A new website (firethelobbyists.com) has been created by the pro-campaign finance reform organization Campaign Money Watch, to convince Senator McCain to fire three lobbyists in the top levels of his organization that have lobbied for ruthless dictators. You may recall that over the past two days, two McCain aides have resigned because of their willingness to do public relations work for the Burmese Junta.
Ahh, working for the public good. It must feel so refreshing.
Of course, turn over any stone in The McCain Campaign, and one can only guess what might come crawling out. It turns out that they have even more friends in low places. I contacted David Donnelly, Director of Campaign Money Watch, for a comment. He explained what his group is trying to accomplish:
John McCain ought to immediately fire three lobbyists — Charlie Black, Tom Loeffler, and Peter Madigan — whose lobbying for brutal dictators and foreign governments is every bit as bad as the two lobbyists who left his campaign over the weekend. Frankly, McCain’s campaign is turning out to be an effort of, by, and for these types of Washington influence peddlers. His credentials as a reformer are gone.
Pretty strong words. Yet, if you read what this triad of McCain lobbyists have been up to, perhaps not strong enough. It ain’t pretty:
Charlie Black, McCain’s senior counsel and spokesman, began his lobbying career by representing numerous dictators and repressive regimes
Black’s firm represented the governor of Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos. According to a 1985 report, the firm Black, Manafort & Stone earned $950,000 plus expenses for its work to provide “advice and assistance on matters relating to the media, public relations and public affairs interests.”1
Black’s firm lobbied on behalf of Mobuto Sese Seko of Zaire, earning $1 million a year for his efforts.2
Black’s firm lobbied on behalf of Somali dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.3
Black’s firm represented Nigerian dictator Ibrahim Babangida, earning at least $1 million for his efforts.4
Black’s firm has represented Equatorial Guinea, an oil-rich state “best known for the outlandish brutality of its rulers.”5
Black represented Angolan rebel and “classical terrorist” Jonas Savimbi, a job that earned him $600,000.6 “We have to call him Africa’s classical terrorist,” Makau Mutua, a professor of law and Africa specialist told the New York Times. “In the history of the continent, I think he’s unique because of the degree of suffering he caused without showing any remorse.”7
In recent years his client list has also included the Iraqi National Congress8, Friends of Blackwater9, and the China National Off-Shore Oil Corp.10
Since 2005, BKSH has received more than $700,000 in fees from foreign entities.11
Thomas Loeffler, co-chairman of McCain’s campaign, has represented the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia paid the Loeffler Group “a whopping $7.9 million from December 1, 2005, though November 2006 — the largest fee collected from a foreign government by any lobbying firm in 2006,” according to National Journal.12 The Washington Times reported that “Mr. Loeffler’s firm has received more than $10 million since 2006 from the Saudi Embassy and the Ministry of Commerce & Industry of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”13 Much of this work was centered on gaining admission for the Kingdom to the World Trade Organization.14
Since 2005, according to the Washington Times, “the Loeffler Group reported more than $11 million in fees from foreign lobbying clients.”15
Peter Madigan, a leading McCain fundraiser, lobbies on behalf of the king of Dubai
Madigan has earned upwards of $800,000 to improve the United Arab Emirates’ reputation in the face of a class action lawsuit over the enslavement of boy camel jockeys.16
You may also remember a story we broke at Cliff Schecter’s Campaign Silo at Firedoglake on Charlie Black the other day–via John Gorenfeld’s new book Bad Moon Rising–regarding his involvement in setting up an anti-Christian ceremony for the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, a man who is not only a felon but in league with Kim Jong-Il of North Korea.
Pleasant company, to be sure. And it is only the tip of the iceberg. In The Real McCain, I have two chapters outlining McCain’s sordid associations with all manner of miscreants that make Jeremiah Wright look like a Red Cross worker.
Cliff Schecter is the author of The Real McCain and runs Cliff Schecter’s Campaign Silo at Firedoglake.
Filed Under: John McCain, McCain’s Media
Tags: Charlie Black, dictators, John McCain, lobbyists, Peter Madigan, Tom Loeffler
No Trackbacks To “McCain’s Murderers Row“
go get em!
There was a great article in Harpers a while ago - the author set himself up as representing a corrupt dictatorship an lobbying firms were falling over themselves the get the contract. Plus, who can forget Uncle Duke and Son lobbying for the guy with the unpronouncable name.
