Dole's presidential team.

While working for Dole, Davis told a reporter that he was "blown away" by McCain's unconventional politics. In 1999, when McCain began his first presidential bid, he chose Davis to manage his campaign. When the effort fizzled, Davis returned to lobbying and put the McCain connection to use.

When McCain started the Reform Institute in 2001 to promote campaign finance reform, he turned to Davis. Though still actively lobbying, Davis pulled in $120,000 as an institute consultant in 2002.

Davis brought with him other McCain insiders, and fundraising took off. In 2003, tax filings show, Davis earned $110,000 in fees, and in 2004 and 2005, while he served as president of the institute, his salary totaled $165,000. Tax forms said he worked five hours a week or "as needed."

But critics questioned whether a nonprofit closely tied to McCain should collect donations from companies with business before the Senate commerce committee, which McCain chaired.

While running the institute, Davis added several lobbying clients who needed McCain's help.

In 2003, for instance, DHL Holdings (USA) and Airborne hired Davis to lobby the Senate to facilitate a merger. Hotly opposed by shipping giants FedEx and United Parcel Service, the merger encountered opposition from Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) on the commerce committee. McCain took steps that helped Davis's clients. He thwarted Stevens's effort to insert language into legislation that would prohibit foreign-controlled companies such as DHL from holding certain military contracts.

Davis's firm earned $125,000 from Airborne in 2003 and $465,000 from DHL parent company Deutsche Post World Net (USA) from 2003 to 2005, records show.

A group called Preserve Luke Air Force Base hired Davis in 2004 and 2005 to help win approval of an Arizona land swap. Guy Inzalaco, who was part of a development group, formed Preserve Luke AFB to push for the exchange. He knew McCain's help would be critical.

"We were like, 'Okay, who's close to Senator McCain?' " Inzalaco recalled. "There were a number of people. We talked to them all. Rick [Davis] was one of them. We knew he was tight with the senator."

Inzalaco's group paid Davis's firm $125,000 to lobby the Senate, records show. The deal ultimately did not go through. McCain worked to authorize $14.3 million in a 2003 defense bill to buy land around Luke Air Force Base -- a provision sought by SunCor Development, which has been a McCain supporter. The Air Force later paid SunCor $3 million for 122 acres near the suburban Phoenix base.

Campaign spokesman Brian Rogers said that "whatever lobbying activities that Mr. Davis did" on those matters "preceded his employment with, and is therefore wholly unrelated to, the campaign."

While Davis focused on domestic clients, Manafort did foreign work and helped manage the campaign of Ukrainian politician Viktor Yanukovich, even as the U.S. government (and McCain) opposed him because of his ties to Russia's Vladimir Putin.

In 2006, Davis helped plan McCain's next White House run, envisioning a corporate-style campaign modeled after President Bush's 2004 bid. But by mid-2007, fundraising faltered. Inside the campaign, aides grumbled about expensive service contracts brokered by Davis, including one to a firm called 3eDC. It was hired to develop a Web site and coordinate Internet services.

Davis has confirmed that he owns a stake in 3eDC. Over several months, McCain's campaign doled out payments to the firm approaching $1 million.

The 3eDC contract initially brought objections from top advisers, who argued that it smacked of self-dealing. After the summer campaign shake-up, it appeared that payments to the firm ceased.

But 3eDC resurfaced last month, days after McCain's advisers assumed key roles at the Republican National Committee. The RNC paid the firm $20,000 in late April. Rogers said Davis did not broker the RNC deal.

Political campaigns are largely unregulated operations in which millions of dollars flow over a period of months, and some inside deals are probably inevitable, said Robert Kelner, an election lawyer who has represented the RNC.

Instances where a campaign manager hires a vendor in which he is also an investor are more unusual, he said, and the practice should raise red flags. "A campaign caught self-dealing is going to suffer public relations damage for that," Kelner said.

Research editors Alice Crites and Lucy Shackelford and staff researcher Madonna Lebling contributed to this report.

[midland666]

Typical Washington Insider......

[omaar-101]

McCain is Not an Elitist, He is an outsider, He`s change, we can Depend on. He does`nt cater to lobbyist & Special Interest Groups...Bull-Spit !!

