During his interview with Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK), Fox’s Sean Hannity asked Palin if she believed an investigation was needed into the “relationships between political donations from Fannie and Freddie Mac and the bankruptcy.” Hannity’s question was presumably inspired by Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) recent emphasis on the significant number of campaign contributions that the two firms have made in recent years.

Tonight, however, Palin played down the role that campaign contributions might have played in the Fannie-Freddie collapse. Instead, she emphasized “the role that lobbyists play in an issue like this”:

HANNITY: Should there be an investigation in terms of the relationship between the political donations and then of course the bankruptcy that ensued and the impact on the economy?

PALIN: I think that’s significant, but even more significant is the role that the lobbyists play in an issue like this also. And in that cronyism — it’s symptomatic of the greater problem that we see right now in Washington and that is just that acceptance of the status quo.

Watch it:

While Palin blames the need for the Fannie-Freddie bailout on the two firms’ lobbyists, she seems more than willing to take those same lobbyists’ money. In fact, at least 20 McCain-Palin fundraisers “have lobbied on behalf of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac” in recent years.

More significantly, the McCain-Palin campaign manager, Rick Davis, “served as president of an advocacy group led by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac” that worked to cripple regulatory initiatives in Congress and protect the two institution’s “healthy profits.” As the Politico reported in July:

Davis headed the Homeownership Alliance, a lobbying association that included Fannie, Freddie, nonprofit groups, real estate agents, homebuilders and consumer advocates. … [The group] worked to oppose congressional efforts to tighten controls on Fannie and Freddie.

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Yesterday, the Wonk Room broke the story that Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) called for an end to mountaintop removal coal mining, a process in which “coal operators blast off hilltops to uncover valuable low-sulfur coal. Leftover rock and dirt is shoved into nearby valleys, burying streams.” In response to a question at a town hall meeting in Orlando, Florida whether he supported ending mountaintop removal, McCain said, “I do.” Watch it:

When the Charleston Gazette pursued the story with the McCain campaign, they “initially denied that the candidate favored an end to mountaintop removal, but backed off that when confronted with video of his remarks”:

Initially, McCain spokeswoman Gail Gitcho repeatedly said the candidate did not support a ban on mountaintop removal. But when video of his remarks in Orlando was posted on YouTube, Gitcho confirmed McCain’s support for ending the practice and issued a short statement.

More at the Wonk Room on McCain’s lobbyist ties and incoherent defense of coal companies.

Two former top Justice Department officials, former Solicitor General Paul Clement and former Ashcroft chief-of-staff David Ayres, “emerged Wednesday as figures in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal,” the AP reports. Both Clement and Ayres were in e-mail correspondence with former Abramoff associate Kevin Ring, who is “facing trial on 10 counts of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, bribery and fraud.” Though there is “no public indication that either Clement or Ayres is implicated in wrongdoing,” one of the charges against Ring include an episode in which he tried to lobby Justice Department officials.

The budget watchdog Taxpayers for Common Sense has released an analysis of earmark requests in the 2009 Defense Authorization bill, finding 435 earmarks worth $5.2 billion. Neither Barack Obama nor John McCain asked for any earmarks. Joe Biden had an $11.6 million earmark. The Washington Times reports that McCain supporters Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) requested milllions:

Lieberman requested $35 million for “Technology development for F135 engine” for beneficiary Pratt and Whitney. Graham has $20 million in solo requests, including a $9.9 million earmark for a “Physical Fitness Center” at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.

“Would McCain veto those if he were president?” the Times asks. Reporter Christina Bellantoni called the McCain campaign to see if he would veto the earmarks. “Update, 5:45 p.m.: Silence from Team McCain,” she writes.