McCain's Lobbyists Raked In $1 Billion From U.S. Clients, Study Says

The non-partisan group Campaign Money Watch has come up with another startling figure for those who follow the presidential money chase.

According to an analysis performed by the group, McCain's top fundraisers and aides have collected nearly $1 billion in fees from U.S. companies in the past decade -- specifically, $930,949,819. Using numbers provided by the Center for Responsive Politics, the group also found that officials of those very same companies have given nearly $12 million to McCain's presidential campaign, so far.

"The McCain campaign relies on big money lobbyists, and they'll rely on him," said David Donnelly, director of Campaign Money Watch. "In the 'you-scratch-my-back, I'll-scratch-yours' world of Washington, $931 million gets the special interests the best government money can buy. But just think of the payday these lobbyists might expect in a McCain Administration."

Donnelly's group previously launched a website called McCainsLobbyists.com, in which users can track the special interests represented by 40 of John McCain's top fundraisers and advisers.

Comments

[bayside]

Lobbist better hurry before america is all gone. The selling to the highest bidder is almost complete..

[emmaspeaks]

This needs to be broadcast on network tv...but, things like the Edwards affair get more attention. The public is not interested in real info, they like the gossip. So, this will never make a difference.

[whiteboyblues]

But Whaaa.... I thought he was a "Maverick"?

[talkingclock]

Maverick? He is an old man, with only one agenda, John McCain. You would get the impression that he is trying to fix his legacy during the time that he was captured as a prisoner of war. This does not make him a qualified candidate, because he could not lead, once he was captured. When you look at those pictures, he did not look like he was malnourished at all, on top of his injuries.

[CharlesJ]

Sure he is the "Maverick", but not in the way you or I think. He probably rakes in more $$$ from those lobbyists than anyone else up there. His Maverick status comes from the fact that he is able to feed you a line of crap and you buy it. LOL McCain in his words speaks for all of American we are all Georgians. He knows how Americans think and what we want, look at the way he talks and acts towards us Americans. "My Friends" my a$$, that man does not speak for me, nor does he know me well enough to call me friend. McCain is worse than Bush will ever be, mark my words on that one.

[TrooAmerican]

Ya cant make this stuff up. I mean, if someone was making a movie about this, hadnt ever seen that figure and was thinking of something to be high but realistic, they'd pry not come up with anythin more than say half that. or less.

Its astonishing that Corporate business leaders not only do this on purpose, but they know what they are doing while they stand up in TV ads, or Big Meetings, or in front of Congress even, and deny they are working for agendas that are hurting americans every day.

[kallopolis]

McCain, Abramoff, Ralph Reed, Grover Norquist, Tom DeLay. These guys are all the same: out to rape American families to stuff their pocketbooks full of money and power. Ugh.

[talkingclock]

Lobbyists in John McCains back pocket, and again, at the expense of the voters

[lornejl]

Corporations have found out how easy it is to buy a government. It's like a fire sale.

[DieHardObamaSupporter]

How does that old adage go? When you lie down with fleas....uh no...

When you lie down with lobbyists, you get up with....


Occupation of Iraq
High gas/food prices
Declining economy
No healthcare
Global warming
Declining educational system

And the saga continues, if McBush becomes POTUS.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

You contract the Bubonic Plague.

[Dynamohum]

Yeah, kill all the cats.....uhh I mean rats.

[Waltb31]

Lie down?? Vickie Iseman, anybody?!? Ah, say it ain't so!

[SFkid]

Campaign Dismisses Timing of Phone Call, Contract

By Matthew Mosk and Jeffrey H. Birnbaum | Washington Post Staff Writers

Sen. John McCain's top foreign policy adviser prepped his boss for an April 17 phone call with the president of Georgia and then helped the presumptive Republican presidential nominee prepare a strong statement of support for the fledgling republic.

