Ryan Sager, who has been a dogged critic of McCain-Feingold, invites us to take a closer look at McCain’s own Reform Institute—a non-profit “think tank” that just so happens to reside in “the same Old Towne office building as McCain’s re-election committee (Friends of John McCain), his PAC (Straight Talk America) and his adviser’s lobbying firm (Davis Manafort & Freedman).” From “The Horse McCain Rode In On,” in today’s New York Post:
As Sen. John McCain gears up for a prospective presidential run in 2008, he’s trying to put an ugly little incident behind him  one that makes him look like a flat-out hypocrite on his signature issue, campaign-finance reform.
If members of the national media are anything more than lapdogs for the war-hero, “maverick” senator, they’ll start asking some tough questions about a bogus little think tank in Alexandria, Va., called the Reform Institute.
According to the inside-the-beltway paper Roll Call, McCain has stepped down as chairman of the Reform Institute, citing “negative publicity” from earlier this year when it was discovered that the Institute was accepting large cash contributions from businesses with interests before the Senate Commerce Committee.
At the time, McCain was chairman of the Commerce Committee […]
Read the whole thing, which includes details of an earlier AP investigation in March.
It’s one thing to co-author legislation that, when all is said and done, will do more to weaken the First Amendment than just about any piece of legislation ever signed into law; it is quite another, however, to insist everyone else’s free speech be regulated while reserving for yourself special dispensation.
Unless of course “maverick” means “above the law.” In which case, carry on, Senator. Fight the good fight. After all, if anybody knows what’s best for us, it’s the guy who doesn’t trust us to speak freely.
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(h/t Daniel S)
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update more, from Lump on a Blog
If members of the national media are anything more than lapdogs for the war-hero, “maverick†senator, they’ll start asking some tough questions about a bogus little think tank in Alexandria, Va., called the Reform Institute.
I believe it safe to say that you are not waiting breathlessly for said questioning, yes?
“Keating” McCain: Father of Moveon.org; spawner of organized, money hungry moonbat nests across the fruited plains….
Yeah, I’m running to the polls to pull the lever for you first chance I get, skippy.
His cousin was hot, though.
Is Lieberman ever described as a “maverick?”
“Brumby Senator” just doesn’t have that, how you say, je ne se qua…
1. Nice job….I am sure you will get an invitation to McCain defeat celebration. <wink>
2. I called it McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Franchise – Read and have a laugh…hillarious
“George Soros To Acquire Washington’s Community Trust – Congress, Sen. McCain’s Fee Is Negotiable”
3. This post exposes Sen. McCain’s shameless conduct. And of course, see how the so-called fair and aggressive “journalist” Tim Russert kisses McCain’s arse.
“SEN. MCCAIN MEETS THE PRESS, ROYALTY, DYNASTY AND AMNESTY”
You would have a great laugh.
These are June 21 and June 27 entries at http://satire.myblogsite.com/blog
NOTE: THE SITE IS NOT WORKPLACE SAFE BECAUSE IT HAS PICTURES OF SEMI-CLAD WOMEN AND HOT CARS
4. Mccain should start his own party -“Back-stabbing Mavericks”
And Sen. Graham is McCain wannabe too.
If McCain should somehow get the nomination, THEN during the Fall campaign, the media will scrutinize him very carefully.
I think that I am going to register as a Republican and petition the Arizona Republican Party to oust McCain for being a hypocrite and a liberal RINO.
Gary & Co, that’s exactly right. They’ll slice and dice him like an onion when the time is right, because they know we can’t stand him, which is the perfect setup for the landslide they’re burning, aching and oozing for.
McCain takes bribes?! No way!
I always thought he was just a very good customer and friend of Charlie Keatings…who just happened to take large cash donations while looking into calling off active criminal investigations. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Seriously, McCain’s been dirty since time began, but he’s still gonna keep getting re-elected. He’ll switch parties as the Dems flood into AZ from CA, and he’ll still keep getting re-elected.
I’m a conservative and a Republican and I stand by my earlier statement: “I’ll vote for Hilary Clinton before I’ll vote for John McCain”