FLASHBACK: McCain Repeatedly Lobbied FCC On Behalf Of Campaign Contributors
FLASHBACK: McCain Repeatedly Lobbied FCC On Behalf Of Campaign Contributors
Since The New York Times’s explosive story on Feb. 21, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has been under intense scrutiny for his willingness to use his former position as chair of the Senate Commerce Committee to benefit campaign contributors.
In 1999, McCain wrote two controversial letters to the FCC on behalf of broadcaster and campaign contributor Lowell “Bud” Paxson. He urged the commissioners to make a “rapid decision on Paxson’s quest to acquire a Pittsburgh television station.” McCain had flown on Paxson’s corporate jet on four occasions, and received $28,000 in contributions from Paxson and his law firm.
McCain has insisted that his letter-writing had nothing to do with Paxson. In fact, he claimed that he wasn’t even on Paxson’s side; he simply wanted the FCC to make a decision.
Yet the Paxson case wasn’t an isolated incident. In 2000, reporters reviewed 2,000 pages of correspondences from McCain and his staff. They found that “in the vast majority of those particularly regulatory matters were Mr. McCain himself sent a letter, the interested parties had contributed to his presidential or Senate campaigns” [New York Times, 1/6/00]. Some examples:
– In 1998, McCain wrote the FCC a letter asking it to give “serious consideration” to allowing BellSouth to enter the long-distance market. Just four months earlier, on May 6, 1998, BellSouth officials had donated $16,750 to McCain. [Boston Globe, 1/9/00]
– In June 1998, McCain wrote to the FCC “on behalf of AT&T, Spring, and MCI Worldcom,” even though he had “long favored the so-called Baby Bells.” Two weeks later, Spring donated $2,000. In October 1998, AT&T officials gave him $25,800. [Boston Globe, 1/9/00]
– In May 1999, McCain wrote to the FCC and accused it of “bias against Ameritech and SBC Communications,” two companies seeking to merge. Just before his May letter, “officials and lobbyists for the two companies helped him raise almost $120,000.” Ameritech was led by Richard Notebaert, a “friend and leading fund-raiser” for McCain. [Boston Globe, 1/7/00; New York Times, 1/6/00]
– In 1998, McCain wrote two letters on behalf of satellite television companies Echostar and DirecTV, “in an effort help them win permission to carry local broadcast signals. Echostar’s chairman raised about $25,000 for McCain” in the period between the two letters. [Boston Globe, 1/9/00]
– On Dec. 1, 1998, McCain wrote a letter to the FCC advocating against tighter restrictions, which were “clearly not in the spirit” of the 1996 Telecommunications Act. In the months before the letter, Paxson and Sinclair officials donated about $17,000 to McCain’s campaign. [Boston Globe, 1/9/00]
In 2000, George W. Bush sharply criticized McCain for his unethical behavior. “I think it’s really important for people who advocate reforms to live to the spirit of the reforms they advocate,” said Bush. Now, however, Bush is blaming newspapers for highlighting McCain’s lapses to the public.
Sort Comments By: Top Rated | Date
91 Responses to “FLASHBACK: McCain Repeatedly Lobbied FCC On Behalf Of Campaign Contributors”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Register
RSSLogin
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog RollAbout Think ProgressContact Us
Donate
Once a liar, always a liar. Republiscum must be defeated, for the preservation of our democracy.
March 1st, 2008 at 10:51 amThe FCC should go away.
March 1st, 2008 at 10:51 amMcLobby and his straight-lobby-express….
Set your egg timer for a Clinton or Obama reference.
March 1st, 2008 at 10:52 amIt sure looks like the NY Times set a trap for Sen. McCain.
A long, well documented, history of votes and statements does not help the straight talking Sen. McCain, when the topic is Lobbyists and political contributions.
March 1st, 2008 at 10:53 amPeople don’t control money . . . money controls people.
March 1st, 2008 at 10:54 amright, keith…
March 1st, 2008 at 11:02 ami’m thinking, “cause and effect”… maybe?
The FCC should go away.
Comment by VA Voter
Too bad. It’s going to get bigger and more invasive very soon…..and it should.
