Did McCain Lean on FCC Commissioner on Iseman's Behalf?

[L. Coyote]

Did McCain Lean on FCC Commissioner on Iseman's Behalf?
Zachary Roth - August 26, 2008 - http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/08/did_mccain_lean_on_fcc_commiss.php


Remember that New York Times story from February ... John McCain's entanglement with the lobbyist Vicki Iseman? .. the Times wrote about McCain's assistance to Iseman's client, Lowell Paxson, who ran the media company Paxson Communications:

In late 1999, Ms. Iseman asked Mr. McCain's staff to send a letter to the commission to help Paxson, now Ion Media Networks, on another matter. Mr. Paxson was impatient for F.C.C. approval of a television deal, and Ms. Iseman acknowledged in an e-mail message to The Times that she had sent to Mr. McCain's staff information for drafting a letter urging a swift decision. Mr. McCain complied. He sent two letters to the commission ...

.... in January 2000, Stephen Labaton .. reported .. Paxson ... lent McCain his corporate jet four times ... and McCain had received more than $20,000 in contributions from Paxson Communications executives.

And Labaton added something even more interesting:

The commissioners who approved the transfer were two Republicans and a Democrat, Susan Ness .... whose nomination for a second term is now before the Senate Commerce Committee ...

According to a former F.C.C. staffer, Ness rarely broke with her Democratic colleagues, as she did on this vote. The former staffer added that being appointed to a second term as an F.C.C. commissioner... Atlantic's Joshua Green ... judged that "Ness's vote is widely thought to have been a bid to win her reappointment to the FCC."

So, did the Times miss the real story ... McCain leveraging his position as commission chair to help convince Ness to vote in favor of Iseman's client's TV deal? Could be...

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Deja DU: John McCain's troubles aren't merely about a possible love affair with this 40-year-old lobbyist.
Feb-21-08 - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2902071

Deja DU: McCain, Alcalde & Fay, and Cruises to Nowhere
Feb-23-08 - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2913996

[speedoo]

1. K&R. Thanks for posting this. nt

[L. Coyote]

2. Jeb Bush is also connected to Alcalde & Fay (Vicki Iseman's firm)

Deja DU: Well, well. Jeb Bush is also connected to Alcalde & Fay (Vicki Iseman's firm)
Feb-21-08 - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2905077


While working on another angle to the John McCain/Vicki Iseman lobbyist story in today's NYT, I stumbled upon some additional and very interesting connections deeper into this whole story. Put very simply:

John McCain may also be involved (1) in Vicki Iseman's lobbying efforts for the Carnival Corporation, (2) a Miami cruise company.

Carnival Cruise company (CEO Micky Arison)(3) was under scrutiny for a decision by FEMA in 2005 to charter three cruise ships to be used as temporary housing for Katrina victims. The contracts awarded to Carnival were exorbitant and were under investigation by Henry Waxman on the Gov't Reform Committee.

Jeb Bush pulled the strings to obtain these FEMA contracts for Carnival. (4) Oh, and one more detail about Hector Alcalde, the owner of Ms. Iseman's lobbying firm, Alcalde & Fay,... Mr. Alcalde has contributed heavily to Jeb Bush and other Florida Republicans. (5)


(1) The lobbyist, a partner at the firm Alcalde & Fay, represented telecommunications companies for whom Mr. McCain’s commerce committee was pivotal. Her clients contributed tens of thousands of dollars to his campaigns. .....

..........