McCain Staffers Run Afoul of Campaign Ethics Policy
By Michael D. Shear
LOUISVILLE -- The campaign of Sen. John McCain continued to dismiss staffers this week for violating the campaign's new ethics policy as Democrats ratcheted up pressure on some of McCain's top advisers for their lobbying backgrounds.
McCain dismissed two staffers Thursday after unveiling the new policy, which prohibits staffers from lobbying or representing a foreign agent or participating in a 527 political group. One staffer,
Craig Shirley, was dismissed after Politico reported that he worked for a group called stophernow.com, an attack site created to target Sen. Hillary Clinton that is now aimed at Sen. Barack Obama.
The other aide, Eric Burgeson, left Thursday after it was disclosed that he lobbies the federal government on energy policy, the Miami Herald reported.
McCain's campaign created the policy in the wake of two other forced departures -- regional campaign manager Doug Davenport and Republican convention chief Doug Goodyear -- for representing the military government in Burma.
Democrats seized on the issue today, with the liberal group MoveOn.org releasing an ad calling on McCain to dismiss top adviser Charlie Black, who until recently was the head of a large D.C.-based lobbying firm. The ad accuses Black of representing "the world's worst
tyrants" and urged viewers to call McCain's campaign demanding his departure.
"Charlie Black said he didn't do anything wrong," the ad concludes. "John McCain should tell Black he did. Call John McCain and tell him to fire Charlie Black."
Asked about the issue while campaigning in West Virginia and Kentucky, McCain shrugged it off, saying that the creation of the new ethics policy should solve the problem. "We saw a problem, fixed it," he said.
And he defended Black and his campaign manager Rick Davis, who has also come under fire.
"Charlie Black and Rick Davis are not in the lobbying business; they've been out of that business," he told reporters. "Charlie Black has been involved in every presidential campaign going back to President Reagan's first campaign.
He has severed his connections with the lobbying group that he was with. "Rick Davis has not been involved in any lobbying for years.''
Posted at 4:03 PM ET on May 16, 2008
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Posted by: MsSwin | May 19, 2008 9:07 AM
What we never saw about the attack on the world trade centre. Probably not allowed in the USA. Come your presidential nominations, question how to buildings can collapses straight down, not much else for damage. Even a moron like myself understands that if you burn two identical buildings, they will indeed collapse in a different manner. Wake up our best friends. We the people do not have to be educated to see a big flaw in what happened. May God bless America. I don't really care about conspiracy theories, but I do no, we area dispensable. just people, much like dogs.
Posted by: justadad55+ | May 18, 2008 5:13 PM
Shameful any American can bad mouth a X president like Mr. Carter whom rolls up his sleeves and helps the needy. Show me another President that will work like a normal Joe when it is not for financial gain. He is an old man, but a hell of a good man.
Posted by: justadad55+ | May 18, 2008 12:25 AM
Poor Rafael PR51. The fluffy fantasy garden in his head is so warm and safe. What a shame no one else can see it and come play with him.
Posted by: DC | May 17, 2008 10:43 AM
"We saw a problem, fixed it," said McSame. There is just one thing wrong with that statement; there is STILL a problem when he still continues to keep lobbyists on his payroll. As a dem, I don't mind at all since his downfall in November will 'remind' him he REALLY SHOULD HAVE "FIXED IT" when he had the opportunity!!! The American public is sick and tired of lobbyists running our country!!!
Posted by: FedUpinVA | May 17, 2008 10:30 AM
When you surround yourself with lobbyists, you become as unethical as those lobbyists without a chance in h*ll of winning the WH! By the time all the lobbyists have left his campaign, no one will be left to pickup McSame and since he is like the "lady who fell and can't get up", he will try but then realize 'his double talking friends' have deserted him! Wa, wa, wa!
Posted by: FedUpinVA | May 17, 2008 10:09 AM
OBAMA 0 BUSH 1
Obama had to do a speech to denfend himself when his name was not mention. Guilty maybe? lol! Bush put him on the defensive a lame duck president put a supposed movement on their feet to defend themselfs lol! That is even more funny than the Huckabee joke!!! lol!
