YO: the *complete* story behind this McCain-Lobbyist scandal...ouch...

[WilliamPitt]

Is John McCain Uncomfortably Close to Lowell ‘Bud’ Paxson?
By Drew Clark

Sen. John McCain’s close relationship with media and telecom company lobbyist Vicki Iseman poses a challenge for his presidential campaign – if it can be demonstrated that he took specific actions on behalf of one of the companies she represented.

Today’s story in The New Times Times about McCain’s interactions with Iseman reports on legislative actions that he took on behalf of television broadcaster Paxson Communications from 1998 to 1999. That was the period of time in which Iseman’s relationship with McCain, then chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, was of concern to members of McCain’s staff, according to The Times.

A spokesman for the Arizona Republican said that The Times story was “gutter politics,” and that there was nothing in the article “to suggest that John McCain has ever violated the principles that have guided his career.” The Page provides additional reactions from McCain.

The Times does not report about a more recent – and potentially more dramatic – action by McCain on behalf of Paxson.

(snip)

According to information compiled by the Center for Public Integrity’s “Well Connected” Project on Telecommunications and Media, John McCain is the single largest recipient of campaign contribution by Ion Media Networks and its predecessor, Paxson Communications. McCain received $36,000 from the company and employees from 1997 to mid-year 20006. McCain’s donations edged out former Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., who received $27,000, and former Rep. W.J. “Billy” Tauzin, R-La., who received $22,500.

The Well Connected Project also documents the $860,000 that Ion Media spent from 1998 to mid-year 2006. All of that money went though the lobbying firm of Alcade & Fay, where Iseman has been and remains one the principal lobbyists for Ion Media. According to documents available online from the Senate Office of Public Records, Ion is the client that Iseman has represented the longest, since at least 1998.

According to the Senate public records, these are the issues on which she lobbied, for each of the six-month periods in 2004 and 2005:

Media Ownership Issues
Cross-Ownership of Broadcast, Cable, Newspaper and Radio
Duopoly
Digital Must Carry
700 MHz Spectrum Auction
Digital Transition
UHF Discount
Satellite Reauthorization
Cable A la Carte

Paxson has done more than simply contribute, and have his company contribute, to McCain. Paxson held at least one fund-raiser for McCain in Florida, where Ion Media is based.

The rest: http://www.techliberation.com/archives/043365.php

[liberal N proud]

1. "single largest recipient of campaign contribution by Ion Media "

[blondeatlast]

4. But they aren't trying to influence him. Neither was Charles Keating.

He's convinced himself of it.

He scares me.

[blondeatlast]

2. This is a man who says in his own autobiography that he didn't think

Charles Keating expected anything from him when Keating flew him on a priivate jet (a clear ethics violation) to a meeting with Keating and the rest of the Keating 5.

He's so convinced of his own moral perfection that he doesn't think he's being influenced when he is demonstrably corrupt.

God, he's been my Senator for more than 2 decades. He's corrupt up to his neck but had gotten a pass from the Arizona decidely RW (first the Quayles, then Gannett) press. Please--he's too damn STUPID to be president, much less too easily influenced. Someone stop him.

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. If nothing else, it suggests that he's completely absorbed the entire

Washington way of doing business as normal and doesn't see it as corrupt. That's the problem. Not until these legislators start to run as presidents do they get an earful from the public telling them that how they do business every day is not acceptable.

[blondeatlast]

13. Exactly. He runs as a DC outsider and he may have gotten caught with his hand

in the pants of a pretty, powerful LOBBYIST?

That "dumb" thing isn't working, John. Not anymore.

[radfringe]

3. But this is the reason why I’m so dedicated to reform because we’re all tainted by it

----snip----

In an interview with Tim Russert following the GOP debate on January 6, 2000, NBC’s Tim Russert asked these questions of McCain:

RUSSERT: You’ve been under the gun the last couple of days, in the spotlight, because a contributor to your campaign went to the FCC, got a favorable decision, and urged the FCC to make a decision. You canceled a fundraiser with the same gentleman, Mr. Paxson, Friday. The appearance of Mr. Reformer being a pawn of special interest money — has it hurt your campaign?

MCCAIN: Oh, no. But this is the reason why I’m so dedicated to reform because we’re all tainted by it. We’re all under suspicion. Look, my job, as the chairman of the oversight committee of the FCC, is to make them do their job. They went 700 days without making a decision. I didn’t tell them, as eight other members of Congress did, how they should decide. I said, Just do your job and decide. And I’ll continue to do that because that’s my — as long as I’m chairman of the Commerce Committee.


-----------

apparantly still tainted with it

[blondeatlast]

5. Sadly--he thinks that explanation makes it all better. He's convinced himself

that that is the case.

He believes he's so pure he can't be tainted.