March 1st, 2008 at 11:07 amDipshits,
It is an EXPLICITLY STATED CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT, that citizens may petition their government for the redress of greivances, which has been termed “lobbying”. A constitutionally defined function of federally elected and appointed officials is to respond to citizens concerns by personally investigating the situation, then use their judgement to either allow things to proceed as they are, or act to influence if/how those things proceed.
THAT is one of many responsibilities of federally elected and appointed officials. It would UNCONSTITUTIONAL for these officials to shut citizens out of the process.
March 1st, 2008 at 11:09 amThe FCC should go away.
Comment by VA Voter
Why not take a dose of your own meds? That street stuff is dangerous.
March 1st, 2008 at 11:09 amIs there was any evidence that McCain helped anyone that didn’t contribute to his campaign?
March 1st, 2008 at 11:12 amWhat neither jason nor voter understand is that these stories just lay bare McCain’s utter hypocrisy. They can complain about the FCC and justify the “noble profession” of lobbying all they want. The fact of the matter is that Little Johnny is talking out of both sides of his mouth and has been found out.
He can interject “my friends” into his campaign drivel all he wants but it is become increasingly clear that his true “friends” are those who pay for access and bribe him for favors.
March 1st, 2008 at 11:16 amTHAT is one of many responsibilities of federally elected and appointed officials. It would UNCONSTITUTIONAL for these officials to shut citizens out of the process.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler
March 1st, 2008 at 11:17 amAnd by selling his influence mccain shuts out citizens who can’t afford to be his friend. dipshit.
Do you think you can get McCain and his lobbyist handlers, advisors, and surrogates to say lobbying is, “EXPLICITLY STATED CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT” in public some time soon?
March 1st, 2008 at 11:17 amwell, hintler, you are right about that…
March 1st, 2008 at 11:17 ambut kickbacks and bribery are unethical, if not illegal…
and the hypocrisy is REALLY stinky!
“It is an EXPLICITLY STATED CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT, that citizens may petition their government for the redress of greivances, which has been termed “lobbying.”
Jason the halfwit”
You’re the troll with law degree, or the architecture degree from that “Ivy League” college, Stanford, right? So where in the Constitution is this EXPLICITLY stated? It’s there, but I don’t think you are smart enough to find it. dipshit.
March 1st, 2008 at 11:21 amWe all know that if it were Clinton or Obama so closely tied to lobbyists, Hendler would go ballistic. Then, you’d hear “controlled by lobbyists,” nonstop.
March 1st, 2008 at 11:21 amI’ll bet jason the troll doesn’t even know where the term “lobbyist” originated.
March 1st, 2008 at 11:25 amA constitutionally defined function of federally elected and appointed officials is to respond to CITIZENS concerns by personally investigating the situation, then use their judgement to either allow things to proceed as they are, or act to influence if/how those things proceed.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler — March 1, 2008 @ 11:09 am
Mr. Hendler is correct. The question is which CITIZENS benefit, and at a who’s expense. Do the actions of the elected official benefit the majority of the taxpayers, or do they Just Benefit the special concerns of a small, influential group of campaign contributors.
That is the issue which requires a Complete Public Discussion. There is a reason why much of this lobbist influenced legislation is added in the “middle of the night”
March 1st, 2008 at 11:27 amIt is truly amazing just how cheaply our representative sell themselves to corporate interests.
McCain and others accept paltry sums of money, that compared to the benefit to their contributors, makes McCain and others cheap prostitutes for sure.
March 1st, 2008 at 11:28 amMcCain and others cheap prostitutes for sure.
Comment by nofltwlt
You know what they say, you are what you marry.
March 1st, 2008 at 11:30 amMy recollection is that lobbist had restricted access and infulence until the reagun era and there were only a handfull around until the reagan era….
It now amounts to votes for sale which undermines our democracy. Just my opinion. Until this evil infuence is removed we will have no real shot at representation.
March 1st, 2008 at 11:31 amQ. Why would someone like Romney spend $35 million of his own money to get a job paying $400,000 a year?
A. Team effort
March 1st, 2008 at 11:34 amThe FCC should go away.
Comment by VA Voter — March 1, 2008 @ 10:51 am
I’d be interested in seeing the list of federal agencies that you might wish would go away and your reasoning. Thanks
March 1st, 2008 at 11:37 amThe FCC should go away.
