McCain's friends just keep getting richer

I've never done any favors for anybody — lobbyist or special interest group — that's a clear, 24-year record. - John McCain

That clear, 24-year record keeps getting muddier:

Presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain secured millions in federal funds for a land acquisition program that provided a windfall for an Arizona developer whose executives were major campaign donors, according to a USA Today report.
McCain, an Arizona senator, inserted $14.3 million in a 2003 defense bill to buy land around Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Arizona, in a provision sought by SunCor Development, the largest of 50 landowners near the base, the newspaper reported on its Web site Thursday, citing public records.

Upset with a state law that restricted development around the base, SunCor representatives met with McCain's staff to lobby for funding, USA Today reported, citing the company's president at the time, John Ogden.

The Air Force later paid SunCor $3 million for 122 acres near the base -- three times its assessed value and twice the military's estimated value, the newspaper said.

Of course this isn't the first time John McCain has helped provide a windfall for SunCor Development, a company headed by Steven Betts, who also happens to be a Trailblazer for McCain's presidential campaign.  But thank God for that clear record of never doing favors for anyone.  

•  Has to pay money to have friends

  Who wants to be friends with a cranky old man who yells at inanimate objects?

  by marcvstraianvs on Fri May 16, 2008 at 09:56:03 AM PDT

  •  Word of the day:

    Curmudgeon

    by nowheredesign on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:03:21 AM PDT

    •  That's my word of choice...

      ... for describing Jack Cafferty, but I use it in a good sense.

      by droogie6655321 on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:07:55 AM PDT

      •  Word of the day

        I thought it was appeasement.

        by Geex on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:19:14 AM PDT

        •  Don't Touch my Hair! Words for all time.

          McCain Nukes Wife with the "C" Bomb.  

          http://rawstory.com/...

          The Real McCain:
          Interview w/ Author Cliff Schecter "The Real McCain" 1 of 5
          http://www.youtube.com/...

          Interview w/ Author Cliff Schecter "The Real McCain" 2 of 5
          http://www.youtube.com/...

          Interview w/ Author Cliff Schecter "The Real McCain" 3 of 5
          http://www.youtube.com/...

          Interview w/ Author Cliff Schecter "The Real McCain" 4 of 5
          http://www.youtube.com/...

          Interview w/ Author Cliff Schecter "The Real McCain" 5 of 5
          http://www.youtube.com/...

          by Into The Woods on Fri May 16, 2008 at 11:04:01 AM PDT

      •  Not all grumpy old men

        are curmudgeons.
         
           

        Some are just assholes.

        by dougymi on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:48:06 AM PDT

        •  Old man yells at cloud

          

          by logsol on Fri May 16, 2008 at 11:09:22 AM PDT

          •  RAIN!!!!!

            Oh, wait; that's Stephen Colbert.  :D

            by MikeTheLiberal on Fri May 16, 2008 at 11:11:56 AM PDT

  •  Me! Me!

    Who wants to be friends with a cranky old man who yells at inanimate objects?

    Well, can he make it so I get One Million Dollars?

    Because I can always wear earplugs!  :)

    by MikeTheLiberal on Fri May 16, 2008 at 11:08:52 AM PDT

•  it blows my mind how much he lies

  and "no one" calls him on it.

  it's either the best thing going for us in november, or the absolute most solid media control ever... we'll see.

  by that veiled gazelle on Fri May 16, 2008 at 09:56:27 AM PDT

  •  basically, this shit just HAS to come out...

    some day obama will pull off the gloves.  not that he'll get "dirty" or come off his high horse, just that he will lay into mccain with the full weight of mccain's own dissembling.

    in the aikido sense, we'll probably do it in a way that is still somewhat kind to mccain, but it will destroy his chances of being elected.

    i think mccain challenging barack to lincoln-douglas style debated is the worst call made yet after lying.

    by that veiled gazelle on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:06:29 AM PDT

    •  Yeah

      I'm waiting for that first debate and Obama to do some verbal ju jitsu on Grandpa. He's gonna take him down faster than the Mav can say "which ones are the Shia?".

      by Roddie Stimmings on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:11:24 AM PDT

•  McCain's idea of straight talk

  is what makes him a maverick.

  by Rock Strongo on Fri May 16, 2008 at 09:56:48 AM PDT

  •  If by Maverick you mean

    An unbranded range animal (especially a stray calf); belongs to the first person who puts a brand on it

    by Amayupta yo on Fri May 16, 2008 at 11:07:10 AM PDT

    •  And Certainly Not ...

      ... the Legend of the West.  :)

      by MikeTheLiberal on Fri May 16, 2008 at 11:14:42 AM PDT

  •  Maverick as in the 1950s TV show

    Bret Maverick (James Garner) traveled across the West trying to stay out of trouble and make a lot of money.

