McCain Exploited Legal Loophole To Use Wife's Jet On The Cheap

New York Times:

Given Senator John McCain's signature stance on campaign finance reform, it was not surprising that he backed legislation last year requiring presidential candidates to pay the actual cost of flying on corporate jets. The law, which requires campaigns to pay charter rates when using such jets rather than cheaper first-class fares, was intended to reduce the influence of lobbyists and create a level financial playing field.

But over a seven-month period beginning last summer, Mr. McCain's cash-short campaign gave itself an advantage by using a corporate jet owned by a company headed by his wife, Cindy McCain, according to public records. For five of those months, the plane was used almost exclusively for campaign-related purposes, those records show.

Mr. McCain's campaign paid a total of $241,149 for the use of that plane from last August through February, records show. That amount is approximately the cost of chartering a similar jet for a month or two, according to industry estimates.

The senator was able to fly so inexpensively because the law specifically exempts aircraft owned by a candidate or his family or by a privately held company they control. The Federal Election Commission adopted rules in December to close the loophole -- rules that would have required substantial payments by candidates using family-owned planes -- but the agency soon lost the requisite number of commissioners needed to complete the rule making.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[LoCoVrod]

Let's not be TOO hard on the doddering old fool and his "made-up like a trollop, fucking cunt" wife.
They are RepugniCONs. They cannot help breaking at LEAST the intent of the law. That is not nearly as satisfying to them as breaking the actual letter of the law like Gee Dunb-yeah has, but let's remember, they are OLD...real old...and stupid as a sack of hammers. So they do it poorly, but they need to cheat as best they can...
We witness the results .
Just keep track of who supports them. THOSE are the REAL criminals among us. They can be made to pay.

[SonofKong]

Must be nice to have your own jet. Sure glad he's not an elitist like those uppity Obamas.

[ErikW65]

The Real McCain is such a gross hypocrite! He feigns ignorance about this issue, when he is a seasoned senator working on legislation that deals with it, and the jet's use just happens to coincide with the financial skidmarks of his presidential campaign? McCain is becoming a parody of himself.

[scornflakes]

Unfortunately, the Clintons did something not altogether different when they were governor and first-lady of Arkansas.

http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0021,harkavy,15052,5.html

This sort of corruption is not unique, it seems.

[RSU]

This article isn't worth the time it took to read!

It's a hit piece, an ankle bite, a knit pick over an issue that isn't illegal, immoral, or wrong. It's akin to saying 'well, he could have broken the rules . . . if there was one', except there's not one; it doesn't exist!

Wasn't there a story the other day where McCain was being trashed because he dared to engaged in the same types of hits being directed at him? And because he avowed not too do such things he was being painted as going back on his word.

The only problem is that the hits, just like this one, keep coming and if he were to ignore them, he would appear ineffectual, weak, and undeserving, or worse yet, the stories would remain unchallenged leaving some to think they were true when they are not.

It's stories such as this that brings the gutter to our nations politics and keeps really good people from stepping forward to lead our nation. What we're left with are crooks, liars, and the shady which is what everyone says they hate most about our political system.

Stories such as this do nothing but lower our national standards and serves to prove how little we really care about others and ultimately ourselves. It guarantees good people will stay away because should they dare enter the fray, they too risk being trashed, tainted, and treated like s**t the whole way.

[NeoAmerican]

Let me draw you a quick example of why your argument is fallacious, besides the obvious one that the electorate has the right to know.

Often in a court of law it is not one incident, but the combination of several which make the case. It is the PATTERN which condemns and shows intent more than any individual incident. If someone repeatedly flaunts the boundaries of the law, it is substantial evidence that the intent is bad and the conduct as a whole is prone toward evasion.

[Chiang]

On the other hand, if someone continually follows the law it creates a PATTERN that the individual follows the law.

If McCain did anything illegal or in violation of Senate rules you are free to point it out.