Why am I not surprised a GOP candidate has ties to dictators? Particularly one as neck-deep in the Cold War as McPapen? I wish I was surprised, but I ain’t.
Looks like they just heard a court has overturned a gay marriage ban.
Fire lobbyists when they’re bringing in the big bucks? Get real. This is the GoPervs.
wow, cliff, you are just all over the internets!
McCain/Bush - what’s in your wallet?
and by the by, according to Bush logic, doesn’t this make McCain an appeaser?
Powkat @ 2:
Here’s a link to the article: http://www.harpers.org/archive/2007/07/0081591
Umm dunno, that seems like about the right mix of assholes for that senile war mongering old fart to have guiding him into retirement to me….JD
McCain’s association with these dictator-enabling lobbyists is ironic given McCain’s support of Bush’s “appeasement” comments. Is it worse to negotiate with hostile nations or actively collaborate with them?
This reminds me of something…
oh yeah.
http://www.doonesbury.com/stri.....e=20080503
when the hell did McCain become a living Doonesbury strip? Here’s hoping the msm makes something out of this one or should we start a “gimme” watch to see how many issues and flip flops they will ignore because it’s him.
plooger @ 9:
Obviously option #2 is more profitable.
Hey, another story that’s been on every other blog for days!!
What’s C&L been up to lately? This way-too-late thing is getting pretty tired. More video, less repetition!!
Jesus out.
“More video,” at your service.
God, I just hate that obsequious, servile, McCain-blindly-and-wimpily-cuddling-the-dictator photo!
McSame is McInsane …
Jesus Hussein Christ @ 13:
Well, all-seeing all-knowing one, some of use mere mortals rely on C&L to deliver salient stories whenever because we cannot spend all day every day on teh internets.
Hey, is that picture REALLY real? Not photoshopped at all?
Yohance @ 17:
It is disturbingly real.
Liberal AND Proud @ 18:
And I’m sure we don’t want to see photos from the afterparty.
So you have to assume that Somali dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, Nigerian dictator Ibrahim Babangida, Equatorial Guinea, Angolan rebel and “classical terrorist” Jonas Savimbi Mobuto Sese Seko of Zaire, king of Dubai, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (where the huge majority of the 9-11 hijackers came from), and Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos (from the grave of course; it is very scary when a brutal dictator supports somebody from the grave) fully support John McShame. The people who are saying they want to vote for this asshole have to ask themselves why these ruthless dictators and scourge of the earth support McSame. I have my ideas, do you?
Ya; and the president should put down his crack pipe and make nice with the world. You lefties sicken me with your free thinking and your holier than thou “ought to stop supporting despotic regimes” clap trap. We know you just want to ruin the world by fostering personal freedoms which is a code word for manditory abortions and legalized drugs. Why don’t you commie sympathizers stop your whining and let Sen McCain do his patriotic duty of stealing another election?
I guess you got us there!
mccain just wispered , im wearing clean underware captain!
tyree @ 23:
No, I think it was “I wish I could quit you.”
Plenty of ammo for Obama in the general election. I hope to god he uses it effectively in mass advertising.
Murderer’s Row sounds like a title to a Matt Helm movie starring Dean Martin.
Mmmmfff….my braces are caught in your flag pin.
tyree @ 23:
Did he mean “fresh shit”?
I recorded an interview Cliff gave on KGO Radio with John Rothmann. You can listen to it here:
Try this:
http://video.google.com/videop.....9646889761
McClueless!
The devil made me say this ( McCain to Bush you make me fell so safe and warm)
These 3 lobbyist Stooges aren’t the only ones to be concerned about.
White House for Sale
I did some digging for the Truth About McCain website, and came across Stanton Anderson, whose employer is the Global USA/Chamber of Commerce, what’s so special about that?
Well, the US Chamber of Commerce is in favor of telecom immunity, even though the telecoms broke the law in helping the government.
http://blog.wired.com/27bstrok....._of_c.html
But wait…there’s more…
The US Chamber of Commerce, back in January, had its President, Tom Donohue, make this statement about any candidates it deems to be ‘anti-business’.
“We plan to build a grass-roots business organization so strong that when it bites you in the butt, you bleed,” chamber President Tom Donohue said.
“I’m concerned about anti-corporate and populist rhetoric from candidates for the presidency, members of Congress and the media,” he said. “It suggests to us that we have to demonstrate who it is in this society that creates jobs, wealth and benefits — and who it is that eats them.”
http://www.latimes.com/news/na.....nes-nation
Hmm, comments aren’t working