Comment by VA Voter
de-regulation and eliminating regulatory agencies has been proven to work if your objective is to cause a depression……see 1929 Herbert Hoover.
March 1st, 2008 at 11:41 amMcCain and others cheap prostitutes for sure.
Comment by nofltwlt
You know what they say, you are what you marry.
Comment by Bobwurst — March 1, 2008 @ 11:30 am
RIM SHOT…
March 1st, 2008 at 11:44 am“Follow the money.” It appears Sen. McCain keeps writing letters to the FCC shortly after receiving moola from a company. Timing is everything. The NYT article should have stayed with McCain’s closeness to a lobbyist, period. If his aides thought he was getting “too close” to the female lobbyist, the Times should have mentioned it in passing and nothing more. The storyline is his relationship with lobbyists; not female lobbyists. This is a story about the real meaning of “my friends.” Sen. McCain might have some more ’splaing to do.
March 1st, 2008 at 11:44 amHypocrisy abounds..
March 1st, 2008 at 11:44 amdipshit Jason Hitler:
Why is it you always get so bent out of shape when your republiscum traitors are proven to be liars, cheats and thieves/ Surely this can’t be surprising, given the hundreds of republiscum political hacks under investigation, or in jail, at this time. Typical of the entitled rightard: leave us alone to rip off the public and loot the treasury!
March 1st, 2008 at 11:45 am#
The FCC should go away.
Comment by VA Voter — March 1, 2008 @ 10:51 am
I’d be interested in seeing the list of federal agencies that you might wish would go away and your reasoning. Thanks
Comment by dbadass — March 1, 2008 @ 11:37 am
I wouldn’t.
A∞Ω
March 1st, 2008 at 11:46 amUm, is there anything else happening on Earth that doesn’t pertain to McCain?
March 1st, 2008 at 11:49 amUm, is there anything else happening on Earth that doesn’t pertain to McCain?
Comment by Zooey
Yeah, it is, at a place called the Zoo.
How about staying there to moderate !!
A∞Ω
March 1st, 2008 at 11:56 amUm, is there anything else happening on Earth that doesn’t pertain to McCain?
Comment by Zooey
Welll, apparently, there is a connection between spanking and adult sex….I’ll just let everyone insert their own punchline for this one.
http://www.rawstory.com/ news/ mochila/ Study_Spanking_can_bring_problems_l_02292008.html
March 1st, 2008 at 12:13 pmThe Daily Show’s Jon Stewart tried to warn him in 2006, but John McCain didn’t listen. Battered by all sides over his embrace of End Times Pastor John Hagee, John McCain is finally experiencing the blowback from his pandering visits to “crazy base world.”
For the details, see:
March 1st, 2008 at 12:18 pm“Jon Stewart Warned McCain About ‘Crazy Base World.’”
yea, bobwurst, i thought i’d get a reaction when i posted that news
on thursday’s FAST thread… nada…
sure seems it would be easy enough to tie in most of the religeous wrong
March 1st, 2008 at 12:28 pmto that theory… aren’t they big believers in the corporal punishment?
i could be mistaken, but it sure ’splains a LOT!
check this out, from C&L blog roundup:
Oliver Willis: John McCain has another senior moment.
March 1st, 2008 at 12:30 pmI agree with Zooey on this one. I believe TP needs to tone it down with the McCain coverage. There’s nothing that will prevent him from being the repub. nominee at this point, and America already doesn’t believe this guy to be presidential.
We don’t have to try hard this year; the Republican mess speaks for itself. There will be a democratic landslide in November.
Could you at least hold off on the heavy coverage until July, right after the conventions?
March 1st, 2008 at 12:39 pmComment by Bobwurst — March 1, 2008 @ 12:13 pm
Ewww. That explains a lot. :D
I’m glad I never spanked my kids…
March 1st, 2008 at 12:40 pmcheck this out, from C&L blog roundup:
Oliver Willis: John McCain has another senior moment.
Comment by katy — March 1, 2008 @ 12:30 pm
“Fumbling in the middle of an appearance in Texas, the 71 year old John McCain says he will run a “dispirited” campaign and touts his credentials as a proud “conservative… liberal Republican”. Then the crowd laughs at him.” — from Willis’s web site
OMG that was just sad….. Funny as hell, I lmao at the clip, but really sad that this is the Republican frontrunner.
