McCain Lawyer's Long History Of Spin

Beleagured GOP candidate John McCain's choice for personal lawyer in the emerging favors-for-lobbyist scandal, Bob Bennett, has a long record of defending tainted politicians and political figures ultimately found responsible for the transgressions of which they were accused.

Older brother of conservative moralist Bill Bennett, Robert S. Bennett gained wide notoriety by representing a host of beltway clients accused of wrongdoing including Clark Clifford, Paul Wolfowitz, Caspar Weinberger, Judith Miller and, most prominently, former President Bill Clinton in the Paula Jones and Monica Lewinsky scandals.

Bennett's services have traditionally ranged far beyond court-room defense as he's been aggressive in becoming the leading public face of his clients by forcefully arguing their innocence in the national media.

Indeed, in scenes eerily similar to those of a decade ago, Bennett was back on national TV Thursday afternoon offering a strong rhetorical defense of Senator McCain who has been under fire since publication Wednesday by The New York Times of a story that has rocked the presidential race. The Times story details McCain's close relationship during his 2000 campaign with a female telecom lobbyist and relates how his staff had to intervene to stop any potential embarrassment.

Despite Bennett's historical efforts at high-level political spin, his long list of famous clients have rarely escaped the taint he struggled so hard to thwart.

Former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger escaped prosecution in the Iran-Contra scandal because he was pardoned by President George H.W. Bush. Former Democratic official Clark Clifford was spared indictment in the BCCI scandal only because of failing health.

Bennett also represented former World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz who was eventually forced to resign following the uproar generated by his granting of favors to his girlfriend. New York Times reporter Judith Miller, also represented by Bennett, spent months in jail after she refused to disclose her sources in the Valerie Plame affair. Miller was also pressured to give up her newspaper post after her reporting on the run-up to the Iraq war was widely discredited.

Bennett's most famous client, Bill Clinton, wound up being impeached on charges that his lawyer had repeatedly and vigorously denied weren't true. After the Supreme Court ruled last decade that President Clinton could be sued for sexual harassment while in office, his hired legal gun, Bob Bennett, publicly telegraphed a thinly-veiled threat against plaintiff Paula Corbin Jones while making one of his myriad appearances on national TV.

Firmly insisting on Clinton's innocence, Bennett went on NBC's Meet The Press in January 1998 saying: "As my mother once said to me, be careful what you ask for -- you may get it." Bennett, who had been tirelessly defending Clinton in the national media added: "I had a dog like that, who just wanted to catch cars. And he successfully caught one one day. And I have a new dog."

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Despite Bennett's warnings, Jones won a $850,000 settlement in the case from the then-president. As a result of the case, Clinton also had his license to practice law in Arkansas lifted for a five-year period. And despite Bennett's stewardship of the Jones case, it ballooned into the spectacle of the Monica Lewinsky scandal (during which Bennett continued to insist on his client's innocence.)

Bennett was called into the McCain case late last year when the Arizona senator first learned that The New York Times was developing the bombshell story published on Wednesday. Various reports have suggested that Bennett played a direct role in convincing the Times to at least postpone publication of the piece which by some accounts was ready to appear last Christmas.

When asked today by Chris Matthews of NBC's Hardball if allegations of McCain performing favors for lobbyist Vicki Iseman were true, Bennett responded: "No. I think it's a very bad story. It's like a big piece of cotton candy that looks attractive and when you bite into it, there's nothing there."

Bennett said he didn't know personally if McCain's former staffers met with Iseman during the senator's 2000 presidential campaign to warn her to stay away from the candidate as the Times alleges. " I don't know. Of course I wasn't there," Bennett told Matthews. "All I can tell you is that when I talked to the staff...they said it never happened."

Matthews then pressed Bennett directly, inquiring whether he has asked his client, Senator McCain, if he did or did not grant favors to Ms. Iseman in exchange for sex. Bennett took a dodge. "I never talk about my conversations with my clients," Bennett said. "John McCain has adamantly denied it. The lady has adamantly denied it. The New York Times really reports a lot of suspicion."

But Bennett told Matthews that McCain had no intention of suing the Times for libel.

MSNBC

Comments

[accord]

"The Times story details McCain's close relationship during his 2000 campaign with a female telecom lobbyist and relates how his staff had to intervene to stop any potential embarrassment." Are you kidding me? How about "The Times story speculates on unsubstantiated rumor that McCain had a close relationship to a lobbyist and tried to suggest without a shred of credible evidence that his staff intervened on McCain's behalf"

I love how everyone says "McCain must be guilty, look at the lawyer he hired!" LOL Y'all are reaching for any thread you can get ahold of aren't you? You know the lawyer is a Democrat, right? Did you know he was one of the investigators in the Keating 5 scandal hired by the Democrats to investigate? You know he recommended they drop the case against McCain because there wasn't a shred of evidence, but the Democrats didn't take his advice because then it would only be Democrats being investigated?