    Staying out of trouble for McCain is not getting called on the difference between fact and facade.

    by MT in Austin on Fri May 16, 2008 at 11:33:42 AM PDT

•  Great News: White House says they were talking

  about Jimmy Carter.  Not the new head of the Democratic Party (Obama) who has owned our ass over the last news cycle!

  http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/...

  by dlh77489 on Fri May 16, 2008 at 09:57:32 AM PDT

  •  So Carter was the target of the comments?

    Makes perfect sense, considering that Carter hasn't been the leader of the Democratic party for, oh, about 30 years...

    by wry twinger on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:03:33 AM PDT

    •  Isn't he?

      I consider Carter one of my leaders~ A good Christian, not afraid to sit down with the enemy in the dark back rooms. Carter is a stud.

      by plok on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:07:34 AM PDT

      •  Obama and Clinton ...

        have not shown the courage to come out swinging behind Carter.

        I think their strategy is to tie Obama to Carter just like McCain is being tied to Bush by the Dems -- this is just weak!

        by Bronxist on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:04:03 PM PDT

        •  Carter should probably come out

          and remind America that the State Department approved of his trip.

          by plok on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:11:44 PM PDT

  •  Quick,

    somebody email Kevin James a link to Carter's Wikipedia page;  he probably needs to do some background research.

    by ManahManah on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:13:09 AM PDT

•  And Bush and Cheney

  those craven greedy fucks, are also doing just fine.

  In the financial wild ride of 2007, Bush's wealth appears to have held steady while Cheney's seemed to decline a little.

  $7 million to $20 million in the case of Bush, $20 million to $100 million in the case of Cheney

  Link. Hopefully they'll have to spend it all the rest of their lives on lawyers.

  by ekthesy on Fri May 16, 2008 at 09:57:52 AM PDT

  •  Carlyle is buying Booz Allen's

    government side, and I believe that is partly owned by the Bush family. All those lovely billion-y war contracts!

    by Gorette on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:20:24 AM PDT

    •  This contracting abuse must stop.

      One of the places our new Democratic administration needs to concentrate on is the General Services Administration and especially the Federal Supply Service, the contracting arm of the GSA.

      It should also be investigated by the person who is our new Attorney General, and I hope that's John Edwards.

      by Brooke In Seattle on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:31:54 AM PDT

•  He makes it almost too easy.

  Come on......... "I've never done any favors for anybody"

  Is he taunting us? Is it some secret code? Alzheimer's?

  by rini6 on Fri May 16, 2008 at 09:58:10 AM PDT

  •  I've got nothing to hide

    Gary Hart said to reporters, just before he got on a boat with a blonde 1/3 his age, then got the blonde on his lap.

    Cost him the nomination, didn't it?

    by Patriot4peace on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:00:08 AM PDT

    •  Monkey Business

      McCain might as well have bought Hart's yacht.

      by droogie6655321 on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:08:48 AM PDT

    •  C'mon let's be fair.

      The blonde was half his age, not 1/3 his age.  He was only in his mid-40's at the time, which would have put the girl at age 13 or 14 - clearly NOT the same person I saw.  Not trying to defend his indiscretions, but the guy is no pedophile.

      by Donkey Underpants on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:31:40 AM PDT

      •  Yes, he was 52; she was 29. (n/t)

        by Brooke In Seattle on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:37:17 AM PDT

      •  OK, I stand corrected

        Gary Hart[1] (born Gary Warren Hartpence, November 28, 1936)

        But he was 52 - so you gotta stand corrected with me.

        by Patriot4peace on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:39:31 AM PDT

        •  I stand corrected, he was older than I thought.

          Of course, she was much older than I thought, too.  Oh well.  Your point was a valid one, in any event.

          by Donkey Underpants on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:42:40 AM PDT

  •  Mad Cow

    Just like Denny Crane.  ;)

    by MikeTheLiberal on Fri May 16, 2008 at 11:15:53 AM PDT

•  McCain's base: the haves and have-mores.

  Just like his dear friend Bush.

  by boofdah on Fri May 16, 2008 at 09:58:27 AM PDT

  •  And old, balding men with sugar-mommas. n/t

    by Into The Woods on Fri May 16, 2008 at 11:05:03 AM PDT

•  The "straight talk express"

  keeps getting more crooked every day.

  by lexington1 on Fri May 16, 2008 at 09:58:45 AM PDT

  •  The talk is straight...

    it's the man that's crooked...

    by wry twinger on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:04:38 AM PDT

  •  It's the Straight Face Express

    by droogie6655321 on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:09:04 AM PDT

    •  that's my favorite so far... well done.

      i liked "sweet talk express" for a while, but "straight face express" is where it's at.  HA!

      by that veiled gazelle on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:17:52 AM PDT

•  Come on, MSM, compare this to BO's orange juice

  and make a call on what's more important!  People were complaining on the radio the other day that Obama hadn't been vetted like McCain had.  Insane!  They went after Obama in the MSM for ordering orange juice when he was offered coffee in a diner!  The reason they say he hasn't been vetted is that they can't actually find anything.  They've tried like hell, but the scandals aren't there.  They ran the Wright clip in an endess loop, but that didn't work, of course.  (And we haven't seen the last of it.)