[ErikW65]

Baloney. McCain's character, judegement, and honesty are things that the American people have to sort through, and this issue is revealing in that regard. McCain's dealings with the FEC are the larger context. He has been conniving, and duplicitous, and he is taking advantage of the short-staffing at the FEC when he is partially responsible for getting that government agency fully staffed. It's all a little too convenient

[JulieSA]

It's Obama who's holding up the appointment.
McCain followed the rules. If you can't see this lame NYT hitpiece for what it is, then you are very naive.

[CaseyBabes]

Yo John, make sure you don't borrow your wife's car else nitpicking demorats will be on your case.

[partyofone]

It is always funny when dishonest polticians say "I did nothing illegal." Of course they do nothing illegal, they WRITE THE LAWS with loopholes like this one. To claim, as McCain's spokesperson did that it is also "ethical" isdishonest. McCain knows what he is doing is exactly what the law was intended to prevent. Great, just like the Bushes and the Clintons, McCain thinks voters are stupid. They often are. I hope this election proves them wrong.

Enough of the Bush-Clinton-McCain style of dirty politics.

[nclayla]

I agree with you, being able to successfully 'work the loopholes' does not an ethical politician make!

[JulieSA]

"McCain knows what he is doing is exactly what the law was intended to prevent."

The law was intended to lessen the influence that corporations or individuals can wield with a congressman. A company owned by a politician's family is already assumed to have a great deal of influence on the politician, hence the loophole. Discounted use of one's own company jet doesn't increase the influence of your own company on you.

It's probably just as well that they close the loophole, as they announced their intention to do. McCain hasn't used the jet since February, even though he legally could.

[ErikW65]

McCain always "legally could" use that plane.

"The law, which requires campaigns to pay charter rates when using such jets rather than cheaper first-class fares, was intended to reduce the influence of lobbyists AND create a level financial playing field."

It's the level playing field concept that we're grappling with here, not the lobbyist part so much, just to put a finer point on it. But I've got to head out into the fresh air now, be back later. This is an interesting thread.

[Mike O.]

Exploited a loophole? How is it a loophole? It simply isn't illegal to borrow such a plane. It's not illegal, period.

Is every legal act simply the exploitation of a loophole to a law that SHOULD exist?

You're all a bunch of morons.

[MiddleRoad1]

It might be interesting to know who added the little loop hole that McCain is exploiting. It would also be interesting to know just why there is no quorum in the FEC right now. Perhaps completely, absurdly inappropriate choices are being presented just to keep the FEC from being fully staffed, thus allowing McCain to do what he is doing. I would put nothing past this Republican administration

[JulieSA]

There's no quorum at the FEC because Obama is holding up Bush's appointment. This is something the news stories usually conveniently omit.

[ErikW65]

You're blaming this on Obama? Barack is responsible for the FEC short-staffing, so that John McCain can use this and other campaign-finance loopholes? Wow. That doesn't even make sense on it's face.

[Rog49Thomas]

Here's a more complete discussion of the Obama "block".

Senators Russell Feingold (D-WI) and Barack Obama (D-IL) took the lead in the Senate in opposing the confirmation of Von Spakovsky based on his Justice Department performance on voting rights issues. They were joined by a number of other Senators in putting a hold on any vote on Von Spakovsky's nomination.

The opposition to Von Spakovsky also included five former attorneys in the Justice Department's Voting Rights section, including a former Chief and Deputy Chief of the Voting Section. They charged in letters to the Senate Rules Committee that Von Spakovsky ''played a major role in implementation of practices which injected partisan political factors into decision-making on enforcement matters and into the hiring process,'' and also that he made efforts to intimate career staff.

The former Justice Department attorneys further charged that Von Spakovsky was the ''point person for undermining the Civil Rights Division's mandate to protect voting rights.'' They challenged, in particular, the role he played in the Department's review of a Georgia voter identification law in 2005, and pre-clearance of a Texas redistricting plan in 2003.

Strong opposition to Von Spakovsky also came from civil rights groups, including the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the NAACP and MALDEF, and from campaign finance reform groups.

[Rog49Thomas]

More .....

On December 19, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) proposed that the Senate have up-or-down majority votes on each of the four pending FEC nominees.