The day of the call, a lobbying firm partly owned by the adviser, Randy Scheunemann, signed a $200,000 contract to continue providing strategic advice to the Georgian government in Washington.

[Gma11]

Thank you. It's good to have this information.

[JoeBlough]

Don't you just love a profit driven campaign?

[karela]

Come into my parlor said the spider to the fly. This is why, in his presidential campaign, Obama has not accepted any money from federally registered lobbyists or PACs. McCain has many times said that he was going to weed out all the lobbyists from his campaign, but he can't, because that's all he's got. He doesn't even seem to be aware that big money pays his lobbyists big fees because they have such close access to McCain. I hope America has finally had enough. The Pharmaceutical companies have given nearly a billion dollars to our elected officials over the past ten years. Medicare is the largest consumer of drugs in the U.S. When the Medicare prescription law was being written, (a law the pharmaceutical industry wanted badly). Under their direction the law made it illegal for Medicare to bargain with the pharmaceutical companies for better prices based on their large consumption. The pharmaceutical companies can charge any price they want and Medicare is obligated to pay it! When the wrote that bill the estimated cost was $400 million. Now Bush says $800 million. Independent evaluation puts it at $1.3 Trillion. That's what lobbyists are capable of. Obama has put a magnifying glass on this. Vote for him and help to clean this mess up!

[ccmd]

John McCain and his friends
http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/McCain_and_Friends

[RaraAvis17]

That was great! Thanks I am sending it out.

[cityartgrl4]

If Bush is Batman,
then
Just add some makeup to McCain's face and you have...

The Joker

[Syco]

no since he loves bush so much McCain is Robin

[RaraAvis17]

but he's still a joker...

[JoeBlough]

He looks like Lon Chaney's "Phantom of the Opera".

[demfriend]

When writers write about Mccain crossing the aisle I always see him crossing the aisle because he has a deal he wants to get and settled needs both sides to do it. He does little for the people it's more about what deal he can do and he has always loved lobbyists. When writers write about Mccain and his campaign being full of lobbyists it appears that the people of the US do not know the definition of a lobbyist because it's not really treated as what it is, a group of people trying to further different interests/companies gains by being directly involved with a presidential candidate. The writers don't explain the reason Obama doesn't want lobbyist wround him and his campaign is to no owe anyone, special interests and companies, a damn thing. Mccain will owe everyone working with him now and in the past almost every damn bit of his presidency. Sounds like Bush/Cheney who have given KBR billions Mccain will do the same but to many more companies.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Great points. McBush only crosses the aisle when he's paid to do so.

My favorite is the campaign finance reform bill. McBush knows that since his lobbyist connections can bundle money so well through coordinating with his lobbyists that the bill would be a boon to his campaign. While other candidate with less lobby ties can not coordinated that much money. It was not a coincidence that McBush got over a million dollars SO QUICKLY after flip flopping on offshore drilling. Because of his lobbyists the checks came in the next day.

[dadw5boys]

Ask not what your Corporation can do for you ask what you can do you the Corporation.

Mc Cain will turn you all into Endentured Servants working and paying taxes so the wealthy don't hasve too.

Oh Bush dug the hole Mc Cain is going to bury you alive.

[Triangle1]

Obama has proved that having a lot of money doesn't necessarily mean you get more votes. It's almost as if the amount of money a campaign has on hand is a certain measure of success. And you can always demonize the source of all money. Obama could barely beat Hillary, and she was cash strapped. How is Obama going to pull this off against Republicans? At least when he was battling it out with Hillary, he had the support of half of the party. Now he has the support of half of the Democrats and none of the Republicans. I'm watching his ship sink before my eyes. http://mespace.wordpress.com

[Dynamohum]

Exxxxccccuuussse me, there are some very prominent Repuglicans that have endorsed and are supporting Obama for President. At least get your facts straight. 2 powerful Repuglicans publicly endorsed him yesterday.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-trailleach13-2008aug13,0,515257.story