As Sen. John McCain''s top presidential campaign adviser, Richard H. "Rick" Davis has worked for almost a year without compensation, telling reporters that the sacrifice shows his dedication to the cash-strapped Arizona Republican.

He also has made money from a panoply of McCain-related entities, some of which have operated from the upscale riverfront office space that houses his lobbying shop.

In all, Davis, his firm and a company he helped start have earned at least $2.2 million in part through their close association with McCain, his campaign and his causes, according to a review of federal campaign, tax and lobbyist disclosure records.

Their relationship is typical of the symbiotic ties that have come to define the culture of the nation''s capital.

[omaar-101]

Firms run by Rebecca Donatelli, McCain''s Internet strategist in 2000, have since then done more than $700,000 in work for McCain-related endeavors, though the campaign notes that some of that money has gone to cover credit card transaction fees for money raised online.

Davis declined repeated requests for an interview. In response to detailed questions, the campaign issued a brief statement. "During this campaign, Mr. Davis has not received a single penny from any company doing business with the McCain campaign," it said. Through the campaign, Eudy, Potter and Donatelli declined to comment.

A Navy brat who left the University of Alabama for the campaign trail, Davis once said his father warned him, "You can''t make any money from doing politics." Davis did not listen. After learning the campaign business in Alabama and Mississippi, he became national field director for the College Republican National Committee during Ronald Reagan''s 1980 presidential bid.

He left the Reagan White House to work with longtime lobbyist Paul Manafort, a job that later evolved into a partnership. In their political work, Davis served as Manafort''s deputy in orchestrating the 1996 Republican National Convention. Both joined Dole''s presidential team.

[Gary Kempf]

In all, Davis, his firm and a company he helped start have earned at least $2.2 million in part through their close association with McCain, his campaign and his causes, according to a review of federal campaign, tax and lobbyist disclosure records.

John, You are so against earmarks, but special interest with lobbyist and private contracts are alright??


So where exactly do you differ from the Bush administration?

[omaar-101]

navpro: Mccain said that ` If he were President, He`d Veto Any (Beers) I mean Bills with Earmarks`

Note: Though he`s Against Earmarks, as President, he would Veto Using Earmarks, the very thing he Claims to Abhor !!

The Maximum Age for Any Person running for President should be 59-59 and the Youngest age 45 & Up.

McCain is Not an Elitist, He is an outsider, He`s change, we can Depend on. He does`nt cater to lobbyist & Special Interest Groups...Bull-Spit !!

As Sen. John McCain''''s top presidential campaign adviser, Richard H. "Rick" Davis has worked for almost a year without compensation, telling reporters that the sacrifice shows his dedication to the cash-strapped Arizona Republican.

He also has made money from a panoply of McCain-related entities, some of which have operated from the upscale riverfront office space that houses his lobbying shop.

In all, Davis, his firm and a company he helped start have earned at least $2.2 million in part through their close association with McCain, his campaign and his causes, according to a review of federal campaign, tax and lobbyist disclosure records.

Their relationship is typical of the symbiotic ties that have come to define the culture of the nation''''s capital.

[rowdywicca]

Obama''s fundraising team has ties to lobbyists
38 work for law firms that lobby government

WASHINGTON %u2014 Barack Obama often boasts he is "the only candidate who isn''t taking a dime from Washington lobbyists," yet his fundraising team includes 38 members of law firms that were paid $138 million last year to lobby the federal government, records show.

Those lawyers, including 10 former federal lobbyists, have pledged to raise at least $3.5 million for the Illinois senator''s presidential race. Employees of those firms have given Obama $2.26 million, data show.

Thirty-one of the 38 are law firm partners, who often share in their firm''s lobbying fees. At least six of them have some managerial authority over lobbyists.

"It makes no difference whether the person is a registered lobbyist or the partner of a registered lobbyist," said Michael Malbin, director of the Campaign Finance Institute, a non-partisan think tank.

[vet_sk]

This was the first election in while where the two major insiders decided that experience, aka, Washington Insiders, decided to make that an issue since they knew that was the only way to try to scare people into voting for someone other then Obama.

