Prebuttal: McCain's Reform Credentials Have Turned to Sand

The John McCain who fought for campaign finance reform in the past is not the same John McCain speaking tonight. In his acceptance speech, McCain will try to recapture the past reform victories as prologue to what a President McCain would fight for, but the last two years have exposed him as a cynical, old-school politician. McCain has neither a comprehensive, bold reform agenda that will truly change Washington nor the ability to reject the control exercised by his lobbyist-run, big money-fueled candidacy.

As someone who has organized for comprehensive campaign finance reform for just as long as John McCain has, and as someone who has organized and campaigned for virtually every single public financing victory at the state level in the past twelve years, reaching this conclusion earlier this year was not easy. Sen. McCain has fought shoulder-to-shoulder with my colleagues and me for reforms in a number of states around the country. One might call it organizing. But the stakes in this election are too high, and the opportunities to truly change Washington are too great, to remain silent in the face of Sen. McCain's hollow calls for reform and his reversal on ending campaign money's grip over who runs for office and what they do if they win.

Here's what he'll claim, and what the truth really is:

• Sen. McCain will promote his role in digging into the scandals involving convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. But McCain stopped short of calling former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed to testify, or to investigate any other elected official or politician as part of his committee's work. Reed is now raising money for McCain. Thousands of pages of evidence have yet to be released from Sen. McCain's investigation. Because McCain refused to fully investigate, the public does not know the full story of which elected officials or their staffs helped Abramoff with his scams.

• Sen. McCain will speak to the need to crack down on earmarks, and will likely criticize earmarks for communities in different states around the nation. But he will likely not reveal that he was critical of earmarks for Wasilla, Alaska, that have been delivered to Alaska under Sarah Palin's watch. Sen. McCain will not divulge that his campaign is dependent on lobbyists who line up the earmarks for cities, counties, and states.

• Sen. McCain will triumphantly boast of the money he saved taxpayers when he stopped an Air Force contract from going to Boeing. What he'll leave out is that Boeing's competitor was then given the contract, worth up to $100 billion dollars, after his intervention and after they hired seven lobbyists who have worked for Sen. McCain's election. McCain has received more in campaign donations from Airbus's executives then any other politician.

• Sen. McCain will likely rail against the lobbyists in Washington and claim he helped craft a new lobbying and ethics law. Despite some good things required under these reforms, how does preventing a lobbyist from buying McCain a $25 lunch while allowing the same lobbyist to raise $250,000 for McCain's campaign blunt the power of lobbyists?

• Speaking of campaign fundraising, Sen. McCain opted in and then out of the public financing system in the primary using a shady loan. He claims he'll run a campaign using public financing from this point on, but his fundraisers are collecting hundreds of millions of dollars in party contributions to run a parallel campaign for McCain.

• More critically, he once used to be a passionate supporter of comprehensive campaign finance reform, but has now capitulated to the lobbyists and big money factions of the Republican Party. He once authored a fix to the presidential public financing system, but now he refuses to cosponsor it or even pledge to make it a priority if he's elected.

• Sen. McCain will promote his proposal to drill for oil offshore, but he won't tell anyone that he's raised millions from oil executives in the wake of reversing himself on the issue. In fact, the money the McCain/RNC joint fundraising account raised from Hess Oil execs and one office manager was been subject to much scrutiny that my organization asked teh Justice Department to investigate, along with another well-documented case where a bundler from Florida raised money for McCain by allegedly using straw donors in California.

• Sen. McCain's success in pressing for the campaign finance law that bears his name, McCain-Feingold, is undermined by his insistence that he would appoint Supreme Court justices in the mold of John Roberts and Samuel Alito - two recent appointments who have already made their mark by undermining key provisions of that law.

In this play to the right-wing base of his party, McCain is saying that he'd rather lose that law than lose this election.

In general, while he rests on his past laurels, he no longer voices any support for tackling the role that campaign money plays in shaping the policy agenda in Washington. The prospect of winning this campaign drove him into the waiting, check-writing arms of special interest contributors from the oil, coal, insurance, mortgage, finance, and lobbying industries.

Countless reporters have written variations on stories of how McCain's candidacy is dependent and beholden to special interests lobbyists and money. From the oil money gusher he hit when he reversed himself on offshore drilling, to the foreign policy positions precisely matching the lobbyists advising him, John McCains's campaign is stage-managed by more than 150 lobbyists who are raising money, drafting his policy positions, and controlling his message.