[stellanoir]

6. Newsflash:

Paul Begala just said on Stephanie Miller's show that McCain's campaign manager has just been indicted in the past hour over some sleazy land deal. Just keeps getting weirder really.

on edit- here's a link http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/22/renzi.indictment/index.html

[blondeatlast]

8. Media Matters on Terry Nelson (McCain campaign manager)--WHOA:

Summary: The media largely ignored the hiring of Terry Nelson to serve as campaign manager for John McCain's presumed bid for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination, and with few exceptions, those that did report on Nelson's hiring have largely overlooked Nelson's connections to various Republican scandals.

(snip)

Last year, the indictments of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) on campaign finance-related charges alleged that Nelson was the conduit for money transferred through the Republican National Committee (RNC) between DeLay's political action committee and Republican Texas House of Representatives candidates. Questions have also been raised regarding his knowledge of the 2002 New Hampshire phone-jamming scandal. Moreover, Nelson's consulting firm employs a former adviser to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, whose 2004 campaign tactics McCain himself called "dishonest and dishonorable."

(snip)
Consulting firm connected to Swifties

Nelson's consulting firm, Crosslink Strategy Group, counts Chris LaCivita among its employees. While working for a separate Republican strategy firm in 2004, LaCivita was a paid consultant and media adviser to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, who launched a smear campaign against Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) based on lies, factual distortions, and baseless attacks on Kerry's Vietnam War record and personal life.

At the time, McCain called the Swift Boat Veterans' campaign "dishonest and dishonorable."

http://mediamatters.org/items/200612130001

[WilliamPitt]

9. It was someone on his Arizona team, not the top campaign manager

But still...

TPM is all over the story.

[blondeatlast]

10. Rick Renzi, but wow--Terry Nelson is a sleazy one. I just looked him up.

Yucko.

[stellanoir]

16. Maybe I misheard Begala

I often have three radios on at once and then I wonder why I'm confused.

So many scandals. . . so little time. yikes

[nolabels]

21. Well considering McCain is from AZ. and then ..........

Really though i bet there will be some boots on the ground probably fishing this story out for a better picture. Them locals in AZ. probably have a lot of info that could come to light in the near future

(snip)
Just another coincidence that’s all, Both of Johnnies friends and campaign chairman are involved in what looks like criminal mis-doing. The one campaign chairman ( Rep. Renzi) was being investigated by Charlton before he was fired (by coincidence of course) by Attorney General Gonzalez right before election time. The other campaign Chairman (Senator Hyl Kyl, in Az.) and buddy of Attorney General Gonzalez was reported by the Arizona Republic as giving permission (his blessing) to fire Charlton after personally speaking to Gonzalez or one of his top aides.
Also, Sen. Kyl (chairman of Bloody John McCan’s campaign) was reported just one time in the Arizona Republic as possibly giving advice and assistance to Gonzalez in the firing of other Federal Attorney’s across the nation.
(snip)
http://wactivist.com/article/646/renzi-resigns-on-friday

[blondeatlast]

28. Renzi's Mccain's AZ campaign manager, sure enough. nt

[progressoid]

7. *yawn* As if this means anything to Americans.

It's too complicated for the typical Access Hollywood addled Amuricans.

[WilliamPitt]

20. "typical Access Hollywood addled Amuricans"

...usually don't vote.

Sad but true.

The GOP base votes, though. En masse. If they have a candidate who panders to their issue(s).

McCain doesn't and hasn't.

But he did champion that campaign finance reform legislation despised by the GOP base, which is one reason they don't like him.

And now this story comes along, basically exposing McCain as a total fraud who wallows in the same corrupted system he pretended to attack.

Liar. Fraud.

...and remember: a lot of the GOP base didn't vote in '06, mostly because they were totally disgusted and demoralized by all those House GOP ethics and bribery and corruption scandals...

...like this one here.

:)

[Rosa Luxemburg]

12. McCain trying to be 'born again' in regards to corruption, lobbyists

I don't think his born again stance is working?

[KharmaTrain]

14. I Posted A Similar Thread...Different Viewpoint...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2907591&mesg_id=2907591

The angle here was how Paxon benefitted from Iseman and McCain's actions. Another example would be another Iseman client, Univision...that used similar rules pushed by McCain to set up their Telefutura network and that several of Iseman's clients were able to parlay this rule making to make millions off their property value and get some valuable broadcast real estate in the new digital spectrum.

There are many different connections at play here...including radio interests who used their influence to get the government and FCC look the other way as they speculated radio licenses like pork bellies and then the telcoms who swooped in on the new spectrum...what your links are pointing to.

For those who want to learn "how we lost the media"...here's a classic example and McCain and Iseman were at the apex of this.