McCain never distanced himself from lobbyist even after he was one of the Keating 5.

[omaar-101]

navpro: Mccain said that ` If he were President, He`d Veto Any (Beers) I mean Bills with Earmarks`
--------------------


Note: Though he`s Against Earmarks, as President, he would Veto Using Earmarks, the very thing he Claims to Abhor !!

The Maximum Age for Any Person running for President should be 58-59 and the Youngest age 45 & Up.

McCain is Not an Elitist, He is an outsider, He`s change, we can Depend on. He does`nt cater to lobbyist & Special Interest Groups...Bull-Spit !!

As Sen. John McCain''''''''s top presidential campaign adviser, Richard H. "Rick" Davis has worked for almost a year without compensation, telling reporters that the sacrifice shows his dedication to the cash-strapped Arizona Republican.

He also has made money from a panoply of McCain-related entities, some of which have operated from the upscale riverfront office space that houses his lobbying shop.

In all, Davis, his firm and a company he helped start have earned at least $2.2 million in part through their close association with McCain, his campaign and his causes, according to a review of federal campaign, tax and lobbyist disclosure records.

Their relationship is typical of the symbiotic ties that have come to define the culture of the nation''''''''s capital.

[terrapin78]

Dirty money for a dirty candidate.

[rowdywicca]

Obama''s Lobbyist Hypocrisy

Former Federal Lobbyists Are On Obama''s Staff, Including Deputy Campaign
Manager Steve Hildebrand, Teal Baker And Emmett Beliveau.

Obama''s Campaign Has Refused To Release A Comprehensive List Of Outside Advisers. "There is no full list of lobbyists advising Sen. Obama, and a campaign spokesman declined to release the campaign''s
list of outside advisers. Some advisers have asked to remain anonymous, citing professional or personal reasons, said Tommy Vietor, an Obama spokesman, who acknowledged that federally registered lobbyists may be among them." (Mary Jacoby, "Obama Campaign Enlists
Lobbyists," The Wall Street Journal, 3/1/08)

SO MUCH FOR HIS TRANSPARENCY BULL *****!

Obama Also Uses Bundlers Who Were Previously Registered As Federal Lobbyists."Obama now has 14 bundlers who are also federally registered lobbyists, (Christopher Beam,"Obama''s Lobbying Ties," Slate''s "Trailhead" Blog,

[rowdywicca]

Obama Accepts Campaign Contribution From Lobbyists'' Spouses And Holds Fundraisers At Law Offices That Engage In Lobbying. "Although Obama refuses
direct campaign contributions from ''Washington lobbyists,'' he takes money from lobbyists'' spouses and holds fundraisers at the offices of law firms that
lobby Congress. He won''t touch money from PACs or lobbyists representing big oil and drug companies, but he happily accepts huge amounts of money from
executives at those companies and many others. In fact, he''s relying on two oil company executives to raise $50,000 apiece for his campaign." (Editorial,
"Obama''s Claims On Lobbyist Money Prove Flimsy," USA Today, 4/18/08)

Campaign Finance Institute''s Michael Malbin: "It makes no difference whether the person is a registered lobbyist or the partner of a registered lobbyist, if the person is raising money to get access or curry favor." (Ken Dilanian, "Obama Has Ties To Lobbyists Despite Boasts Of Not Taking Their Money," USA
Today, 4/16/08)

[rowdywicca]

Obama Also Has Multiple Super Delegate Endorsements From Current Federal
Lobbyists:

John Melcher Is A Democrat Super Delegate Supporting Barack Obama. (The
Politico Website, here, Accessed 5/2/08)

-- Melcher Is A Registered Federal Lobbyist. (U.S. Senate Office Of
Public

[rowdywicca]

Joyce Brayboy Is A Democrat Super Delegate Supporting Barack Obama. (The Politico Website, here, Accessed 5/2/08)

-- Brayboy Is A Registered Federal Lobbyist With The Glover Park Group, LLC. (U.S. Senate Office Of Public Records Website, here Accessed

[docpeter-2009]

From the article, "As Sen. John McCain''s top presidential campaign adviser, Richard H. "Rick" Davis has worked for almost a year without compensation, telling reporters that the sacrifice shows his dedication to the cash-strapped Arizona Republican. He also took a protracted leave from his Washington lobbying firm to distance himself from ethical questions."

