Honest Government & Open Government
We will end the Republican culture of corruption and restore a government as good as the people it serves, starting with real ethics reform.
The Democratic Party is committed to real ethics reform and meaningful campaign finance reform that protects our rights and ensures that elected officials act ethically -- not just within the law, but within the spirit of the law. Democrats offer an aggressive reform package to reverse Republican excesses and restore the public trust.
We are committed to immediate change to lead our country in a new direction, to put an end to Republican business as usual, and to make certain our nation's leaders serve the people's interests, not special interests. For us, this commitment spans our lifetime, as we were elected to represent the people, not the powerful.
Our goal is to restore accountability, honesty and openness at all levels of government. To do so, we will create and enforce rules that demand the highest ethics from every public servant, sever unethical ties between lawmakers and lobbyists, and establish clear standards that prevent the trading of official business for gifts.
75. Like Bush, McCain Tries to Deny Meeting with Lobbyists -- Despite Clear Proof to the Contrary.
We released this video entitled "No Kidding." Enjoy....
On the same day John McCain bragged about how proud he is of the lobbyists running his campaign, McCain is accepting campaign cash raised by one of the central figures in the culture of corruption surrounding a convicted lobbyist. According to published reports, the chair of McCain's Georgia fundraising committee asked Ralph Reed, a central figure in the scandals surrounding disgraced Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff,to help raise money for today's fundraiser in Atlanta. Reed then asked his friends to send money to McCain in an email in which Reed advertised himself as a member of John McCain's Victory 2008 team. While Ralph Reed may not attend tonight's event, McCain has ignored criticism from nonpartisan watchdog groups who called on him to cancel tonight's fundraiser altogether. McCain's campaign has also ducked questions about what role Reed is playing in McCain's campaign why McCain is accepting money steered his way by Reed. [The Hill, 8/13/08]
John McCain told USA Today that he is OK with top foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann's lobbying on behalf of the former Soviet republic of Georgia. The fighting between Russia and Georgia has brought renewed attention to Scheunemann and the...
That is a picture of a bunch of criminals and a John McCain fundraiser on a boondoggle golfing trip to Scotland. On the left is infamous con-man Jack Abramoff who plead guilty to a variety of charges including conspiracy...
On a conference call to discuss John McCain's decision to raise campaign cash with scandal-plagued Republican activist Ralph Reed, Representative Henry Waxman said McCain's refusal to cancel the fundraiser shows that he is a "reformer no more." Waxman, who chaired the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform investigation into the scandal surrounding criminal lobbyist Jack Abramoff said McCain knows the degree to which Reed was involved in the scandal and should cancel the fundraiser scheduled for Monday.
81. Like Bush, McCain Has a Revolving Door Policy for Lobbyist Advisors - Both for His Senate Office and His Campaign.
The Democratic National Committee today released a new web ad called "Tainted" that highlights John McCain's decision to raise campaign cash with one of the central figures in the Republican culture of corruption.
Check out our latest web video on John McCain cozying up to Ralph Reed, a business associate of Jack Abramoff....
Following reports that scandal-plagued Republican activist Ralph Reed is raising money for John McCain's campaign, a new report reveals yet another connection between McCain and the scandal surrounding criminal lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
83. Like Bush, McCain Is Linked to Jack Abramoff and His Cronies - Like Ralph Reed.
On the campaign trail, John McCain likes to brag about chairing the Senate Indian Affairs Committee that investigated criminal lobbyist Jack Abramoff's role in the Republican culture of corruption. But that is not stopping John McCain from raising campaign cash with one of Abramoff's closest business partners: scandal plagued conservative activist Ralph Reed. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Reed has "agreed to serve as a member of the McCain Victory 2008 Team" and will host a fundraiser for his campaign on Monday, August 18.
John McCain's army of lobbyists made nearly $1 billion in fees in the past decade, and they are now running his campaign for the White House so he can -- wait for it -- fight the very same special interests...
Lobbyists Raised Money and Competed To Influence Bush. "At the centre of this torrent of money lie the Pioneers and Rangers. Formed by four family friends in 1998 when Bush was still governor of Texas, they have grown into a nationwide network of influence. With its different levels, the aim is to make top donors compete for influence. 'When you do that, the sky is really the limit. They give more and more, but in the end it is all just gravy for the Bush train,' said Andrew Wheat, director of Texans for Public Justice, a group that monitors the network…The industries the network spans are also tightly knit. Almost 20 per cent of the elite donors come from the world of finance, while 18 per cent are lawyers and lobbyists."