John McCain's reform credentials have turned to sand under a tide of special interest lobbyists, campaign money, and placating right-wing ideologues. Nothing he will say in one speech can rebuild what once was.

Comments

[m5marc]

I'm an Obama supporter. But that being said, here's why I have absolutely NO RESPECT for John McCain. None! Nada! Zippo! If he was a true Maverick, a system, status quo bucker, he would've selected Tom Ridge as his VP, man he has known since they were both elected to congress in the same year, not the snarky, fire-breathin' , unqualified Phyllis Schlafly on steroids.

TOM RIDGE
1) Viet Nam Vet
2.) Served in the Congress
3.) Two Term governor of Pennsylvania
4.) Secretary of Homeland Security
5.) Pro-Choice

SARAH PALIN
1.) Mayor of Wasilla Alaska
2.) Less than 1/2 term governor of Alaska
3.) Rabidly anti-abortion

Do the math. Who is REALLY the best VP candidate?




But McCain isn't a Maverick. He's a "Pander-ick." His ambition to finally show the ghosts of his father and grandfather he's not the McCain family "F*&K-UP is so powerful, he has chose to subvert the good of he people for his own political purpose.

[pcplz]

I am watching him speak right now....I am afraid. I look at the crowd of wealthy white people and know that there is where the scare is.

Obama just HAS to get the message out. I am afraid that it will be stolen again. The truth. Please somehow get this onto MSM. Not just here at Huff po........the facts just have to get out and I don't know how.

[foomonkey]

nice article, good to get some more details. i love how he now screams of change, yet he's been there for 26 years, one of the "washington elite"! obama may be a risk, but it's worth it...

[gman61265]

i agree with the reporter. sen. biden was right with his speech last week, when e said that the candidate mcbush-oops,i mean mccain-was far different than the man he used to know. the way the republicans have trampled on our rights,and the constitution,do they really think that we would give them 4 more years?

[arthur2008]

Actual patriots (as opposed to jingoistic frauds) rejected George the Third 232 years ago; they have the chance now to do it again.

[AmericanVoice]

David, what a great informing and factual article you have presented to the America public. I applaud your respect for informative and factual information. I hope you get this to the Masses, so the America people will not be misinformed. I have also included a link for you to review, from the Phoenix New Times, hope you enjoy the read, along with the rest of your readers.

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2008-08-07/news/postmodern-mccain-the-john-mccain-some-arizonans-know-and-loathe/2

[booker52]

McCain has had 3 decades to promote change, hadn't done it. McCain speaks out of both sides of his mouth.

Vote Nov 4th for the winning ticket Obama/Biden!!!!

[eirrac]

The Republican spectacular last night was hateful, mocking, and filled with outright lies. As of this morning, my whole family volunteered for the Obama Biden campaign. I just spent four hours making phone calls, and we will all continue to help in any way we can. We saw a side of the Republicans last night that was truly scary...almost evil in it's intent. That's now who we want in Washington. No thanks. No way. No McCain/Palin.

[jpaese]

Unfortunately, none of this matters if the media or the Dem's become too afraid to call him on it. I hope they don't fall for the scare tactics of this mutated and scary Republican Party. As an Independent who has voted for both R and D presidents, they have utterly lost my vote by their own hand.

[PuppaX]

You don't really think any of the people voting for him care, do you?

[exhale09]

The people who are now excited about voting Republican, due to Mccains pick of Palin, will vote on one issue only. Pro-Life.

They are a one issue Base. TheBase hasn't cared about any other issue, in two decades. (Well maybe denying gay civil rights) They are once again turning this election into a cultural war. Their strategy? Divide and Conquer, and promote Fear. Listen carefully.

That's all you need to know.

[zippywpinhead]

they're not too happy about illegal aliens, either...

[RRonin]

The whole phrase is "Divide and conquer, conquer and RULE".

[zedthewizard]

especially since palin's pick the election might not be about the past, but the future.

i believe that currently it is personality driven -- maybe, be because of the newbie; however, to ignore personality and focus only on issues isn't what i'd suggest.

[tantip]

We have to make sure McCain/Palin is not elected, this is crazy.

[GBrown]

I agree - am heading to the Obama headquarters tonight for yard signs and to volunteer (I'm in a swing state). We're going to win this one on the ground.

[mk3872]

Sorry, McPOW ... But 25+ years in the Senate *without* changing the culture means that YOU are the problem and YOU are what needs changing!!