McCain’s finance co-chair resigns after conflict-of-interest allegations.
McCain’s finance co-chair resigns after conflict-of-interest allegations.
Recently, two aides to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) were forced to resign because of ties to a firm that once represented the Burmese Junta. As a result, McCain introduced a “conflict-of-interest policy” for his campaign, requiring staffers to disclose clients that “could be embarrassing for the senator.” Newsweek reports that national finance co-chair Tom Loeffler has been lobbying on behalf of foreign interests:
[Loeffler’s] lobbying firm has collected nearly $15 million from Saudi Arabia since 2002 and millions more from other foreign and corporate interests, including a French aerospace firm seeking Pentagon contracts. Loeffler last month told a reporter “at no time have I discussed my clients with John McCain.” But lobbying disclosure records reviewed by NEWSWEEK show that on May 17, 2006, Loeffler listed meeting McCain along with the Saudi ambassador to “discuss US-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia relations.”
Loeffler’s firm also hired Susan Nelson, McCain’s finance director, as a consultant to “help him with his clients” while she continued working for the campaign. But election law prohibits “any outside entity from subsidizing the income of campaign workers.” After Newsweek raised questions about the matter, the campaign “confirmed Loeffler’s resignation and the termination of Nelson’s consulting contract.”
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Oh no, Little Johnny McCain is stepping all over his hooha.
May 18th, 2008 at 12:58 pmAnd where is backup, the concern troll?
Should we liberals be concerned that his candidate’s finance co-chair’s decision to resign signals a more intensive coverage of the True McCain?
May 18th, 2008 at 1:10 pmYou thought that Bush was corrupted by all the political donations by Enron Corporation and its executives? You thought that Cheney is corrupt by his ties to no-bid contracts received by Halliburton Corporation? You ain’t seen nothing yet. Dig corrupt McCain and his stable of corporate lobbyists, whoring for major right-wing torturing dictatorships around the world.
May 18th, 2008 at 1:16 pmHeck of a whoring, Mr. McCain… Dictators? We love them absolutely! Saudi dictators are absolute. Burmese generals are absolute dictators. Columbia is ruled by right-wing criminals. The list goes on and on… Why should we bother about facts, when Old John can tell us how wonderful occupied Iraq will be after 4.66 more years of Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld-McCain attentions…
The straight talker has some ’splainin’ to do.
May 18th, 2008 at 1:22 pmThe big questions is who will believe his excuses?
Along with its wheels, the McCain straight talk express has lost its driver, it’s headed for a cliff, and its passengers are seen jumping out the windows.
First, this says a lot about McCain. He has made his brand by pushing ethics and integrity. In particular, he emphasizes that he is not controlled by special interests. We now know that he is either lying or so ingrained into the Republican beltway practices and attitudes that he no longer recognizes the problems of having incestuous relations with lobbyists.
The problem has never been one of outright bribery of congressmen and senators. It has always been about the soft corruption of officials. Access means a lot. It molds the perception and shared values of the legislator. It crowds out other view points and facts. It creates that undue pressure of personal obligation to those who have worked on your campaign at low compensation subsidized by the firms or industries for which they work. The end point is the same. The legislator’s viewpoints and values reflect those of his close advisers and the legislator will want to please those advisers to maintain them on his side and to receive contributions from their clients. It is just as detrimental to democracy as outright bribery.
May 18th, 2008 at 1:28 pmMcCain would have to fire his entire campaign staff if he meant to get rid of all the lobbyists. That ain’t gonna happen. This is all more smoke and mirrors. More of the same.
He is sending questionaires to everyone on his campaign staff, asking them if they’ve ever been lobbyists. What will he do when they all come back saying yes? You will never hear him mention this again.
May 18th, 2008 at 1:31 pmLet’s keep in mind that McCain only became a “straight talker” after he was busted as the only Keating 5 Republican lying to his constituents to keep his career. It’s all been one boatload of crap and hopefully the people who are not die hard Republicans will figure it out.
May 18th, 2008 at 1:33 pmWell now that’s the first. How about Charlie Blsck, his senior counsel and spokesman. Chas. has lobbied for Ferdinan Marcos of Philipines, fee $950 000, for Mobutu of Zaire fee $1,000,000/yr., for Somali dictator Mohammed Siad Barre,for Equatorial New Guinea, oil rich state , for Angolan rebel Jonas Savimbi,. Client list Iraqi National Congress, for ‘Freinds of Blackwater, and China Off Shore Oil Co.
May 18th, 2008 at 1:44 pmThen there’s Peter Madigan main fund raiser,who lobbies on behalf of King of Dubai.
Do think we have an honest chance?
Oops, it’s Charlie Black
May 18th, 2008 at 1:45 pmOh no! not the Repukes.Folks it’s only in Repuke world,Repukes would take to the air(Tv) & say Obama will loose the American security argument because We are now less safe,Al-queada is stronger,Iran is stronger,middle east is ablaze in confusion & the surge has made no difference not forgetting we have spent 650 billion so far.So McCain trying to insult our intelligence is nothing new.This is what they will do.
May 18th, 2008 at 2:00 pmWhere are the trolls to tell able as he’s nitpicking?
May 18th, 2008 at 2:00 pmMcCain, for all his previous hype speaking against lobbyist, had at least 11 on his staff, before letting this one go. Thats more than double the amount the other Republican candidates each had.
“Straight Talk Express” is just another example of empty Republican sloganeering.
May 18th, 2008 at 2:21 pmMost voters think Federal Spending is Out Of Control, and that much of the money goes down a RATHOLE anyway.
Wanna know where every single dollar goes??
http://www.usaspending.gov/index.php
a veritable “Google of the Federal Budget”, where anyone can research every dollar to see where their tax money is actually going. The whole Federal Rathole is now online, for the first time ever, inviting scrutiny from whoever has the patience to slog through it all.
And who is responsible for creating this antidote to secret spending and Government Waste?
Sen. Barack Obama’s major legislative accomplishment in the Senate, the The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 has been to bring transparency to federal spending.
Check it out.
May 18th, 2008 at 2:47 pmOT:
May 18th, 2008 at 3:11 pmPortland OR is having an Obama rally in 2 1/2 hours… already, the word is, the line to get in is 7 blocks long.
Haven’t read the article yet, and may not be able to stomach it, but McSame “graces” the cover of the NY Times Mag today. I can spot a liar across a table or from 2000 miles away. That’s one reason I can’t watch or listen to Bushco. Four more years of a liar-in-chief is not the way to go.
May 18th, 2008 at 3:21 pmBadger, this is the data I watch:
May 18th, 2008 at 3:27 pmSetting the Priorities Straight and if that link does not work, this should.
Why is it out country pays 1/2 to the pentagon, which is what is going down the corporate rathole? Every other industrialized country focuses instead on universal health care and caring for their own. Our system is only bringing our country down while corporations benefit.
Where’s the “Straight Talk Express” on this?
May 18th, 2008 at 4:55 pmAnd McCain says he has no ties to lobbists? Give us a break old man.
May 18th, 2008 at 5:10 pmMcSame — just another corrupt old Con. The Abramoff School o’ Gummint.
May 18th, 2008 at 6:12 pm