Throw John McCain's latest dishonest attack ad on the heap of other dishonest attack ads released by their campaign. John McCain is running an entirely negative campaign. That's what happens when you run on the politics of the past and...
Jake Tapper, as he puts it, "the trouble with lobbyists running your campaign." Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., finished an Ohio tour somewhat sullied by news -- as reported in the Cincinnati Enquirer -- that "at a morning town hall meeting...
The reviews are in, and Day One of the Exxon-McCain '08 campaign was a roaring success. Recent reports show oil trader Harry Sargeant funneling hundreds of thousands of campaign cash to McCain, some of Big Oil's top talent helping run the campaign, and grassroots Exxon-McCain rallies taking place across the country. The word is getting out that Exxon-McCain '08 is the best bet for anyone looking for four more years of the same energy policies that have produced soaring energy costs and record profits for Big Oil.
Sharpen your pencils and get your Scantrons ready. It's time for a pop quiz on John McCain and energy.
Soon, John McCain will pick his very own Dick Cheney, but until he does, we wanted to make sure the American people know more about some of the potential running mates before they stroll onto the stage together in Minnesota....
This week, with energy in the headlines and at the forefront of the economic struggles for America's families, Americans are demanding real solutions to soaring gas prices and the long-term energy crisis. But instead of looking ahead for comprehensive solutions to our nation's energy problems and towards reducing America's dependence on foreign oil and developing alternative energy sources, John McCain is turning to the Bush-Cheney play book which puts the interests of oil companies ahead of the interests of Americans. In fact, John McCain has at least 33 former oil lobbyists who advise him or fund-raise for his campaign.
Last week, House Republicans threw a temper tantrum at the Capitol when they were unable to force a vote on offshore drilling to help their oil industry contributors. This week, they are at it again. The Democrats are basically saying...
Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) appeared in court to plead not guilty and asked that the trial be held before the November general election. Prosecutors say the Alaska Republican accepted more than $250,000 in house renovations and gifts from contractors but...
Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), known in online circles for his description of how the internet works, was indicted on seven counts by the Department of Justice. New York Times: Mr. Stevens, 84, was indicted on seven counts of failing to...
In a report [PDF] released by the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General and Office of Professional Responsibility, the political hirings and firings by Monica Goodling "violated both federal law and Department policy, and therefore committed misconduct, when she...
John McCain's massive flip-flop on offshore drilling is paying dividends, according to the Washington Post: Campaign contributions from oil industry executives to Sen. John McCain rose dramatically in the last half of June, after the senator from Arizona made a...
In today's Washington Post Matthew Mosk details the timeline of events following McCain's June reversal to support off-shore drilling, from the weak reasoning he offered for changing his position to his next-day fundraisers with energy executives in Texas to the resultant dramatic increase in donations from oil and gas industry executives and employees -- and, of course, how McCain's shift on energy brings him even more in line with President Bush. It's 100 days until the election, and each day brings new proof of how McCain offers more of the same failed policies and old politics.
The parade of embarrassing John McCain advisers continues. This week? Top foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann is tied to the "cash for access" lobbyist, Stephen Payne. Houston Chronicle: Over that week, more questions have been raised about the Houston lobbyist's...
Big-time donor to the GOP and John McCain is in a bit of trouble: On the day Republican Sen. John McCain surged to victory in Florida's presidential primary, a group of supporters gathered at the elegant Tampa Club for a...
The New York Times discovers an Abramoff connection among the "bundlers" raising money for John McCain's campaign -- "Juan Carlos Benitez, a lawyer and lobbyist whom Mr. Abramoff had championed for a Bush administration post." Benitez has raised between $50,000 to $100,000 for McCain, and the campaign doesn't appear willing to return any of the contributions:
The Wall Street Journal today reveals the latest in a string of campaign improprieties from John McCain. According to the report, "allies of Sen. John McCain have found new loopholes in the campaign-finance law he helped write" after months of lagging behind the Obama campaign's grassroots fundraising. According to the Journal, prominent GOP donors have been trying to encourage high dollar donors to circumvent the $2,300 limit on contributions to presidential campaigns established in the 2002 McCain-Feingold law by steering contributions to the Republican Governors Association, calling it the "the best way to help McCain" in swing states and "the equalizer in this campaign." The story cites experts questioning the legality of this arrangement, with one prominent expert suggesting that if it is legal, it is close enough to the line that "they may have chalk on their shoes."