Its almost like they are trying to throw the race.
March 1st, 2008 at 12:40 pmComment by McWars — March 1, 2008 @ 12:39 pm
TP has turned into “McCain Watch Blog.”
March 1st, 2008 at 12:43 pmCaption contest;
No I better not, but I am sure all you other folks have a good caption as well.
Keep them to yourselves though.
March 1st, 2008 at 12:44 pmGood morning Katy, if by explain you’re referring to all the repressed perversion in the republican party, then yup. Couple this with their post-modern view that as long as they’re symbolically moral they are free to be as immoral as they want and it’s enough to explain everything from Ken Starr’s obsession with sex to king george’s obsession “punishing” our enemies.
March 1st, 2008 at 12:44 pmIts almost like they are trying to throw the race.
Comment by Wayne — March 1, 2008 @ 12:40 pm
Exactly.
March 1st, 2008 at 12:44 pmEwww. That explains a lot. :D
I’m glad I never spanked my kids…
Comment by Zooey — March 1, 2008 @ 12:40 pm
Anyone who thinks violence is the first or only answer, especially violence towards a child, is in real need of psychological help.
But as I have pointed out before, this is a society where on the sparkling “hypno-gourd” the taking of a life is considered “entertaining”, while the act of creating life is “obscene”.
On that same sparkling box, Jesus people speak of hate, prejudice and War.
Is it really such a big mystery as to why our society is so fooked up?
March 1st, 2008 at 12:51 pmCould you at least hold off on the heavy coverage [of mccain] until July, right after the conventions?
Comment by McWars
I’m going to respectfully disagree here. He’s going to be in the news, and it’s important to hammer on the truth about this “character”. period. Why give him, and his buddies in the MSM, free reign to build on the “honest maverick” line of crap that they’re trying to shove down our throats? Are they going to give Obama, or Hillary, a pass until after the convention? Take what goes on here, in the threads and the comment sections, and spread it far and wide. to your family, your friends and your neighbors. Write letters to your local papers, to your local tv stations etc. The conservatives are going to go all out in their attacks. we need to overwhelm them. period.
March 1st, 2008 at 12:53 pmzooey - you have a good point, as always…
TP has it’s faves, that’s for sure…
…
i’ve long thought, after careful study of the information i glean,
that mcCREEPY is some sort of sacrificial lamb for this race…
but he’s not even pretending very well… lousy acting… “my friends”…
creepy sad…
i hate to get too optomistic about a democratic landslide, ’cause those
March 1st, 2008 at 12:55 pmvoting machines are just too rigged… it’s not a shoe-in by any means…
it’s my nature to be skeptical… with a lean to pessimism…
S & M is overrated . . . or underrated . . . depending upon your point of view.
lol
March 1st, 2008 at 12:57 pmIs it really such a big mystery as to why our society is so fooked up?
Comment by Wayne — March 1, 2008 @ 12:51 pm
No mystery at all, Wayne.
I know good “Christian” people who are all for their kids seeing every scene of bloody violence on movies and television, but a moment of intimacy — heaven forbid! It’s sick.
March 1st, 2008 at 12:58 pmit’s my nature to be skeptical… with a lean to pessimism…
Comment by katy — March 1, 2008 @ 12:55 pm
As ROS would say:
March 1st, 2008 at 12:58 pmSee the snark, feel the snark
be the snark =)
zooey - reminds me of that rapture-ready video game…
now THAT is a tad fooked up (heh, fooked, i like that)
March 1st, 2008 at 1:02 pmyes, wayne, the fark is with me…
March 1st, 2008 at 1:03 pmjust doesn’t get out enough… heh…
“I’ve long thought, after careful study of the information i glean,
that mcCREEPY is some sort of sacrificial lamb for this race…
but he’s not even pretending very well… lousy acting… “my friendsâ€â€¦
creepy sad.
Katy”
I’ve been wondering about this too, but I’ve come to a different conclusion. It reminds me of the Post Bresnhiv Soviet Union (and yes, I’m dating myself here…don’t remind me). After Breshniv died there was a string, at least two, “elected” leaders who were decrepit bumbling geezers. They were members of the old guard, who had waited their turn, who came into power because they were weak and malleable. They came into power and Soviet leadership creaked and groaned and eventually, they put in the young guy, Gorbochov who took the power structure down. Mccain is the republican Andropov.
