Subject: [big campaign] New Report On McCain's Lobbyist Ties
From: David Miller <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:46:40 -0400
List-Id: <bigcampaign.googlegroups.com>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 13, 2008

CONTACT            
David Miller, Communications Manager
(202) 448-6154     

Report: McCain¹s Lobbyists Make Half a Billion Dollars; McCain Campaign
³Embedded² In Big Money Lobbyist Culture

Washington, DC  A new research report released today by Campaign Money
Watch, a campaign finance watchdog group, paints the big picture of how
deeply dependent Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is on powerful Washington lobbying
firms, and the huge financial stake these lobbyists and their firms have in
the outcome of the election.

Titled EMBEDDED OR IN BED? John McCain and His Lobbyist Problem, the report
lays out the financial entanglements and other relationships that exist
between McCain and his cadre of 118 lobbyists who have represented some of
America¹s largest corporations  many of which have had business before the
Senate Commerce Committee McCain once chaired  but now find themselves
advising, staffing and raising money for McCain¹s presidential campaign.
EMBEDDED can be viewed online at http://www.campaignmoney.org/mccain.

³This report shows, in plain language and very large numbers, that John
McCain has become dependent on high-powered lobbyists who know a McCain
victory in November would be their meal ticket to continued prosperity,²
said David Donnelly, director of Campaign Money Watch. ³These lobbyists, and
the clients they represent, have fueled McCain¹s campaign, yet he refuses to
support comprehensive solutions to the big money that drives up the cost of
campaigning and leads to corrupting the public policy making process.
Apparently McCain is afraid of biting the hands that feed his campaign.²

Among EMBEDDED¹s findings:

* One hundred and eighteen lobbyists aiding McCain¹s campaign have received
$496 million in lobbying contracts from domestic clients since 1998.
* McCain has received $1.2 million from lobbyists, their spouses, and their
firm¹s political action committees, and his 70 lobbyist-bundlers have raised
at least $4.15 million for him so far.
* McCain has received more than $8.9 million from his lobbyists¹ clients and
their affiliated PACs.

The report relied on data obtained from the nonpartisan Center for
Responsive Politics, an organization that tracks campaign finance
contributions and lobbying expenses of firms representing domestic clients.
In addition, Campaign Money Watch utilized data from Public Citizen¹s
WhiteHouseForSale.org website. The organization also reviewed other publicly
available data. Recent news stories have explained the loopholes in
reporting expenses associated with foreign lobbying, and legislation is
being introduced in the Senate to address the loopholes.

³EMBEDDED underscores one explanation for John McCain¹s retreat from past
support for comprehensive campaign finance reform,² Donnelly said. ³He¹s
relying on those who trade money-for-favors  the very same interests who
would have the most to lose if public financing were implemented. If any
doubts remain over whether John McCain has fully embraced Washington¹s big
money lobbyist crowd, or whether they¹ve fully embraced him, this report
will put them to rest.²

Campaign Money Watch is a project of the nonpartisan Public Campaign Action
Fund. The organization works to hold candidates who are against reform
accountable for where they get their political donations. It recently
launched FireTheLobbyists.com to urge McCain to sever his ties with the
big-money lobbyists that run and fund his campaign.

-- 
David Miller
Communications/Web Manager
Public Campaign Action Fund/Campaign Money Watch
1828 L St. NW #250
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 448-6154

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