And CREW has filed an ethics complaint in response. From TPM Muckraker:
Today, John McCain's campaign released its latest misleading ad aimed at drawing attention away from his history of opposing efforts to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil. After years of voting against incentives for renewable energy and green jobs, McCain has now offered a series of gimmicks and giveaways that even his own campaign admits won't reduce the price of gas.
The Democratic National Committee today launched a new website that highlights the dismal records and misleading rhetoric of John McCain's top three economic advisors. With Senator McCain admitting that "economics is something that I've really never understood as well as I should," the question of who is shaping his economic agenda is important to determining what direction he intends to lead the country. The new site , "McCain's Economic Advisors: With Advisors Like These..." highlights the failed, flawed and out of touch policies championed by advisors like Phil Gramm, Carly Fiorina, and Doug Holtz-Eakin.
After years of saying he opposed drilling in our coastal waters, Senator McCain changed his position and has embraced President Bush's vision for offshore drilling. On CBS's Face the Nation, McCain advisor Carly Fiorina tried to defend John McCain's decision to cave in to Big Oil. First, she said Senator McCain changed his mind because he wants to confront rising gas prices. Even the Bush Administration and a former McCain advisor admit that drilling in coastal waters will do nothing to reduce the price for decades. But industry experts, the Bush Administration and even former McCain advisors admit that drilling in coastal waters will do nothing to reduce the price of gas for decades. Fiorina claimed Senator McCain is "approaching the subject of off-shore drilling in a sensible way." But just yesterday one McCain surrogate cited Fidel Castro's beachfront oil rigs to defend McCain's reversal.
The Democratic National Committee today filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the U.S. Department of State seeking information about possible violations of the Hatch Act in connection to John McCain's events in Ottawa today. The FOIA request follows reports that McCain campaign officials requested assistance in arranging a $100-a-plate luncheon speech from U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins.
It's the latest scandal for Team McCain.
Today's McCain Myth: John McCain follows campaign finance laws.
John McCain has spent months defending himself from charges that he weighed in on behalf of his lobbyist friends to steer a $35 billion Air Force tanker contract toward a European defense contractor. Despite the fact that seven of his top strategists and fundraisers lobbied for the company, Senator McCain insisted that he "had nothing to do with the contract, except to insist in writing, on several occasions, as this process went forward, that it be fair and open and transparent." In reality, Senator McCain intervened at key steps in the process, echoing the arguments of the EADS/Airbus consortium each time.
Despite his campaign promise to set a "new standard for transparency and accountability," the Wall Street Journal today reports that John McCain is refusing to pay for his campaign's use of a corporate jet. Despite his previous efforts to restrict the use of corporate jets, McCain's campaign failed to reimburse the cost of "several trips last year that included campaign-related activity." The story quotes two Republican campaign lawyers saying McCain should have paid for the flights.
From an email by Governor Dean:
Today's McCain Myth: John McCain is bringing a new transparency standard to campaigns.
According to Fox News, John McCain misled the voters about the nature of tonight's town hall meeting. While the event was billed by the McCain campaign as a town hall with independent and Democratic voters, Fox News noted at the end that the audience was made up of invited guests and supporters.
According to reports, one of John McCain's top economic surrogates-- Republican National Committee Victory Fund Chair Carly Fiorina--was head of Hewlett-Packard at a time when the company was actively working to circumvent export controls established as part of a trade boycott of Iran. This report makes Fiorina the second senior McCain advisor in as many weeks to be linked to companies doing business in Iran. Last week, on the same day Senator McCain called for the "the moral clarity and conviction of civilized nations" to organize "a divestment campaign" aimed at isolating Iran, the Huffington Post reported senior advisor Charlie Black lobbied for a Chinese oil company doing work in Iran. Before that, reports revealed that the lobbying firm co-owned by McCain campaign manager Rick Davis represented Ukrainian companies doing business in Iran.
C-SPAN's ratings are about to jump up again real soon. Think Progress: Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) invited former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan to testify before the Committee at a June 20th hearing about reported...
In a draft report [PDF] to be issued by the House Oversight Committee, chaired by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles, Calif.), that details the close ties between the Bush administration and disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and associates. The House Committee...
John McCain says he'll take on lobbyists... but, his inner circle is full of lobbyists:
Today's McCain Myth: John McCain would run a transparent government as president.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and the Obama for America Campaign today announced that the DNC will no longer accept Washington lobbyist donations, making the same commitment as Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.
Today's McCain Myth: John McCain is running a transparent campaign.
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles, Calif.), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, wants the FBI transcripts from the interviews conducted with President Bush and Vice President Cheney about the CIA leak case, and is going to Attorney General Michael Mukasey to get them.
Did the Jack Abramoff scandal claim another Republican crook?
John McCain's campaign sent out a fundraising e-mail a few hours ago, soliciting supporters to drop $250 for a personalized McCain logo banner. The subject of the e-mail, Frank Donatelli, says he and his wife have "been proud to work...
It's one-after-another when it comes to John McCain and lobbying scandals. Former Republican Texas Senator Phil Gramm, a national campaign general co-chair for John McCain, was being paid by a Swiss bank, UBS, to lobby Congress on the mortgage crisis in the United States. Forbes says UBS is among the banks worst hit by the global credit crisis.
After pledging that Senator and Mrs. McCain would never release her tax returns, not even if she becomes First Lady, the Associated Press reports that the McCain campaign finally released Cindy McCain's 2006 tax returns tonight.
Minutes ago, the House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed former top Bush aide, Karl Rove, to appear before the panel on July 10, to answer questions about the White House's involvement in the firings of nine U.S. attorneys, and the prosecution of...
The Washington Post reveals the cozy relationship between John McCain and the Washington lobbyists he once railed against. Despite his rhetoric about reducing the role of lobbyists in Washington, McCain's inner circle is dominated by lobbyists like Charlie Black, who the Post describes as a "longtime uber-lobbyist" and "a pioneer of the revolving door between campaign consulting and lobbying."
Ask not what your lobbyists can do for you, ask what you can do for your lobbyists:
Today's McCain Myth: John McCain is sincere about cleaning up the influence of lobbyists in his campaign.
In the New York Times, there was an interesting read about John McCain's army of lobbyist staffers and their sordid work histories. McCain's campaign manager Rick Davis is currently "on leave" from his firm, a firm that took to a...
Today's McCain Myth: John McCain understands that Americans want to clean up the culture of corruption.
Today's McCain Myth: In a McCain Administration the lobbyists running his campaign would not be running the White House.
Thomas Loeffler, a former Republican congressman from Texas, resigned as National Finance Co-Chair and joins four other recently departed high-level staffers for John McCain's campaign, including McCain's hand-picked convention coordinator, Doug Goodyear, who lobbied on behalf of Burma's repressive military junta.
Despite John McCain's self-professed opposition to earmarks and his claim to have never done anything to help his favorite lobbyists and campaign contributors, the USA Today reveals that McCain did in fact push for what watchdog groups called an "earmark" after a major donor lobbied him for it.
During his remarks in Ohio this morning, Senator John McCain outlined a fictional account of what he expects the American people to believe he will do as president. In reality, on each of the issues he addresses, Senator McCain has either failed to outline any plans or has actually promised outdated ideas that would make the problem worse.
Today's McCain Myth: John McCain would be a transparent leader and a break from President Bush.
The McCain campaign's decision to withhold Cindy McCain's tax returns is drawing criticism from across the political spectrum. This morning, editorials in both the Washington Post and Washington Times echoed calls for the McCain campaign to release Cindy McCain's tax returns. This follows a column in yesterday's New York Observer that blasts McCain for his hypocrisy on disclosure, noting that Mrs. McCain's corporate jet "has been flying him and his entourage of lobbyists around the country at bargain rates."
Days after two senior McCain campaign aides resigned after news reports revealed that their lobbying group had worked on behalf of the repressive regime in Myanmar, a new report reveals more lobbyist problems for John McCain's campaign.
McCain right-hand man/lobbyist ties to Putin-backed political party raises some eyebrows:
This weekend, we learned that one of McCain's campaign managers (he has several) had ties to a firm had represented the Burmese military Junta. As a result of the media scrutiny, he was forced to resign.
On the same day John McCain gave a speech aimed at repositioning himself as a "moderate" for the general election by claiming to be a "conservationist," the Washington Post highlights Senator McCain's true priorities.
'You Scratch My Back I'll Scratch Yours' McCain pushed key land deal for fundraiser:
The Coconut Rd. earmark is gaining more and more attention. I've focused on some of the Republican infighting over who is to blame. The Anchorage Daily News, though, makes a more important point -- that there are still a lot of unanswered questions that Rep. Don Young has failed to address.
Republican Party infighting over Coconut Rd:
Today's McCain Myth: John McCain will stand by the statements he makes.
Smooth: At his health care policy event yesterday at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Florida, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) was introduced by the institute's chairman, former Republican senator Connie Mack. But, as Hotline reports, Mack...
Even as John McCain and the Republican Party resort to baseless legal complaints and blatant distortions to avoid defending McCain's willingness to keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years, new video emerged today that shows John McCain once "rejecting the very policy he urges today." McCain's campaign is arguing that he has not changed is view, and that he has always advocated a long-term troop presence in Iraq similar to that in Germany and South Korea.
John McCain says that, if elected president, he would nominate Supreme Court justices in the mold of Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito.
Early in the Republican primary season, John McCain stated that he would not fly on corporate jets, nor would he enlist the aid of his wife's wealth to the campaign. According to the New York Times on Sunday, John McCain "frequently" flew on a corporate jet owned by a company headed by wife, Cindy, and paid a fraction of the actual cost.
Today John McCain, the ninth richest member of Congress, again showed the American people that his call for openness and accountability in government applies to everyone but himself.
For weeks now, John McCain has broken campaign finance law by going over the spending limits that he agreed to when he opted into public financing in order to secure a loan and get his name on the ballot in several states.
We've gone over this before, but Media Matters "Action Network" illustrates it so nicely. You'll want to check out this graphic showing the many lobbyists and former lobbyists on board the McCain campaign, which is more than any other candidate in the race.
Today's McCain Myth: John McCain's biography tour will give voters a picture of McCain's true values.
John McCain is traveling the country on a biographical tour, but here's one stop his campaign won't celebrate: the Keating Five. (April 2 marks the 21st anniversary of the group's first meeting.) McCain and four other senators interceded on behalf...
Lobbyist Doug Davenport is joining the McCain campaign as one of the ten, decentralized, regional campaign managers. Davenport is one of the founders and current chief lobbyist for the DCI Group. Lobbyist staffers: cheaper by the dozen.
A while back we filed an FEC complaint against John McCain, asking them to investigate whether the McCain campaign was on the verge of violating the spending limit law he agreed to when he became eligible to receive matching funds.
John McCain sent an e-mail message to supporters offering a chance to ride the "Straight Talk Express" with the Arizona senator -- a spot typically reserved for lobbyists. My campaign has come up with an opportunity for a supporter to...
McCain's numerous lobbyist connections raise some eyebrows:
The Democratic National Committee announced today that Senator John McCain will appear in a series of debates to be broadcast on www.mccaindebates.com. The one candidate in this debate who could beat John McCain, is John McCain himself.
In an effort to burnish his foreign policy credentials, John McCain made a taxpayer-funded campaign swing through Europe and the Middle East this week. But the trip was not the success the McCain campaign had hoped for.
It's never a good idea.
From CNN, via Cliff Schecter's blog:
Today's McCain Myth: McCain would have an open and transparent presidency.
In February, John McCain stood in front of the cameras and addressed a lobbying scandal by claiming that "at no time have I ever done anything that would betray the public trust or make a decision which in any way would not be in the public interest or would favor anyone or organization."
Today's McCain Myth: John McCain is an impartial watchdog in the Air Force tanker deal.
Despite John McCain's claims that the lobbyists don't have any influence on him, the Associated Press today reports that the lobbyists running McCain's campaign lobbied on behalf of a European company that won a $35 billion Air Force tanker contract.
We know McCain's campaign is filled with lobbyists. We know at least one of those lobbyists does his lobbying work from inside of the so-called "Straight Talk Express."
Two this week alone.
Today's McCain Myth: John McCain doesn't do political favors for friends.
Yet another lobbyist.
An article in the Wall Street Journal today highlighted some big flip-flops in McCain's record that I think are pretty striking in how clearly shameless they are.
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