March 1st, 2008 at 1:03 pmWE need to be on the lookout for the republican Putin once a dem is in place in January…
March 1st, 2008 at 1:05 pm#16, barfly,
Clinton / Obama ARE controlled by lobbyists representing the UAW, Teamsters, Sierra Club, trial lawyers, etc.
It is NOT the lobbying that is the problem, since you don’t complain about the payoffs to the Dems to act in response to union, environmental and tort-reform needs. You simply want to make McCain look bad by any slander you can create, regardless of whether that same slander is equally applied to your own.
March 1st, 2008 at 1:06 pmThere is a lame troll, but his lame post was too lame to even respond to, because it was really lame.
March 1st, 2008 at 1:10 pmyes, bobwurst - that works too! very much along my line of thinking…
the cons are giving ol’ john his due… and he’s taking it…
(and i recently attained official senior status, myself… don’t remind me…
March 1st, 2008 at 1:11 pmbut i do vaguely remember those post breshniv days… only vaguely tho)
Russia votes for Putin’s successor
March 1st, 2008 at 1:12 pmCNN - 1 hour ago
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) — Russian voters will head to the polls on Sunday to pick a president, but the outcome is not expected to be a surprise: A hand-picked successor to President Vladimir Putin is expected to win in a landslide, after hardly even …
Putin candidate set to crush rivals Aljazeera.net
Russia prepares to elect Dmitry Medvedev Telegraph.co.uk
You simply want to make McCain look bad by any slander you can create, regardless of whether that same slander is equally applied to your own.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler — March 1, 2008 @ 1:06 pm
McCain makes HIMSELF looks bad. That ain’t slander.
Nice try.
March 1st, 2008 at 1:13 pmClinton / Obama ARE controlled by lobbyists representing the UAW, Teamsters, Sierra Club, trial lawyers, etc.
LIAR! as usual this troll is full of crap. The fact is that Obama, at any rate has recieved contributions from over 1,000,000 ordinary Americans. He is beholden to ordinary Americans. That is what scares the wingnuts and nazis.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/ 2008/ 02/ 27/ obama-reaches-1-million-donor-mark/ index.html?hp
March 1st, 2008 at 1:14 pmSpokeman for Senator John McCain: “John (Lobbyist) McCain wouldn’t dare cater to lobbyists. Just because the Democrats, I mean media has proven it, doesn’t mean that it’s true. Senator McCain would never have sex with a lobbyist, I mean he didn’t love her when he had sex with her, it was just for political favors. You can’t call a trist with a young blonde lobbyist doing favors for a lobbyist. You just call it, I mean it never happened. Sen. McCain may have sold favors for sex, I mean Sen. MCain’s wife does know about this so it’s ok, I mean Sen. McCain believes in family values.
Look Sen. McCain was just getting his grove on, I mean Sen. McCain may have been on the same private jet alone with this hot chic, but that doesn’t mean he had sex with her, although, he wanted to, but couldn’t get it up, I mean Sen. McCain would never stoop to such a level, unless she wanted him to. The facts speak for themselves, regardless of the facts.”
March 1st, 2008 at 1:16 pmYou simply want to make McCain look bad by any slander you can create, regardless of whether that same slander is equally applied to your own.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler — March 1, 2008 @ 1:06 pm
McCain makes HIMSELF looks bad. That ain’t slander.
Nice try.
Comment by Zooey
Yeah, where’s the “slander” JT (jason the troll)? In order for something to be slander it has to be untrue. I’m surprised they didn’t teach you that in law school. Are you sure you didn’t attend Regents?
March 1st, 2008 at 1:17 pmComment by Bobwurst — March 1, 2008 @ 12:53 pm
Comment by katy — March 1, 2008 @ 12:55 pm
Fine rebuttals here. Maybe it’s just readers fatigue — sometimes you just hope for the weekend off. ;)
Makes you admire the scholarly TP staff though, never taking a day off.
I guess the point I’m trying to make is specific to this site, not encouraging anybody to back down from foul republicans in an election year.
Though TP is relatively new, I must recognize that this place is now a guiding force in American politics.
