McCain's campaign is rife with lobbyists. They run the entire operation. Last week, two of them were dumped because they represented the brutal regime in Myanmar. Another one left over his involvement in an anti-Democrat 527.
This week, another one -- a very top fundraising official -- has already dropped. This one, Thomas Loeffler, McCain's national finance co-chair, not only represented Saudi Arabia, he lobbied McCain on behalf of Saudi Arabia -- after saying he didn't:
John McCain's national finance co-chairman has stepped down, becoming the latest adviser to leave the Republican's presidential campaign because of ties to lobbyists.The lobbying staff are dropping like flies at the McCain campaign. There's not going to be anyone left over there before long.
Former Texas Rep. Thomas G. Loeffler, one of McCain's key fundraisers, resigned after the campaign last week instructed staff to disclose all lobbying ties and to make certain they are no longer registered as lobbyists or foreign agents.
McCain's campaign on Sunday confirmed Loeffler's resignation.
Loeffler lobbies for the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., which with Northrop Grumman Corp. won a lucrative contract to provide air refueling tankers for the Air Force. McCain helped scuttle an earlier contract that would have gone to a competitor, Boeing Co.
Newsweek reported over the weekend that 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."
Lobbying disclosure records also showed that on May 17, 2006, Loeffler listed meeting McCain along with the Saudi ambassador to "discuss US-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia relations," even though Loeffler told a reporter last month that he had not discussed his clients with McCain, Newsweek said.
And, make no mistake: These lobbyists influence McCain. Jed has lots of background on McCain's Airbus connection, which will be a campaign issue.
So, when is McCain going to fire Charlie Black? Or is Black's work for brutal regimes okay?
Via Huffington, Charlie Black is unfazed by the criticism of his work for brutal dictators:
I'm not ashamed of anything the firm did," McCain adviser Charlie Black says of his days as the principle in one of Washington's most influential lobbying firms. "If they want to use it to fire up the left wing, well, that's fine."No shame. That's fine.
