Filed under: 2008 Election, Conservatives, Corruption, Economics, Government, Media, Right-Wing Noise Machine, Scandal, Senate | Tags: 2008, Campaigns, Candidates, Corruption, John McBush, John McCain, Lobbyists, Republicans, Scandal, Special Interests
We already know John McCain isn’t a maverick–he’s a pure Washington insider, steeped in 25 years of D.C. culture.
In fact, not only does McCain have inappropriate relationships with lobbyists, but his entire Presidential campaign is run by special interest lobbyists.
Need proof?Take a look at just how far special interests have infiltrated the McCain campaign (a handy visual analysis is here):
| INNER CIRCLE | ||
| Mike Dennehy | National Political Director | Founder, The Dennehy Group |
| Richard Davis | Campaign Manager | Founder, Davis Manfort Inc; COMSAT, SBC Inc. |
| Christian Ferry | Deputy Campaign Manager | SBC Communications, Verizon |
| Charles Black | Chief Political Adviser | Chair, BKSH & Associates; General Motors, United Technologies, JP Morgan, AT&T |
| Wayne Berman | Senior Policy Adviser, National Finance Committee Co-Chair | Managing Director, Oglivy Government Relations; Carlyle Group, Citigroup, Airbus |
| David Crane | Senior Policy Adviser | Quadrapoint Strategies, Bank of America, Financial Services Roundtable, U.S. Chamber of Commerce |
| CAMPAIGN CHAIRS | ||
| James Courter | National Finance Committee Co-Chair | Marril Lynch, NBC, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Goldman Schs, SBC Communications |
| Susan Nelson | National Finance Committee Co-Chair | The Loeffler Group, Airbus |
| Brian Ballard | National Finance Committee Co-Chair | Smith Ballard & Logan, Florida Power & Light, GTech, Honda North America |
| Thomas Loeffler | National Finance Committee Co-Chair, Campaign Co-Chair | Founder, The Loeffler Group; AT&T, National Association of Broadcasters, Pharmecutical Research And Manufacturers of America, Port of Huston, Southwest Airlines, Toyota |
| Kirk Blalock | National Chair, Young Professionals For McCain | Fierce Isakowitz & Blalock, Airbus |
| Jerry Kilgore | State Co-Chair (VA) | Williams Mullen, Shell Oil, Alpha National Resources |
| Don Sunquist | State Co-Chair (TN) | Co-Founder, Sunquist Anthony; Freddie Mac, The Hartford, Waste Management |
| William Hilleary | State Co-Chair (TN) | Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, SMS Holding, AmSurg, Militec |
| Matt Salmon | State Co-Chair (AZ) | President, Comptel |
| Slade Gordon | Honorary Co-Chair | T-Mobile, Microsoft, Delta Airlines, Air Transport Association of America, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis |
| Richard Zimmer | Honorary Vice-Chair | Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Network Solutions, T-Mobile, Business Roundtable |
| ADVISERS | ||
| Anthony Villamil | Economic Policy Adviser | Public Service Enterprise Group |
| James Rill | Economic Policy Adviser | Howery LLP, Smokeless Tobacco Council, Intel |
| Carlos Bonilla | Economic Policy Adviser | Senior Vice President, Washington Group; Freddie Mac, Time Warner, Motrola, National Cable & Telecommunications Associaton |
| Grant Aldonas | Economic Policy Adviser | Managing Director, Split Rock International; Mittal Steel USA |
| Nancy Pfotenhauer | Economic Policy Adviser | Koch Industries |
| Joseph Wright | Economic Policy Adviser | CEO, PanAmSat |
| Aquilez Suarez | Economic Policy Adviser | Vice President of Government Affairs, National Association of Industrial & Other Properties |
| John Green | Adviser | Co-Founder, Oglivy Government Relations; BellSouth, NRA, Airbus, U.S. Telecom Association |
| John Timmons | Adviser | Founding Partner, Cormac Group; Time Warner, AT&T, Association of American Railroads, National Association of Broadcasters |
| Robert Aiker | Adviser | Vice President, Pinnacle West Capitol Corp |
| Timothy McKone | Adviser | Vice President, AT&T |
| FUNDRAISERS | ||
| William Ball | Fundraiser | Oglivy Government Relations, Airbus |
How can thus guy claim to be some maverick standing up for the little guy while paying millionaire special interest lobbyists to run his campaign? How does McCain get away with being so two-faced? Well, because the media lets him get away with it:
The media is particularly fond of the myth that John McCain is the senatorial thorn in the side of Washington lobbyists. This myth is pervasive and it suggests that McCain is the “maverick, moderate reformer” that he claims to be. Despite all of his posturing, McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign is rife with lobbyist connections.
Not only does the McCain campaign have more current and former lobbyist bundlers than any other candidate, but McCain has more current and former lobbyists working on his campaign staff than any other candidate in the 2008 presidential election.
The conservative press loves John McCain. Too bad their skewed representation of one of America’s most corrupt Senators leaves the American people in the dark.
Want to fight back? Demand accountability and honesty here.
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