March 1st, 2008 at 1:18 pmRussia votes for Putin’s successor
CNN - 1 hour ago
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) — Russian voters will head to the polls on Sunday to pick a president, but the outcome is not expected to be a surprise: A hand-picked successor to President Vladimir Putin is expected to win in a landslide, after hardly even …
Putin candidate set to crush rivals Aljazeera.net
Russia prepares to elect Dmitry Medvedev Telegraph.co.uk
Comment by katy
Hey, Freedom is on the march! Thank you george.
March 1st, 2008 at 1:19 pmthis place is now a guiding force in American politics.
Comment by McWars — March 1, 2008 @ 1:18 pm
it certainly has helped to guide MINE…
March 1st, 2008 at 1:25 pmfor which i’m very grateful…
What Katy said.
March 1st, 2008 at 1:27 pmHe’s so two faced that they’re both hanging down below his jaw line!
March 1st, 2008 at 1:27 pmHe’s so two faced that they’re both hanging down below his jaw line!
Comment by Doc Rock
So that explains the double chin…
March 1st, 2008 at 1:28 pmCaption”
March 1st, 2008 at 1:32 pm“They cant see me when I hide behind my hand.
hehe.”
caption:
“Here, let me do my impression of an elephant…”
March 1st, 2008 at 1:42 pmCaption:
I can’t decide which finger to sniff.
March 1st, 2008 at 1:43 pmI guess that one was a bit gross. Sorry y’all.
I’m glad I decided against listing the “finger flavors.” ;)
March 1st, 2008 at 1:56 pmOh well
Caption Contest;
If that nimrod Jason M Handler, decides to defend me one more time, put a claw end of a hammer, where my finger is pointing!
March 1st, 2008 at 2:15 pmCaption Contest;
If that nimrod Jason M Handler, decides to defend me one more time, put a claw end of a hammer, where my finger is pointing!
Comment by natisman — March 1, 2008 @ 2:15 pm
Now that. was. funny.
March 1st, 2008 at 2:21 pmThank you Wayne
I mean what can you do with trolls, you plant em top side up, you come back one day later and they got their heads in the soil again.
March 1st, 2008 at 2:34 pmCorporations are not citizens Hendler.
March 1st, 2008 at 2:59 pmGOP ‘discouraged’ at lack of telecom donations to reward immunity support.
See Hendler, its not that they care about immunity, like McCaiin they only care about the donations.
March 1st, 2008 at 3:03 pm“These companies just won’t do anything,†the GOP aide told Roll Call’s Tory Newmyer and Lauren W. Whittington. “Even when you have the Democrats working against their bottom line.â€
No Republicans would speak to the reporters on the record, wary of the impression that their immunity support is little more than a legislative shake-down for campaign donations. But plenty proffered private complaints about the telco’s shifting support.
HA!!
March 1st, 2008 at 3:04 pmClinton / Obama ARE controlled by lobbyists representing the UAW, Teamsters, Sierra Club, trial lawyers, etc.
It is NOT the lobbying that is the problem, since you don’t complain about the payoffs to the Dems to act in response to union, environmental and tort-reform needs. You simply want to make McCain look bad by any slander you can create, regardless of whether that same slander is equally applied to your own.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler — March 1, 2008 @ 1:06 pm
You are willfully confusing public interest groups such as unions and environmental groups with corporate special interests. There’s a big difference between a politician acting in the public interest and supporting the environment, consumer rights or the rights of workers and a politician cosing up to private corporate interests against the public interest. Politicians are supposed to represent we the people, the voting public, not corporations.
March 1st, 2008 at 3:09 pmomment by Jason M. Hendler — March 1, 2008 @ 1:06 pm
You are willfully confusing public interest groups such as unions and environmental groups with corporate special interests. There’s a big difference between a politician acting in the public interest and supporting the environment, consumer rights or the rights of workers and a politician cosing up to private corporate interests against the public interest. Politicians are supposed to represent we the people, the voting public, not corporations.
Comment by Snowball
And this troll is wrong about obama. It just spews the standard rightwing smear. Obama has over 1,00,000 individual contributors. I guess in the troll world, citizens are a special interest group.
March 1st, 2008 at 3:13 pmBut it won’t respond to this. it is a coward, a moron, and a liar.