In so doing, Senator Reid offered Senator McConnell and the Senate Republicans the normal majority vote process for confirmation votes. He also showed that he had eliminated on the Democratic side the holds on voting on Von Spakovsky's nomination and any demands for 60 votes to confirm him.

Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) blocked up-or-down majority votes in the Senate on the confirmation of each of four pending FEC nominees on 19 Dec 2007.

The FEC effectively "shut down" on 31 Dec 07 when the terms of office of the commissioners expired.

Oh those evil Democrats!.

[paulfromportland]

Well, gives new meaning to "Coffee, Beer, or me?"

[GrandpaMcCain]

That's just nasty.

[lastams]

Not to be taken as in any way supportive of John McCain, but damn, wouldn’t it be nice to focus on some actual issues in this debate.
We seem to have forgotten that these three candidates still have actual jobs in the US Senate.
This week Congress will most likely vote, and pass, the Farm bill; perhaps the largest collection of government handouts on the planet. How incredibly obscene is it that while we struggle with an economy in recession and an increasing world food shortage, that our Congress is once again set to spend billions of our tax dollars to PAY PEOPLE TO NOT GROW FOOD.
Yet we’ve not heard a peep from the Candidates or the press about this 300 billion-dollar obscenity, which will undoubtedly pass on a 3 AM vote.
We shouldn’t be surprised I supposed; much of the legislation of the past year has been strenuously avoided by ALL the candidates, including the extension of Nafta into Peru, and two six hundred billion dollar spending bills this past winter.
God forbid these people should actually take a stand and LEAD BY EXAMPLE.
And God forbid the press should treat this race as anything more than personalities, polls, and scandals.

[osage]

The last thing we need is another overcompensating thin-skinned and angy short white male in the White House. And this dwarf has eight houses and flys around in luxury his millionairess wife's personal jet. Could anyone be more detached from the American people than this guy? McCain's been in the Senate forever and he knows almost nothing about what's going on in America or the facts of what's going on in the rest of the world. His first rant about almost everything is always completely wrong. Then only after being instructed by those more politically appropriate or knowledgable does he come out with a different rant or an apology for "mispeaking"! McCain is a default GOP candidate who would contibute to the dumbing down of America of the Bush presidency. I love America, and the thought of McCain as our president is completely demoralizing. IT'S TIME FOR THE DEMOCRATIC LEADERS TO END CLINTON'S CALAMITOUS CANDIDACY.

[MiddleRoad1]

I second that!

[southafrica4obama]

This is corruption at the highest degree. American Administrators usually scold African nations of being corrupt, but do not lead by example. Mccain should be taken to task on this.

[Chiang]

There is nothing remotely illegal or corrupt about McCain's use of the jet. His campaign paid for its use.

This story is an empty and pathetic hit piece.

[Nyland8]

Mrs. McC must have been quite the babe in her day. Gwyneth Paltrow's neck, champagne breasts, Siberian Husky eyes ...

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s143/whitetigr1/Husky_eyes_by_sporgy1.jpg

I'd have skied the moguls with her ...

8

[GrandpaMcCain]

So?

[CintiBlue]

Love the Husky eyes call. I couldn't place them ...that is right on. Or, Chucky?

[Chiang]

She wouldn't allow you to pick up the trash from her curb.

[MissingAmerica]

It's disturbing that this man is taking advantage of his wife's wealth, yet refuses to disclose anything about that wealth. We have a secretive administration right now which his wrought havoc not only on us, but the world. We don't need to follow up with another one, especially when it seems we have a Congress that has forgotten that impeachment is an option in such cases.

[partyofone]

And the Clintons are doing the same thing. Saying $50 million from speaking /consulting fees tells us nothing except that the Clintons are selling something for a lot of cash, and it ain't speeches.

[Redrover666]

the skin on her neck
Mrs. Magoo is one UGLY beast.
she looks like a space alien.
his flat, saggy, old a**
All the eyeliner? She does look frightening
I wanna see his daughter in Playboy.

It's understandable to find a few remarks like this but it really says something when you find a preponderance of this crap. It nicely defines this site.