Well we all know that the, "Protracted leave of absence" will only last long enough for McCain to get elected and then Davis will return to "business as usual" lobbying for whatever he is paid to lobby for. Only thing that will change here is that Davis will now have a man at the top.

We need a BIG change in Washington. We need to throw out the lobbyists for banks, prarma, insurance, oil, etc. and get back to a Government by The People and For The People, and not big money interests.

[rowdywicca]

Well, I guess it''s ok for McCain to have people on his team that make money from lobbying....

Since Obama has a TON of them also!

[midland666]

Lets Just Accept the facts that,
Everything We Have Been Taught To Believe has been
draped in Truthiness!

This form of Government is not a Democracy, A True Democracy is one person one vote.

[jb20084]

This is exactly why people are voting for CHANGE!!

[harpoot]

Standard GOP practice. They tell the voters "Whose your daddy" and slip it in to the hilt.

[faith_in_w]

This man is so good, he is working for free. Thats because he believes God can prevail over the prince of darkness.

[rowdywicca]

This is exactly why people are voting for CHANGE!!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by JB20084 at 09:44 AM : Jun 26, 2008

Change from what to what?

[midland666]

maxify55,
my point was, A " Superdelegate will pick the next president, and its an elite club the which you or i will never mingle in, yet every 4 years we get the same reruns with different characters, draping themselves in red, white and blue, and some even carrying a bigger cross than the last.

[parrot123-2009]

This is exactly why people are voting for CHANGE!!
Posted by JB20084 at 09:44 AM : Jun 26, 2008


Change from what to what?
Posted by RowdyWicca at 09:48 AM : Jun 26, 2008


I truly believe that you don''t have an idea about whats currently going on. What a Shame !

[rudy654-2009]

Posted by RowdyWicca at 09:39 AM

And she continues to twist and turn, left and right. I guess you will find it swell that now three times they hoped for a terrorist attack to help them politically. Why not?

[rowdywicca]

Posted by RowdyWicca at 09:39 AM

And she continues to twist and turn, left and right. I guess you will find it swell that now three times they hoped for a terrorist attack to help them politically. Why not?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by rudy654 at 09:53 AM : Jun 26, 2008

What''s wrong with asking the question? According to this article...change from what to what?

One politician using lobbyists or another politician using lobbyists?

WHERE''S YOUR CHANGE?

[rowdywicca]

I truly believe that you don''''t have an idea about whats currently going on. What a Shame !



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by parrot123 at 09:52 AM : Jun 26, 2008

AGAIN, change from what to WHAT? One politician using lobbyists or another politician using lobbyists?

WHAT CHANGE?

[omnibus66]

Yeah, he''s working for free. We all believe that unequivocally. Slip me a million bucks under the table and I''ll work for free, too!

[zerato-2009]

It is funny that the grand anti earmark, reform candidate would allow lobbyist in his campaign and allow them to make money off his name in lobbying circles. More things change in washington, the more things stay the same

[mcvet]

Barack Obama often boasts he is "the only candidate who isn''''''''t taking a dime from Washington lobbyists," yet his fundraising team includes 38 members of law firms that were paid $138 million last year to lobby the federal government, records show.

Posted by MCVet- at 10:08 AM : Jun 26, 2008
+ report abu

Typical Nazi! Can''t defend the actions of the Reich or the Fuhrer so you attack the "Other" guy. Now it''s PUBLIC record where Obama gets his money. He has 1.5 MILLION people, just ordinary American''s, who give him the money to run his Champaign on! He not only has refused to take money from people like Davis or any of the other PAID Lobbiest like those in McSame''s group, he has refused to allow the DNC to do so. It''s time for you Fascist to step up to the plate here...time to stop SELLING our government to the highest bidder! Now let''s let Shooter and McCaint know you''re out here licking those Boots!! Ready?? SIEG HEIL BUSH!! Come on!! You can do better than that and wipe the boot polish off your face! Now like you did saturday night at the Klan Rally!! SIEG HEIL GRAND WIZARD!! Thatta boy!!