March 1st, 2008 at 3:13 pmjohnnmac’s quite the eager beaver when it comes to kissing ass for campaign cash. that’s what makes him such a rad, bad McMaverick.
so daring
SOOO “Independent”
…just ask his crooked lobbyist campaign manager/lawyer
March 1st, 2008 at 3:42 pmjust ask his crooked lobbyist campaign manager/lawyer
Comment by tombaker
or his skanky crooked lobbyist girlfriend.
March 1st, 2008 at 3:48 pmTP has turned into “McCain Watch Blog.â€
Comment by Zooey
Well, since TP refuses to acknowledge any of Clinton’s problems or Obama’s successes, about all they have left in the Presidential race is McCain. I wonder how they are going to handle it once Obama is truly the candidate?
March 1st, 2008 at 6:48 pmSome Senior Citizens are sharp as a tack and haven’t lost even half a step……..Grandpa McCain is not one of them
March 1st, 2008 at 7:08 pmDon Rickles is…..but he’s not running for President.
And this troll is wrong about obama. It just spews the standard rightwing smear. Obama has over 1,00,000 individual contributors. I guess in the troll world, citizens are a special interest group.
Comment by Bobwurst — March 1, 2008 @ 3:13 pm
You got that right.
To the Reptilicans voters and average working people are “special interests”
In the words of Chimpy McFlightsuit “the haves and the have-mores” are “his base”.
March 1st, 2008 at 7:13 pmTP has turned into “McCain Watch Blog.â€
Comment by Zooey
Well, since TP refuses to acknowledge any of Clinton’s problems or Obama’s successes, about all they have left in the Presidential race is McCain. I wonder how they are going to handle it once Obama is truly the candidate?
Comment by bilbobaggins — March 1, 2008 @ 6:48 pm
very well said… liked it so much i wanted to repeat it…
i’ve been trying to find a way to ask that question myself…
thanks…
i have all the confidence in the world that TP will come through
the process just fine though…
it damn well better… or just shut down…
March 1st, 2008 at 7:49 pmand i don’t like the connotations of that…
Aw, cmon! These are all just sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrr coincidences.
March 1st, 2008 at 8:21 pmWell, since TP refuses to acknowledge any of Clinton’s problems or Obama’s successes, about all they have left in the Presidential race is McCain. I wonder how they are going to handle it once Obama is truly the candidate?
Comment by bilbobaggins
What would you like? You can always avail yourself of the thinkfast threads in the mornings to post critiques of Obama.
March 1st, 2008 at 8:39 pmComment by Jason M. Hendler — March 1, 2008 @ 1:06 pm
yes, because organizations and unions that support Democrats are special interests, but corporations and Big Oil that support Republicans are not, but rather citizens only petitioning their government.
March 2nd, 2008 at 2:26 amResponse to Dipshits. What you fail to understand is the access process. These donors get immediate access or immediate phone calls or messages directly from the Senator. Other constituents get a nondescript form letter from a nondescript envelope stuffer stating to the effect that this matter is under advisement. After which you hear no more about it either from the Senator or his envelope stuffer.
March 2nd, 2008 at 7:00 amIt is NOT the lobbying that is the problem, since you don’t complain about the payoffs to the Dems to act in response to union, environmental and tort-reform needs.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler
It is about the lobbying…….corporations have unlimited funds to buy votes. Environmentalists and Unions don’t have and never will have the money to comepete.
lobby system = votes for sale….this is not democracy. Thanks ronny
March 2nd, 2008 at 11:41 amHere Are Seven Reasons to Begin Impeachment Hearings Against Bush!
March 2nd, 2008 at 12:52 pmHow many laws does Bush have to break before he’s held to account?
Failing to investigate Bush NOW means that he will never answer for his misdeeds.
How do we deter abusive leaders in the future if Congress fails to investigate him?
(1) ILLEGAL IRAQ WAR (2) ILLEGAL SPYING (3) GENEVA CONVENTION VIOLATIONS (4) ILLEGAL DETENTION
(5) ILLEGAL RELEASE OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION
(6) ILLEGAL FREEZING OF ACCOUNTS AND RESTRICTION TO FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY
(7) ILLEGAL USE OF SIGNING STATEMENTS
Link to –> http://www.impeachforpeace.org/evidence/