McCain names self-described head of "Washington's premiere lobbying firm" to head transition team

[BeyondGeography]

Clients include Fannie, Freddie the AMA and Big Oil:

McCain Taps Lobbyist for Transition

A prominent Washington lobbyist who has worked for every Republican president since Richard Nixon has been tapped by the McCain campaign to conduct a study in preparation for the presidential transition, should John McCain win the election, according to sources familiar with the process.

William E. Timmons, Sr. is a Washington institution, having worked in the Nixon and Ford administrations as an aide for congressional relations, and assisted the transition teams of both Ronald Reagan in 1980 and George W. Bush in 2000. He was also a senior adviser to both Vice President George Bush in 1988 and Senator Bob Dole in 1996.

Timmons is the chairman-emeritus of Timmons and Company, a small but influential lobbying firm he founded in 1975, shortly after leaving the White House. According to Senate records, he registered to lobby in 2008 for a wide range of companies and trade groups, including the American Petroleum Institute, the American Medical Association, Chrysler, Freddie Mac, Visa USA, and Anheuser-Busch.

...By tapping Timmons, McCain has turned to one of Washington's steadiest and most senior inside players to guide him in the event of a victory — but also to someone who would represent the antithesis of the kind of outside-of-Washington change he has recently been promising. One Republican familiar with the process said the decision to involve Timmons could become a political liability for the campaign's reformist image, especially in the wake of the controversies over the lobbying backgrounds of other McCain staffers, including campaign manager Rick Davis. "It's one more blind spot for Rick Davis and John McCain," the person said.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1840722,00.html

From the Timmons website:

Timmons and Company is widely acknowledged as Washington's premiere lobbying and consulting firm.

...The firm secured its reputation based on high-level and personal relationships cultivated with key figures throughout the Executive and Legislative branches and within both major political parties.

...Timmons and Company's principals are veterans of the Executive Branch from both Republican and Democratic Administrations, and most have held senior staff positions with Members and Committees of Congress. All Timmons principals are politically active, and work on a daily basis with Congress and senior Executive Branch officials.

http://www.timmonsandco.com/about.asp

[speedoo]

1. "Look out!! Change is a comin'!!!"

What a joke. Thanks for all the ammo, McSame, you tool.

[tularetom]

2. Transition to what?

I realize its going to be difficult for him to get accustomed to a life off of the government dole since he has spent his entire life on it, but I think Cindy has enough dough to tide him over. Maybe the transition team can teach him things he hasn't had to do for himself for awhile like wipe his own ass.

[Cha]

3. Transition into

obscurity..good.

[EC]

4. A bit ahead of himself isn't he?

After his and Palin's preformances tonight, he should just forget it...Obama shined last night, tonight and the rest of the week-end he will too. He's now on the attack, he does love this country enough not to let them have it again...

[Frank Booth]

5. I'd call McCain a hypocrite, but that's become so redundant it's not worth repeating.