Maybe McCain hired him because they have the same reputation of straight talk and telling it like it is on the merits.

[dax49]

did any body really beleive a word he said- he is bill bennett's brother. can you imagine the mother these two closet cases had

[deke33]

McCain has the right attorney for this job. If you check his past record of successful defenses of cases, you might say his only successful one was Clinton, and even there he played a minor role. But if it had not been for pardons or aging illnesses, his record of defensive strategy is abominable.

[kingofscotts]

Dems should be really pissed at the NYT. This story was so effectively and quickly beaten back by McCain and his defenders that the only thing it will do is galvanize the right and bring more money in for McCain.

As for Bennett, he is a registered Democrat. He was the one to investigate the Keating 5 scandal. He concluded that McCain should be dropped from the investigation because there was ZERO evidence of wrongdoing. The Dems ignored their own investigator though (for the first time) because it would have left only Dems in the investigation.

This story from the NYT is GIANT gift to the repubs.

[helonias]

McCain was rebuked by the Senate for his zero evidence of wrongdoing.

etween 1982 and 1987, McCain received approximately $112,000 in political contributions from Keating and his associates.[112] In addition, McCain's wife and her father had invested $359,100 in a Keating shopping center in April 1986, a year before McCain met with the regulators. McCain, his family and baby-sitter made at least nine trips at Keating's expense, sometimes aboard the American Continental jet. After learning Keating was in trouble over Lincoln, McCain paid for the air trips totaling $13,433.[113]

PLease define wrongdoing for us also

[Opacity]

kingofscotts, Cliff Notes can't help you here...

Get the story straight about McCain's role in the Lincoln S & L debacle ("Keating 5" to those using aforementioned cheat sheet)

Facts: Cindy Hensley & her father invested over $350large on some mall property in dealings with Charles Keating. McCain & his family traveled on Keating's jet numerous times and ended up reimbursing (that means John McCain paid back...)over $13,000 for flights. McCain met with Keating to address Keatings concerns about bank regulations

[hollyo]

The other shoe may yet drop. I remember Watergate started with strange stories like this and then one thing unfolded after another. There's a way to go yet.

[laocoon]

Given the fact that NYT just endorsed McCain and apparently had this story at the time; one might add 2 and 2 and get 4 i.e. the NYT is on McCains side. the timing is ideal for McCain. the fact that the right labels the paper liberal and labels others as democrats doesnt mean a thing. handsome is as handsome does. this story would have broken at some point and the times has done its best to help McCain. We usually are correct when we assume people intended the foreseeable consequences of their intentional behavior.

[hollyo]

He IS McCain's lawyer. It's his job to defend him no matter what the truth is.

[lboucher]

McCain denied this morning that he cheated on his wife Cindy, appearing with her at a press conference to insist: “I am very disappointed in the New York Times piece. It’s not true.” He also explained that he had spoken with Times Executive Editor Bill Keller in an attempt to set the record straight and persuade the paper to spike the story. Keller appears to have made the decision to run it.

This is where it gets interesting.

In a September 2006 New York magazine story, journalist Joe Hagan described the circumstances behind Keller’s marriage to his second wife, the French gin-namesake Emma Gilbey (who is also an ex-something of U.S. Senator John Kerry, but I digress…) and his divorce from National Public Radio reporter Ann Cooper.

Here’s the important bit from the 2006 New York piece:

… Keller wrote one last piece on South Africa, an article for the Times Magazine about Nelson Mandela’s wife, Winnie, in which he cited a book called The Lady: The Life and Times of Winnie Mandela. The following week, the magazine published a letter by the book’s author [Emma Gilbey] …

After reading the letter, Keller called Gilbey, a British journalist living in New York, and asked her to coffee at the Times cafeteria. Gilbey, at the time, had a reputation as something of a power-dater; her exes included Senator John Kerry and Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. An affair ensued, which shocked Keller’s friends. “I felt bad for everyone involved,” says Stephen Engelberg, a former Times reporter. “This was not characteristic behavior at all. I wouldn’t pretend to be Bill’s psychologist, but he didn’t get a red sports car, so …”

… Two years after they met, Gilbey was pregnant, Keller was divorced from Cooper, and he had a new job as [Times] managing editor.

Glass houses. I’m just saying.

[bitabingbitabangbitaboom]

But Bennett told Matthews that McCain had no intention of suing the Times for libel.


Go 'way from my window,
Leave at your own chosen speed.
I'm not the one you want, babe,
I'm not the one you need.
You say you're lookin' for someone
Never weak but always strong,
To protect you an' defend you
Whether you are right or wrong,
Someone to open each and every door,
But it ain't me, babe,
No, no, no, it ain't me, babe,
It ain't me you're lookin' for, babe.