Posted by: Rafael PR51 | May 17, 2008 9:59 AM
TO FRANKY:
The only one that will cr@p out in his pant will be you when November 5th you have McCain for 4 years!
As far as Bush being a traitor again do you want to see my list of traitors again? lol
Posted by: Rafael PR51 | May 17, 2008 9:56 AM
No, I think it is more like Obama 1 and the tag team of McCain = Bush 0. Check out that beautiful right hook of a speech from Obama. He knocked out 2 unethical opponents, Bush & McCain, with one blow.
Posted by: Dave | May 17, 2008 3:57 AM
McCain's new policy is get rid of the lobbists since they are a drain on my chance to get elected. Throw the unethical people overboard before people reaklly find out who my backers are.
Posted by: Jat | May 17, 2008 3:52 AM
To: Rafael PR51 | May 16, 2008 6:33 PM
LOL - thanks for that entertainment! Glad to know I made you cr@p your pants! ;)
You only freaked out because you know I'm right. =)
Posted by: Franky | May 16, 2008 9:43 PM
McCain is nothing if he is not clean. The stench from his campaign headquarters is building. Soon there will be more former members of his campaign than current members.
This reminds me of the Bush administration were the number of people who have been forced to resign is record breaking for the last quarter century. Appearance is important and this does not look pretty.
Posted by: Gator-ron | May 16, 2008 7:28 PM
You are mad at Bush for what he said that it is true also but, you do not have a problem with McCains DNC add about staying in Iraq for 100 years cut to fit their big lie propaganda because you know McCain did not said what the add is trying to say. No! that is ok with you but, what Bush said is not?
It's called Two faced!!!
Posted by: Rafael PR51 | May 16, 2008 7:00 PM
Let me know Franky if you want to know more about traitors?
OH! Bill Richardson is also a tritor to the people that made him. ( The Clintons )
You want more let me know!
Posted by: Rafael PR51 | May 16, 2008 6:50 PM
OH! ONE MORE
JIMMY CARTER ( LEADER OF THE CULT OF TRAITORS )
Posted by: Rafael PR51 | May 16, 2008 6:34 PM
BUSH A TRAITOR?
Let me send you a list franky of the known traitors:
REV. WRIGHT
JOHN KERRY ** Platinum club of traitor maybe hall fame**
MICHELL OBAMA
BARACK OBAMA
AL GORE
MICHAEL MOORE
YOU WANT MORE? HERE:
NACY PELOSI AND HER SYRIA TRIP
COME ON DUDE ALL DEMOCRATS!!!
Posted by: Rafael PR51 | May 16, 2008 6:33 PM
BUSH 1 OBAMA 0
----
Bush only wins at being a traitor to his own nation. I wonder how longer until he moves to Saudi Arabia?
Posted by: Franky | May 16, 2008 6:26 PM
BUSH 1 OBAMA 0
This is only the first round!
Obama cannot win a GE. People that is the fact. Demographics are all in favor of Clinto or McCain against Obama. Why is Obama so angry at the comments Bush said? He never mention no name but Obama feels guilty! He is to soft Republicans are going to sweep the floor with him!
Rafael PR51
Posted by: Rafael PR51 | May 16, 2008 6:12 PM
A new poll conducted by the Republican firm Public Opinion Strategies and the Democratic firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner shows John McCain losing to Barack Obama in the general election by five points but nipping Hillary Clinton by a single point:
Obama 48
McCain 43
McCain 46
Clinton 45
It's only going to get worse for McCain as more Clinton supporters move to Obama.
Posted by: Sally | May 16, 2008 6:05 PM
Does the McCain campaign really know how to do anything?
It doesn't seem very grounded in reality to me.
Posted by: wolf | May 16, 2008 5:47 PM
And this poll says it all. You won't believe these results!
Posted by: votenikdotcom | May 16, 2008 5:41 PM
I have an idea, why doesn't the GOP pull it's collective head out?
John McCain has lost so much ground since securing the Nomination, Al Gore is claiming it MUST be due to Global Warming taking Land away!
The entire layout has changed. Economics is Paramount!
Amnesty, was Political Suicide(Sure turned ME!).
