Lobbyists Pack Ethics Crusader McCain's Staff

Forget Iseman: Senior advisers represent major corporations
By Jonas Oransky,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 22, 2008 8:00 PM CST
Lobbyists Pack Ethics Crusader McCain's Staff
Republican presidential hopeful, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., seated between his wife Cindy McCain and senior advisor Charlie Black, left, smiles as he gets into a van at his hotel in Deerfield Beach, Fla., taking him to the Republican presidential debate in Boca Raton, Fla., Thursday, Jan. 24, 2008....   (Associated Press)

Vicki Iseman is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to John McCain’s associations with lobbyists, the Washington Post reports. McCain targets special interests, but his campaign manager and top advisers are or have been lobbyists representing some of the country’s biggest corporations. Top adviser Charles Black currently numbers GM, JPMorgan, and AT&T among his clients.

McCain yesterday continued to insist his friendships don’t influence his action on legislation. But the candidate has far more lobbyists on staff—and far more top fundraisers who lobby—than his rivals. Some say that conflicts with his crusading role on ethics, and his staffers say they recuse themselves when their clients’ issues enter McCain's orbit. (More John McCain stories.)

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