McCain’s Staffers Flock To K Street, Undermining His 2005 ‘Revolving Door’ Legislation
McCain’s Staffers Flock To K Street, Undermining His 2005 ‘Revolving Door’ Legislation
Politico reports today that “at least 16” of Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) former Senate staffers have gone on to careers in lobbying, according to an analysis of federal lobbying records. In some cases, McCain staffers have gone to K Street and then returned to McCain’s office:
In many cases, they went to work for clients whose issues the staffers dealt with in the Senate. … Still, during McCain’s nearly 25 years in Congress, the revolving door has remained open. As his aides have moved downtown from Capitol Hill, they’ve drawn from their experience on the senator’s personal staff or on his key committees: Armed Services, Commerce and Indian Affairs.
In a previous Politico interview, however, McCain proclaimed, “I would not allow anyone who worked for my administration to go back to lobbying.” Asked about the discrepancy, spokesperson Brian Rogers said McCain was not referring to congressional staff going to K Street. McCain “was making clear where he stands on the revolving door as it relates to the presidency,” he said.
McCain, however, has written legislation attacking the revolving door specifically with reference to former congressional officials. In the wake of the Jack Abramoff scandal in 2005, McCain wrote landmark legislation that “would double to two years the length of time that former congressional officials are barred from lobbying,” according to the Washington Post.
Indian Country Today reported on December 28, 2005 that McCain’s legislation limited former staffers from lobbying on behalf of Native American tribes:
Ex-government employees who go to work for a tribe will now have to wait one year before lobbying their former colleagues. The provision will “close a loophole” in federal conflict of interest laws for those who represent Indian tribes, McCain said.
Politico notes, however, that two of McCain’s former Indian Affairs Committee aides — Eric Eberhard and Steven Heeley — “later represented the interests of Native American tribes in Washington,” undermining the intent of McCain’s legislation.
McCain’s tough talk on lobbyists, calling them the “symptom of a disease” and “birds of prey,” has been consistently undercut by his staff’s revolving door with K Street.
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The insane McCain campaign; Lobbyists working to elect an administration of lobbyists, by lobbyists and for lobbyists.
The no lobbyist left behind program.
September 11th, 2008 at 4:41 pmUp next, how many of this ‘disease ridden birds of prey’ have lobbied John McCain chaired committees directly?
Oh, the outrage. The media will be all over this. The ‘hypocrite’ narrative is going to take hold now. Wait, I forgot, he’s a Powy Maverick.
September 11th, 2008 at 4:46 pmI still don’t see how they can talk about reform and doing away with earmarks and special interests and actually live up to it when his campaign is run by lobbyists. The only thing he’s running on is lies.
September 11th, 2008 at 4:46 pmDo not pay attention to these liberal facts which do nothing but highlight McCains hypocrisy. Instead repeat after me:
John McCain was a POW. He is a maverick. And he will bring change to Washington. John McCain was a POW. He is a maverick. And he will bring change to Washington. John McCain was a POW. He is a maverick. And he will bring change to Washington.
September 11th, 2008 at 4:50 pmMcCain proclaimed, “I would not allow anyone who worked for my administration to go back to lobbying.”
How about those lobbyists working on his CAMPAIGN?
Is he going to allow them to go back to K street after he loses?
September 11th, 2008 at 4:51 pmSo McCon actually trained his staffers for a later career on K Street? And then he welcomed them back into his fold?
Trainer who encourages his followers to fight, glasses clad woman….it’s the Rocky entourage.
This pair can’t come close to knocking Apollo Greed off K Street.
September 11th, 2008 at 4:53 pmJohn McCain is running a campaign almost entirely based on straight-up lies. He is running the sleaziest, most dishonest and race-baiting campaign of our lifetimes. His pick of Sarah Palin is proof that he is no maverick and that in the Republican party greed always trumps values. Picking a woman as the spearhead of the assault on women’s rights is ingeniously depraved. Way to go Carl Rove.
September 11th, 2008 at 5:00 pm“Go forth my staffers and bring me back those lobbyist dollars by the pound! You are all innocent in my eyes.”
September 11th, 2008 at 5:00 pmThis is the stuff that should be trotted out by Obama. McCain has 116 lobbyists on his staff. Tries to avoid by having them work part time or take a leave of absence from their firms. Why would they do that? To influence policy? Gain access?
Now we see his legislative aids. SAME OLD WASHINGTON POLITICS. Obama should highlight that few lobbyists on his team. His co-authorship of ethics legislation and exactly what he would do. He should then turn to the camera and ask McCain”
“Senator McCain, you have said that you are Maverick and will clean up the government. You are long on promises and short on specifics, NOW WHERE IS THE BEEF?
September 11th, 2008 at 5:01 pmWell, if we’re all busy showing Princess Sarah of Pork all the deference she deserves – we might not notice all those sneaky lobbyists, right…?
OooOOoooOOooOh, *shiny*!!
September 11th, 2008 at 5:03 pmI’ve always suspected McStain’s minions as being a bunch of dirty flockers.
September 11th, 2008 at 5:07 pmThis is old news with not much new to report — but it still raises my blood pressure. McCain constantly rails against lobbyists, special interests, earmarks, etc., but his actions consistently override his words.
But that’s not what raises my blood pressure. What enrages me is that the media in this country allow him to get away with it. And when all the lobbyists who are currently working on the McCain campaign are out of work on November 5, they will all shuffle back to K Street with nary a whimper from the press.
Hopefully we’ll never find out if McCain would go back on his word regarding lobbyists actually serving in his presidential administration, because so many of us are working very hard to make sure he doesn’t have one.
September 11th, 2008 at 5:09 pmDoesn’t every aspiring President have a rich drug-addict wife to hide from everyone? The other link on rawstory is more interesting. The old man meeting with a con man, apparently set up by the lobbyist/campaign manager, R Davis.
Is there anything McCain claims as reason to elect him that isn’t proven by his actions to be the opposite position? I can’t wait for the talley of truly stupid people on that Tuesday in November. It’s too bad that it seems to be over half of the voters in this country.
September 11th, 2008 at 5:14 pmTo be fair, there are much better bars and restaurants on K Street than Capitol Hill.
September 11th, 2008 at 5:17 pmGrampy McSame says – My friends back in the day we loved lobbyists, they were all the rage, every american had one, we would dress them up like little cowboys with little hats and boots, but later we republicans thought, wow, these things are cool, I want more lobbyists, well, there aren’t that many now days with the population overgrown and all, so we gathered them up for just us, yes just us republicans, we want lots of them, I personally have collected over 150 of them to work on my campaign, they do all kinds of favors for me too, real nice super secret favors, like cash, wink, wink and stuff, good thing Obama doesn’t have any or he would be getting cash from them also instead of the small personal donations from millions of average americans and those turncoat military guys, who would have thought that they would not support me, I for more war…profits for my buddies…hey Shara show me that fine a$$ again, sweet…oh crap, Cindy’s watching…act casual…I think there’s a squirrel in my pants.
Yeah, you are going to fight lobbyists in Washington, right….sure, only an idiot would believe that.
September 11th, 2008 at 5:39 pmBuckie…? A squirrel? A real, live squirrel?
Not a dead rat?
September 11th, 2008 at 5:43 pmCaption: I can smell K Street all the way to Arizona.
September 11th, 2008 at 6:08 pmDoes he make those returning staffers wear lipstick?
September 11th, 2008 at 6:37 pmI believe it’s time for McCain to upgrade from his Shoe Phone.
September 11th, 2008 at 9:44 pm