Open Letter to John McCain's Campaign

I read with interest the news reports of your campaign's decision to vet all the past associations, work, and conflicts of interest of your staff. As you may know, Campaign Money Watch has been increasingly concerned about the number of lobbyists working on and raising money for your presidential bid, the conflicts of interest they pose, and your retreat from supporting comprehensive reform that cuts the direct ties between special interests and candidates.

With 115 lobbyists raising money for or staffing your campaign, we believe that last weekend's revelations that two staff members of the campaign promoted the military junta in Myanmar are just the tip of the iceberg.

If you are interested in cleaning house at the McCain campaign, we urge you to start with Charlie Black, Tom Loeffler, and Peter Madigan.

As you will soon find out when these three fill out their forms, they have represented unconscionable foreign interests. Mr. Black and his firm have lobbied for Philippines's President Ferdinand Marcos, strongman Mobuto Sese Seko of Zaire, Mohamed Siad Barre of Somali, "rebel terrorist" Jonas Savimbi of Angola, and several other unsavory foreign clients. Mr. Loeffler and his firm have made approximately $11 million in their contracts representing the Saudi Arabian government. Mr. Madigan represented the government of the United Arab Emirates in a class action suit regarding the enslavement of children as camel jockeys.

Your vetting process will turn up many more conflicts of interest. For example, there have been widely reported connections between several lobbyists who serve as fundraisers and staff for your campaign and Airbus's U.S. affiliate when they secured a $35 billion Air Force contract. You have received more in campaign donations from executives of this Airbus affiliate, EADS, than any other candidate. In addition, your campaign manager, Rick Davis, has taken on lobbying and public relations work that has raised serious questions about conflicts of interest.

We remain concerned about your retreat from previously supporting public financing legislation at the national level. That you have built a campaign relying on lobbyists to staff it and raise money for it is a clear signal to us that reforming business-as-usual politics and the pay-to-play culture in Washington is a very low priority for the Senator if he is elected. We hope this will change.

We are encouraged that you have begun to correct this appearance with a thorough review of all those staffing for Sen. McCain's campaign. As an immediate step, you ought to immediately remove Messrs. Black, Loeffler, and Madigan, and extend your review to those you are depending upon to raise money for the campaign.

Sincerely,

David Donnelly

Director, Campaign Money Watch

Comments

[Max7073]

Beautiful piece. It begs the question, "who will be left in McCain's camp after his new vetting process is complete?' I am really looking forward to the debates.

[pfc1369]

Yo Max, I share your sentiments, but check out the meaning of "begs the question" sometime.

[BitterRoot]

"Yo Max, I share your sentiments, but check out the meaning of "begs the question" sometime."

PFC, I'd support a campaign to ensure that every Democrat is made aware of what "begging the question" really means. (Repugs are on their own.) When I see a "professional" journalist misuse it, I can only gnash my teeth.

[Turtleluv6]

Hey Mc Lame what has Black done for you? Hope you enjoy that sickness in your stomach when you lose the general election.

[Turtleluv6]

Guess Mc Lame is gonna have trouble getting a committee most the GOP are in jail or have pending court dates....And he thinks he can be trusted.

[Lonestarmom]

Glad to see this because when I read today about his new vetting of his staff I was thinking that there would be a lot of job openings come Monday on the Double Talk Express...I also wondered how out of touch he is if he didn't realize how many lobbyist are associated with his campagin. Perhaps he has been hanging out with them so long he forgot what they did for a living!

[RFI]

Please cc the MSM. Thanks.

[rsg5354]

JOHN MCCAIN KNOWS HE WON'T WIN THE GENERAL ELECTION

[lynnn]

And Childers said nothing! Okay I'm sorry I just had to add that.

[RENREVARD]

JOHN MCCAIN SPEAK: HOW DARE YOU QUESTION ME ABOUT MY ACTIONS OR MOTIVES! I WAS A POW.

[Turtleluv6]

and a sell out at that

[barackobama4prez]

I was barely born when he was a P.O.W. There's an expression coined by Janet Jackson "What have you done for me lately?"

I'm more interested in his record all those years in the Senate. That's the REAL McBush right there.