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

[loax]

McCain campaign Slogan -You scratch my back, and I will sure scratch yours! He is bought and paid for.

[jethrock]

I thought it was: C**try First

[AdobePhsyko]

Bought and Paid For

[lennix]

msm is a bunch of punks

[lornejl]

Not punks, they do what they get paid to do, promote corporatism.

[lornejl]

1 bil get's lobbyists 100 bil at least. A great investment.

[AtHomeBoy2000]

This is the same John McCain who once said "too often the special interest lobbyists with the fattest wallets and best access carry the day when issues of public policy are being decided."

PS: that quote is from John McCain's website.

[SMP]

the old adedge.....I scratch your back you scratch mine......­..........­.........w­e desparately need to move away from this if our country is to survive and thrive

[DAdvocate123]

Can someone please explain to my why this is bad. Please articulate to me why people who lobby for causes are bad.

[HansB]

Because in a democracy, policy should be decided by the public good, not by the interests of the tiny majority that can write the biggest checks. (And which then gets even richer on public money, and therefore can write even bigger checks, and so on.)

[normalkid0615]

good answers

The most I can do is "write" my congressman.

[DaOne]

Because they buy political influence generally at the expense of the electorate. Look at tobacco and big pharma as two obvious examples. Look at the gun lobby for another. Hope that clears things up for you.

[SMP]

depends on the cause and what is EXPECTED in return....­..........­..........­.

[poco767b]

Lobbying as a principle is not necessarily wrong. The problem arises when companies pay operatives to pressure politicians to act in a way contrary to their commitment to their constituents.
What eventually happens is influence on politicians becomes a commodity to be bartered and sold to the highest bidder.

[SeekerOne]

Because your average citizen, while having interests in common with millions of other citizens, does not have the same access to legislators as those who can dole out the big bucks. When money rules government, all other ethics fade (see the Constitution of the United States); avarice and war will continue to flourish as our society devolves-- along with the best intentions of an enlightened few-- finally crumbled into dust. A bit of an over-simpl­ification, but you get the idea.

[aflyinyoursoup]

Is anyone surprised?

[OldKnute]

Yes,,, but most of this money goes to Congressional races.

Get it. Laws are what last forever.

A Chief Executive only carries out the laws.

The skullduggery and Constitutional RAPE of the last 6 years could not have been possible had not Congress rolled over and rubber stamped all of what Cheney/Adi­ngton/Rove­/Wolfowitz­/Rumsfeld/­Rice had wanted passed into LAW.

Congress is where the power is. Congress is where the laws are made. Laws that effect your daily lives. Laws that,, once past,, bring on the troubles you now see.

Will McCain get a little of this Special Interest money?

He already has.

How do you think he is paying for all these latest Smear and FEAR campaigns?

You want to change America??? Vote in GOOD men and women.

To Congress!!!!!!

You want someone who will faithfully Execute those laws?

Vote for someone who understands the LAW.

Like Obama.

JMO

All the best

Knute Neo-LIB

[DRaymond]

It isn't just Congress. Consider Bush's new executive order essentially killing the endangered species act. Sure the next president could rescind the approval, or Congress could change it, but how many projects could be fast track approved in the last sixty days of the Bush administration and have the bulldozers already done with their work?

[AtHomeBoy2000]

This is front page news. Needs to be on the FrontPage of the HuffingtonPost, not just the "Politics" section.

[emmaspeaks]

Needs to be on a site that is more than democrats. We're all on board, we need to let the world know these things.

[highlyamused]

yep......it's a little like.........or maybe a lot like..preaching to the choir here.

there are some exceptions­.......the willfully ignorant who show up daily.

See below

[BradPittsburgh]

non-story.

[DaOne]

I agree, you are a non-storey

[Laserbeam]

LMAO!

[Daly]

With John Sidney mini-Bush we get the best government that $ can buy; that has worked out so well these past 7.5 years.

[DaOne]

John knows Washington is broken. He broke it.

[ChiGuy]

Typical Republican: Bought and paid for.

[truegreen]

Sell out for sale. McCain is on sale.

[trollsbwild]

Funny how Sean Hannity paints ABC, NBC and CBS as part of the liberal media. Yet, they keep covering for McCain by not reporting on Rick Davis and Randy Scheunemann. In fact, this is anohter example of the large corp conservative support for JM.

No matter. The blogosphere is well aware that JM is bought and sold ten times over.

Corruption was the number one issue in the 2006 election. The culture in DC has not changed since then. JM is a dinosaur and has no capacity to change. To him, it is merely business as ususal and worse yet, sees nothing wrong with who he has surrounded himself with.

BO has to keep repeating the JM is another Bush term message. Tie them together and there is not way the GOP will be able to win in November.