We need to build this story while there's the opportunity...and to document how Mr. Straight Talk is just another corrupt opportunist.

Cheers...

[WilliamPitt]

24. Excellent

I'm going to take a stab at writing an essay on this matter.

Well effin' done.

:toast:

[KharmaTrain]

27. Thanks Will...

Let me know if I can find some more info...there's a lot to go from on this list.

A couple of interest:

CanWest...a Canadian Broadcast company that expanded there along the lines of Clear Channel here. They also are a big telcom player...why would a Canadian telcom be lobbying here?

Jovan Broadcasting...a minority owned company that used this ruling to parlay a dirt-poor UHF station (ironically like Wierd Al's Channel 62) and now it has a prime slot on the digital dial...making millions for those owners in one fell swoop.

There's also a thread about the Jeb Bush/Carnival connections and Ms. Iserman handling that account.

McCain wants to shut this puppy down...he hasn't even tried a good non-denial denial yet.

Cheers...

:toast:

[hunter]

15. So after she leaves he opens the envelope she left on the nightstand...

... and it's got $36,000 in it.

But he thinks nothing of it because he's just that good in bed.

Nope, no siree, he's not a prostitute, it's a gift, thank you Viagra!



I'm sorry, this guy is too fucking stupid and venal to be President. But that's what we said about George W. Bush too.

[Supersedeas]

17. just follow the $$, why can't the Media establishment merely do that

[opihimoimoi]

18. That odor in the kitchen is getting stronger...its burnt toast....

[sellitman]

19. Wonder what the Evangelicals are reading into this developing story?

Are these the family values that will galvanize their masses?

:popcorn:

[WilliamPitt]

22. Because McCain championed campaign finance reform legislation,

the GOP base hates him (+ his immigration votes + his tax cut votes + his attack against Christo-fundy imams like Falwell and Robertson)...

...and here he is, the champion of reform, caught wallowing in the same corruption he pretended to despise.

The base stayed home in '06 because the scandals grossed them out and turned them off.

Hm.

:)

[ProgressiveEconomist]

23. A great search engine for the Senate lobbist reports used in the leadin is at URL

http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/search.asp .

Go to the "Search Names" pulldown menu at this link, select "Individual Lobbyists", type "Iseman" in the box, hit "GO", and click through "View Report Images". You then will have access to the detail in the leadin, plus amounts of money each client gave to Iseman's firm on each of their issues, each year from 1998 to 2007.

[The Blue Flower]

25. "has never violated the principles that have guided his career"

I'd say this is obvious. Not that these would be the principles of an honest man, however.

[jgraz]

26. Simple bribery.

Move over Duke. Your gettin a roommate.

[L. Coyote]

29. Who is bundling? Like for AT&T's $181,900 or Greenberg Traurig's $129,587

JOHN MCCAIN: CAREER PROFILE (SINCE 1989)
Total Receipts: $111,808,625

http://opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?CID=N00006424
Top Contributors

1  	Citigroup Inc  		$201,750 international financial conglomerate
2  	Goldman Sachs  		$195,670 global investment banking and securities
3  	Merrill Lynch  		$195,000 investment banking services

4  	AT&T Inc  		$181,900 telecommunications

5  	Blank Rome LLP  	$147,500 lawyers www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Blank_Rome_LLP 

7  	Greenberg Traurig  	$129,587 lawyers www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Greenberg_Traurig 

9  	Qwest Communications  	$116,550

13  	Verizon Comm.  		 $90,750 telecommunications

18  	Time Warner  		 $82,625 media and communications
19  	IDT Corp  		 $82,150 long distance
20  	Univision Comm.  	 $82,000 telecommunications

[f the letter]

30. Ah McCain...

if only you could show yourself to be somewhat less of a hypocrite you'd have an excellent shot at this

[tbyg52]

31. What's really disgusting

is how *little*, relatively, it takes to buy these people.

*I* could cough up the amount of some of these campaign contributions, if I mortgaged myself to the gills and scraped up all my cash and lived on dishrag soup for the rest of my life, but it wouldn't buy me what these corporate fat cats get.

And to the corporate fat cats, what they give is chump change.

[randr]

32. The Times realy blew this

They had the goods on McCain and could have opened a huge can of worms for the old guy.
Instead they focused on the sexual nature of the scandal, as if they needed to copy the Post of all things. They totally disregarded the intelligence of their readers.
This was a poorly written article that deserves scrutiny as to whether the McCain people were the ones injecting the sexual relationship into the fray as a curve ball in order to distract the attention that the lobby connections deserve.

[B Calm]

33. Could they had deliberately blown it? After all, this is the newspaper

that helped outed Valerie Plame and the reporter went to jail to protect the Bush adminstration..

[lonestarnot]

34. Oh gee. Now what would be the intent there?

:think: :banghead: