A shameless campaign of the lobbyists, by the lobbyists, and for the lobbyists

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Today was the day that John McCain said he would reveal his "detailed plan" for the U.S. economy.  McCain, however, gave few new details of his economic proposals and instead used his speech to take political pot shots at his opponent, Barack Obama. McCain Fires at Obama Over Economy 

Mr. McCain painted Mr. Obama as being beholden the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the loan giants that were just taken over by the federal government, by virtue of the campaign contributions he took from them and his ties to their former leaders.

“We’ve heard a lot of words from Senator Obama over the course of this campaign,’’ he said. “But maybe just this once he could spare us the lectures, and admit to his own poor judgment in contributing to these problems. The crisis on Wall Street started in the Washington culture of lobbying and influence peddling, and he was right square in the middle of it.’’

Mr. McCain did not mention that several of his campaign’s senior aides and advisers lobbied on behalf of the companies as well.

The man is shameless.  This dishonest and dishonorable man will say anything and lie with impugnity. John McCain should answer his own challenge to "admit to his own poor judgment in contributing to these problems" during his 26 years as part of "the Washington culture of lobbying and influence peddling," because he has been "right square in the middle of it."

David Corn has posted an excellent piece at Mother Jones documenting a McCain campaign of the lobbyists, by the lobbyists and for the lobbyists.  The hypocrisy of John McCain knows no bounds. McCain Attacks Wall Street Greed—While 83 Wall Street Lobbyists Work for His Campaign

McCain has been quick with fiery, populist-tinged speeches. But one thing has been missing: any acknowledgment that McCain’s own campaign has been loaded with the type of people he’s been denouncing… As Mother Jones previously reported, former Senator Phil Gramm, McCain’s onetime campaign chairman, used a backroom maneuver in late 2000 to slip into law a bill that kept credit default swaps unregulated. These financial instruments greased the way to the subprime meltdown that has led to today’s economic crisis. Several of McCain’s most senior campaign aides have lobbied for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. And the Democratic National Committee, using publicly available records, has identified 177 lobbyists working for the McCain campaign as either aides, policy advisers, or fundraisers.

Of those 177 lobbyists, according to a Mother Jones review of Senate and House records, at least 83 have in recent years lobbied for the financial industry McCain now attacks. These are high-paid influence-peddlers who have been working the corridors of the nation’s capital to win favors and special treatment for investment banks, securities firms, hedge funds, accounting outfits, and insurance companies. Their clients have included AIG, the newest symbol of corporate excess; Lehman Brothers, which filed for bankruptcy on Monday sending the stock market into a tailspin; Merrill Lynch, which was bought out by Bank of America this week; and Washington Mutual, the banking giant that could be the next to fall. Among these 83 lobbyists are McCain’s chief political adviser, Charlie Black (JP Morgan, Washington Mutual Bank, Freddie Mac, Mortgage Bankers Association of America); McCain’s national finance co-chairman, Wayne Berman (AIG, Blackstone, Credit Suisse, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac); the campaign’s congressional liaison, John Green (Carlyle Group, Citigroup, Icahn Associates, Fannie Mae); McCain’s veep vetter, Arthur Culvahouse (Fannie Mae); and McCain’s transition planning chief, William Timmons Sr. (Citigroup, Freddie Mac, Vanguard Group). (emphasis added)

"When cable news shows air footage of McCain railing against greedy execs and the lobbyists who rig the rules for the benefit of Wall Street dealmakers, there ought to be a crawl beneath him listing these lobbyists."  Read the entire list of 83 financial industry lobbyists here McCain Attacks Wall Street Greed—While 83 Wall Street Lobbyists Work for His Campaign.