[libh8er]

Wow! BIG shocker here! I never realized there was ''quid pro quo'' in politics until McCain came along!

Slow news day today, CBS?????

[mcvet]

One politician using lobbyists or another politician using lobbyists?

WHERE''''S YOUR CHANGE?

Posted by RowdyWicca at 09:58 AM : Jun 26, 2008
+ report abuse

The ISSUE you poor fascist is taking MONEY From people who benefit from that Money. READ the Article... McSame SAYS Lobbiest do not influence him and he doesn''t take money from them but the record is clear. It''s also, a matter of record, if you want to admit it or not, that OBAMA does NOT take money from Lobbiest, Pac''s or the like. It''s all on record for you to see... just take the swastika''s off for a few minutes!! Ready?? Let''s do this like you guys do on Saturday Night!! SIEG HEIL BUSH!!

[rowdywicca]

What''s really funny to me is that Obama stands up and bald faced lies to you about lobbyists and you people buy it?

It''s HILARIOUS!

[rowdywicca]

The ISSUE you poor fascist is taking MONEY From people who benefit from that Money. READ the Article... McSame SAYS Lobbiest do not influence him and he doesn''''t take money from them but the record is clear. It''''s also, a matter of record, if you want to admit it or not, that OBAMA does NOT take money from Lobbiest, Pac''''s or the like. It''''s all on record for you to see... just take the swastika''''s off for a few minutes!! Ready?? Let''''s do this like you guys do on Saturday Night!! SIEG HEIL BUSH!!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by MCVet at 10:21 AM : Jun 26, 2008

AGAIN, show me your CHANGE??? Obama is swilling in lobbyists time and money and bald faced lies to you about it!

WHERE IS YOUR CHANGE?

[libh8er]

WHERE IS YOUR CHANGE?
Posted by RowdyWicca at 10:22 AM : Jun 26, 2008

It''s in my pocket. But if Ubama gets ''selected'', I have a feeling it won''t be there long! :)

[ioweign]

This man is so good, he is working for free. Thats because he believes God can prevail over the prince of darkness.

Posted by faith_in_w at 09:48 AM : Jun 26, 2008

Paying the electric bill will solve that darkness problem...

[rowdywicca]

On Obama''s team on the left:

Oil & Energy
Banking and Sub-Prime Lenders
Insurance Companies
Etc.

On McCain''s team on the right:

Oil & Energy
Banking and Sub-Prime Lenders
Insurance Companies
Etc.

All doing the same jobs, just have different names!!!

WHAT''S GOING TO CHANGE ABOUT LOBBYISTS AND LOBBYING???

[rowdywicca]

Do you really think Obama''s lobbyists are suddently going to return to Washington and start lobbying for their industries to MAKE LESS MONEY? To give up all the loopholes they''ve got? To pay more taxes? To fund the poor? To re-distribute the wealth?

C''mon, I''ve got some swampland down here...CHEAP!

[ioweign]

C''''mon, I''''ve got some swampland down here...CHEAP!

Posted by RowdyWicca at 10:36 AM : Jun 26, 2008

Crawford no doubt...

[nelson5714]

Posted by RowdyWicca at 10:36 AM : Jun 26, 2008"

Obama PAYS his campaign staff - as such he owes them NOTHING
Magoo''s entire campaign staff are nothing but lobbyists working for him for FREE so Magoo OWES them bigtime & they''ll want and would recieve BIG favours if he gets into office

[nelson5714]

C''''mon, I''''ve got some swampland down here...CHEAP!

Posted by RowdyWicca at 10:36 AM : Jun 26, 2008"

All of TexASS is swampland - which part in particular are you referring to ???

[rowdywicca]

Posted by RowdyWicca at 10:36 AM : Jun 26, 2008"

Obama PAYS his campaign staff - as such he owes them NOTHING
Magoo''''s entire campaign staff are nothing but lobbyists working for him for FREE so Magoo OWES them bigtime & they''''ll want and would recieve BIG favours if he gets into office


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by Nelson5714 at 10:43 AM : Jun 26, 2008

Whatta crock lame excuse...geezus it doesn''t get any more hilarious!