Sunni? Shia? Talibani? Wahhabi? Israeli? They all look alike to Juan! "Hey, Lieberman, which one is which?" :-(
Try this on for size: John Remains a Senator, or becomes Secretary of DEFENSE(Where he can play Soldier all Day!).
Mitt Romney-who's "Issues" can be read at mittromney.com, becomes the President.
Mike Huckabee puts away his Cross, and becomes VP!
Then, they assemble a Cabinet of the best Minds available, and get to work fixing this "Bush"whacked Country!
Billary and Barry, go back to the Senate and in twenty years or so, finally learn how to Legislate, instead of Fantasize!
Then, I can quit COMPLAINING! ;~)
Posted by: RAT-The | May 16, 2008 5:35 PM
Hillary (putting on a recording of the soundtrack from "Stripes"): Over? Hell, no, it's not over. Was it over when Monica pleasured my husband? Was it over when I voted for the Iraq war? Was it over when I lied about sniper fire? More than once? It's not over! It will never be over! 'Cause I'm a Clinton, with a capital 'C'! Who's with me?
Chelsea: Mo-om! Earth to Mom! Like, I'm heading back to NEW YORK, okay? Like, your campaign, uh, doesn't need me any more? Soooooo, I'll, like, CALL you next week? And we can talk about the 2012 campaign.... just, like, let me see my STYLIST first? And, uh, YOU might want to come TOO? Like, just an idea? So, it's been real campaigning? But I want to get back to the fun part of, like, being the DAUGHTER of somebody famous? The part where, like, people buy you DRINKS? And NOOOBODY says "Yer, like, SO better looking than your MOTHERRR," and you don't have to feel, like, guilty for being RELIEVED that people think so? and like, your Daddy DOESN'T ask you to get him their PHONE NUMBERRR? 'Cause, like, he's not THERRE? Soooooo, ANNNNY-way, I am, like, SOOO outta herre... smell ya!
BILL: Awwwww, honey, can't ya think about yer Daddy? I ain't had no tail in, garsh, how long's it been?
HILLARY: Seven or eight years.
BILL: Naw, I didn't mean with YOU! Aw, yer kiddin' me, right? Such a sense of humor.... the American electorate is makin' a HUGE mistake. Bigger even than the bazongas on..... HELL-lo, darlin'. Have ya ever sat on an ex-president's lap before?
Posted by: | May 16, 2008 5:15 PM
McCain's Straight Talk Express has lost its moral compass.
Posted by: Nuffsaid | May 16, 2008 5:06 PM
McCain's campaign is run by a majority of lobbyists. Soon he won't have any staff. I used to admire McCain so much. He took on his own party when they were wrong. Spoke out against Bush's wrong-headed policies. Fought a corrupt political system.. But no more.
Now he is selling out to get the Whitehouse. It is deeply troubling and saddening to see him change his positions on so many things. To so completely embrace Neoconservativism.
I thought he had true grit and character. I guess everybody has their price. His seems to be the Whitehouse. I guess that is the recipe for breaking a maverick.
Posted by: Mike in Sac | May 16, 2008 5:06 PM
VISIT WWW.POLITICALINSIDER.NET FOR ALL THE LATEST POLITICAL NEWS AND OPINION. THE POLITICAL INSIDER INCLUDES A BLOG, VIDEOS,POLLS, ONLINE SURVEY, ELECTION RESULTS, POLITICAL CARTOONS AND MUCH MORE
WWW.POLITICALINSIDER.NET
Posted by: zachary | May 16, 2008 4:16 PM
He needs to fire himself next for his extremely poor ethics.
Posted by: Sharie | May 16, 2008 4:13 PM
"Charlie Black and Rick Davis are not in the lobbying business; they've been out of that business," McCain told reporters.
So he only hires "Flip Floppers" as well?
Has anyone told McCain about himself lately? I'm sure he would be shocked at himself.
Posted by: Franky | May 16, 2008 4:11 PM
Everything is afoul in the McCain Campaign Ethics!
Posted by: Franky | May 16, 2008 4:08 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
He doesn't offer change, just more of the McSame:
http://www.changeyoudeserve.wordpress.com