Go lightly from the ledge, babe,
Go lightly on the ground.
I'm not the one you want, babe,
I will only let you down.
You say you're lookin' for someone
Who will promise never to part,
Someone to close his eyes for you,
Someone to close his heart,
Someone who will die for you an' more,
But it ain't me, babe,
No, no, no, it ain't me, babe,
It ain't me you're lookin' for, babe.

Go melt back into the night, babe,
Everything inside is made of stone.
There's nothing in here moving
An' anyway I'm not alone.
You say you're looking for someone
Who'll pick you up each time you fall,
To gather flowers constantly
An' to come each time you call,
A lover for your life an' nothing more,
But it ain't me, babe,
No, no, no, it ain't me, babe,
It ain't me you're lookin' for, babe.

[longislandlol]

Republicans seem to have more multiple marriages-- let's hear it for the Democrats and for long-time marriage to his original wife-- Mitt Romney- nothing wrong with divorce- but some of these people were on the fast track of infidelity--that led to divorce; the girlfriend turned wife syndrome..

[kingofscotts]

Yes why should Bill and Hillary get divorced when Bill is allowed to stick it in who ever he wants?

At least the Repubs have the cajones to divorce their wife before sleeping with someone else.

Dems just cheat. Bill has been inside more women then Wilt Chamberlan

[laocoon]

Pst your bias is showing.

[laocoon]

You have just described the sort of false trailer trash version of morality that passes for integrity amongst the right wingers. Are you asserting that because they got divorced they could not have slept with the girlfriend first? Are you suggesting that serial marriages where you divorce the old wife(s) to take up with the new one is more moral than a couple that tries to stay together despite an infidelity? this is the right wing morality that elevates form over substance. False and evil.

[Colmore]

WRONG. Example: GHW Bush. Barbara did not divorce him when he had a girlfriend, Jennifer Fitzgerald, for at least 10 years. He wanted a divorce, but when he discovered it would negatively affect his political ambitions, he backed out. Did not end the affair, though, she travelled all over the world with him. People urged him to end it, but he would not. It was common knowledge in the political circles, but he denied it, and it was dropped. Wonder where she is today? When asked about her he said "I will not talk about that sleaze"

[hopemeanstruth]

"Beleagured GOP candidate." Come on Huffington Post, I may be liberal but your coverage is getting to be so biased right now its unfair to the American people who come here for serious news. There is difference between a liberal slant (which I like) and a libreral agenda (which seems so overt that its not effective, and will only rally the Republicans against us). There is nothing "beleagured" about McCain, he just became the Republican Presidential nominee against all odds. And this coverage on Bennet is dishonest, he is the same man who was a partisan democrat and investigated McCain in the 80's and found nothing when trying to bring him down. Any one who read the NY Times Article should be ashamed at the sloppy work it did, the Republicans are very down right now and are not motivated at all, dont give them fodder!

[accord]

Too late.

Democrats will eat their own young if they think they might defend a republican... Bennett is widely respected Democrat, but I'm sure that will end now since he dared grow a brain.

[hollyo]

He sure WAS beleagered (and oddly apologetic and contrite) and Mrs McCain was numb. You could feel the seething energy of self-control coursing through the old guy.

[cynicism101]

"unfair to the American people who come here for serious news."

Who comes here for "serious news?"
The huff-n-puff is unashamedly biased, and I think even Ariana would contend this is not "serious news." If not, well, draw your conclusions as necessary.

I think a more accurate description is that people come here to observe and comment on "interpretations" of the news.

[asl3676]

The real question is who is paying Bennett? Is it McCain personally or the McCain for President committee? If its the campaign committee it may be a violation of FEC regulations....

[accord]

On what knowledge are you basing this? Do you know the FEC regulations that well? Which one would he be violating?

I've heard people say "where there is smoke, there is fire"

There's another saying "where there is smoke, there is mirrors"

It's all smoke and mirrors.

[kingofscotts]

Way to go Sherlock. You should investigate that. Considering he has a former member of the FEC on his campaign my guess is that he has nothing to worry about.

But go ahead Holmes, I'm sure you're a hell of a slueth.

[accord]

Why does it appear that some lucid replies are being deleted? I saw a few responses a little while ago, one to this thread, and now they're gone. Did they make too much sense?

[hollyo]

They're still there moved other pages because so many of us are posting.

[carex]

Bennett Brothers are a scourge. You know someone is in real trouble when one of these sanctimonious jackels shows up. Both of them two faced liars.

[darker]

lawyer for the rich & richer CORRUPT and "corporate welfare queens" Bob Bennet is still around bastardizing the LAW for-profit?

Amazing.

S-P-I-N is definitely a FOUR-LETTER WORD!

[letsmakesense]

McCain will not be the GOP nominee.
The swiftboat will increase speed and he will be out.
Clinton OUT
Obama OUT
Huck OUT
Only Ron Paul can withstand the swifter boats.