[nanc12]

Ah - I was confused, but now I see there''s a MCVet and a MCVet- posting. I was afraid you were bi-polar and arguing with yourself. These name stealers are pathetic.

[caliguy55]

I don''t see how any Republican with any intelligence could question the veracity of Barack Obama given the continuous lies, deceits, half-truths, and political spin, that have spewed from the Bush Administration for the past seven and one-half years. Certainly, any rational person with a little knowledge of history knows that we''ve been, and are being, subjected to the most corrupt and criminal Administration that has ever occupied the White House. And, that Administration has brought our once great country to the brink of financial ruin and disaster in addition to destroying the country''s favorable reputation built over the last 220 years. I''m white, and I can assure you that Sen. Obama has my vote for President. I say this because the evidence that surrounds us shows that our country is on the brink of becoming the largest third world country on this planet, and that Sen. Obama and a Democratic Congress provide us with our only hope of avoiding complete destruction. I''m also happy that McSame has been around for such a long time as his flip-flops on important issues, outright lies recorded by irrefutable sources, and his association with corruption (the "Keating Five") are available for all to see.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Why wont Obamas campaign return campaign dontations from rap musicians that profit from celebrating the denigration and subjugation of women?" Posted by MCVet-

Probably because the lyrics you quoted have nothing to do with what you think they do.

Read them, it is obvious that the author is lamenting American hypocrisy, condemning drugs and prostitution, while drinking alcohol and watching titillation on TV.

This song is similar to Frank Zappa''s "I''m the Slime", which used another first person view from a TV media to criticize society.

Maybe if you learn to understand what you read and hear, you won''t make posts that even children can see are off mark.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Do you really think Obama''''s lobbyists are suddently going to return to Washington and start lobbying for their industries to MAKE LESS MONEY? To give up all the loopholes they''''ve got? To pay more taxes? To fund the poor? To re-distribute the wealth?" Posted by RowdyWicca

Most likely not, but if such a group were to approach DC with those concerns, it is quite obvious that their chances of being at least heard by Mr. Obama are exponentially greater than their chances with McSame.

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by MCVet-

Seeing as how you continually post the same BS after you are shown your mistaken impression, it is obvious that your agenda has nothing to do with lyrics.

The first line of the quoted chorus applies to you, "this is that ignorant sh*t you like..."

[taddles3]

"These name stealers are pathetic.

Posted by nanc12 at 10:50 AM : Jun 26, 2008"


Report them, they''ll get banned.

[wdrussell1]

I know where you are coming from nanc12. You ever wonder how sad a life a person has, when the most important thing they ever did was troll msg boards and clone other peoples names.

[taddles3]

"http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25374237/

nEnergy Breakthrough? Could provide up to a 40% increase in powerplant power.

Posted by melchg at 11:24 AM : Jun 26, 2008"


Implementation. Lots and lots of concepts on increasing efficiencies and reducing fuel use to generate power, implementing those concepts is a whole other thing.

We can''t even get a reliable CO2 scrubber on existing coal fired power plants in part due to lobbying efforts to stop Government regulation. The biggest problem with any advance in technology is overcoming the lobbying efforts of the existing technology that will be displaced or the industry that may have to shell out a few more dollars. Even trying to get the power industry to use technologies that will MAKE them money in the long run is a daunting task because they are beholden to stockholders who demand a profit every quarter.

[rbofla]

All I have to say is the John McSame doesn''t know how to use a PC or Blackberry - here he is saying it himself:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/06/25/moos.mccain.doesnt.compute.cnn

it should be illegal for a person to be President of the USA without such basic knowledge. This is unexcuseable - totally out of touch with a MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR part of society, world economy, leading export/import tool. I mean the list goes on. How can you make sound decisions on most modern issues if you dont know how to use a darm computer. I mean what the hell is that?!?!?!?!?! This is beyond scary

[briannorwood]

McCain is a dirty politician. He narrowly escaped the Keating 5 scandal, and has been walking a very fine line between barely-legal and corrupt activities ever since.

A vote for McCain is a vote for big Washington lobbyists. His facade of reform is nothing more than a cover for his true motives.