[Clarabell]

Too bad -- only on one issue.

[RogerHWerner]

Ron Paul isn't going to get to square one in this election. He has 14 delegates. Unless someone can figure out a way to rewrite the primaries, Paul is a non-issue. Further, Paul has nothing to do with the Democratic election of a candidate.

[carex]

You are like the guys who backed Ross Perot or sell Aflac Insurance, sounds good, but if you relied on someone like Ron Paul or Perot you would be screwed.

You should study isolationism and its' historical effects on societies.

[arvada]

go to sleepy poo

[laocoon]

so Ron Paul will be the nominee of both parties?

[GPRogueCowboy]

TODAY’s COMMENTS:
His wife Cindy also said she was disappointed with the newspaper. "More importantly, my children and I not only trust my husband, but know that he would never do anything to not only disappoint our family, but disappoint the people of America. He's a man of great character," Cindy McCain said.

And then there is this:
Dan Nowicki, Bill Muller
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 1, 2007 10:33 AM
CHAPTER V: ARIZONA, THE EARLY YEARS

McCain recalls that both he and Cindy initially misled each other about their ages. McCain made himself a little younger, and Cindy made herself a little older. They found out their real ages when the local paper published them. McCain was 43, Cindy 25.
McCain needed a divorce from Carol, his wife of 14 years from whom he was separated. After McCain's dramatic homecoming from Vietnam, the couple grew apart. Their marriage began disintegrating while McCain was stationed in Jacksonville. McCain has admitted to having extramarital affairs.
In February 1980, less than a year after he met Cindy, McCain petitioned a Florida court to dissolve his marriage to Carol, calling the union "irretrievably broken."
Cindy's money came from her family business. Her father, Jim Hensley, owned a Phoenix Anheuser-Busch distributorship that had made him a multimillionaire. He gave his new son-in-law a job as vice president of public relations, but, really, McCain was just biding his time until the right political opportunity came up.

I guess extramarital affairs and ADULTRY are items that would not disappoint his family or the people of America.
Did Johnny lie about his age to get a little Nooky?

[ornery]

Another illustration of Barack's point about the same old folk in Warshington doing the same things over & over.

Monica. Vicki. Bennett serviced both their customers.

The quirky, spooky thing about Vickigate is:

scary similarity to the self destruct Repig opponent of Barack in 2004 Senate race in IL--sex scandal put him out of the game.


Quick, Repiglican Natl Committee--have you got Alan Keyes' cell number??

Maybe he will agree to step in for McCain, like he did for Jack Ryan in IL in 04.

[bikerdude]

If you have to stoop to hiring a Bennett, the truth is probably going to be pretty painful for you...If the question is what would Cheeses do, don't ask a Bennett..

[kingofscotts]

"Stoop to hire Bennett"?

Wow the moonbats are desperate to try and actually turn this gigantic cluster fuck by the NYT into something it will never be.

Bennett is a Dem who investigated McCain during the Keating 5 and despite being charged with the task of bringing him down had to conclude that he had done NOTHING wrong.

Sounds like the perfect person to hire to me there sparky.

This is blowing up in the NYT and Dems faces so fast it's actually very funny.

[degjack]

The Rethuglicriminals always drag out this particular scum sucking bottom dweller when they need to white wash their lies and misdeeds. You never see or hear from him otherwise. His specialty is to get these thugs off the hook -- and he does it quite well.

[TheHandyman]

You do more harm than good when you make these obviously biased comments. What part of he represented Clinton did you not get. This man is a lawyer. He will represent anyone who will pay his fee. What needs asking is why anyone would hire someone who has such a poor ERA?

[philipwitak]

re: "What needs asking is why anyone would hire someone who has such a poor ERA?"

maybe because his clients are in such deep shit in the first place. by the time he's done representin,' the shit ain't so deep.

['course, it usually still stinks]

[kingofscotts]

Wow you are either drunk or dangerously stupid.

If you had read the article or any news for that matter you might have learned that.

A. He is a staunch Democrat.

B. He represented Bill Clinton

C. Your post is a glaring example of hyper-stupidity.

[dhfsfc]

As this post suggests, there are certain lawyers that you don't hire when you are innocent. One of them is Bob Bennett. Nuff said.

[gopSTEALSyourTAXmoney]

EXACTLY!

[Swampfish]

Well said.Also seems so odd that the "straight talk express" would run to a "trial" lawyer to defend him "whence" there was no there there.

[accord]

It seems to me that Bob Bennett has the same reputation as McCain as a straight-talker. Maybe that's why McCain hired him.

You keep grasping at threads trying to unravel McCain's sweater, but the problem is he's wearing a Kevlar vest... you can drop the tweezers now.

[JJinWI]

Ditto.

McCain is toast.

America is a much safer place because of it.