  If they scrutinized McCain with 1/1000th of the intensity with which they've been scrutinizing Obama, he'd probably be out of the picture already.  I wish I could say the McCain vetting was coming, but I don't believe it.  We have to do all we can to push these stories into the public consciousness.

  by waydownsouth on Fri May 16, 2008 at 09:59:10 AM PDT

  •  Bill O'Reilly's Orange Juice??

    What does that have to do with John McCain?

    Do we have tape of him saying, "I'll drink it live" out there?

    by MikeTheLiberal on Fri May 16, 2008 at 11:18:13 AM PDT

    •  B Obama and B O'Reilly have the same intitials.

      by waydownsouth on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:24:59 PM PDT

•  Which raises the question:

  How do I become a McCain buddy?

  I'm tired of renting.
  :)

  ::::

  by nowheredesign on Fri May 16, 2008 at 09:59:49 AM PDT

  •  you can purchase John McCain

    by being a good campaign contributor.

    You invest about 50,000 in the maverick and he might sponsor legislation that makes you a million.

    by davefromqueens on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:14:13 AM PDT

•  I wanna see Cindy's tax returns!

  Is it true she is a zombie?

  by archer070 on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:00:14 AM PDT

  •  No

    She married one.

    by Roddie Stimmings on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:13:08 AM PDT

  •  She sold her Sudan investment --"when she

    became aware of it." But, hey, it was only two million, small change.

    by Gorette on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:21:40 AM PDT

•  I miss the days when I used to think McCain

  was a war hero.  A fraud can only be so heroic.

  by BA BarackUS on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:00:21 AM PDT

•  He's been a politician for 24 years...

  and he's never done favors for anybody?  No politician, past, future, or present, has never done any favors for anybody.

  by wry twinger on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:01:59 AM PDT

•  This needs to be turned into a one word

  controversy.  Suncor Suncor Suncor.  Repeated and asked at every townhall meeting or press conference.  This is how it works.  Create a word with "doubt" about it and repeat.

  "Is it true you personally intervened to enrich one of your fundraisers?"  Suncor suncor etc.

  This guy has got to be taken down a notch on his integrity measure.

  by dogheaven on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:02:11 AM PDT

•  McCain DOES have a clear, 24-year record

  It's just that that record clearly indicates that he "does any favors for anybody — lobbyist or special interest group".

  Remember why McCain first entered the national spotlight:  the Keating Five scandal.

  by Yirmiyahu on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:04:53 AM PDT

  •  Thanks for bringing that up

    I'm certain the Keating Five happened after 1984.

    Remember the GOP wanted to discredit Jack Murtha because he talked about possibly doing something, not even doing something.

    I'm just waiting for them to blame the whole S&L scandal on the Clintons.

    by MikeTheLiberal on Fri May 16, 2008 at 11:11:13 AM PDT

•  Clear difference between McCain and Obama:

  McCain:  "I've never done any favors for anybody"
  Obama:  "I stand duly chastened."

  Obama apologizes for being too sweet while McCain denies screwing over taxpayers for fun and profit.

  by geomoo on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:04:55 AM PDT

•  Cut from

  the same mold as George Bush. Another one-just like the other one. He really truly would be George Bush's third term.

  by lyvwyr101 on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:06:24 AM PDT

  •  I've yet to see evidence that the promoters of

    the Bushes are promoting McCain.  Since they're backing Huckabee, I'm betting that McCain will be dumped in a September Surprise.

    The RNC starts on Labor Day.

    by hannah on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:13:19 AM PDT

•  It's just constituent service

  for a select group of well-connected contributors... I mean constituents.

  by mspicata on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:06:27 AM PDT

•  Tell your conservative friends all about this.

  Seriously. It flies directly in the face of the "Maverick" line of bull. Tell them about his lobbyist connections.

  by droogie6655321 on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:07:27 AM PDT

•  For them before he was against them?

  McCain, an Arizona senator, inserted $14.3 million in a 2003 defense bill to buy land around Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Arizona, in a provision sought by SunCor Development, the largest of 50 landowners near the base, the newspaper reported on its Web site Thursday, citing public records.

  Would that be gasp an earmark?

  Maybe he was for them before he was against them.

  It's amazing how many Republicans decided they didn't like pork after it was the other guy working behind the deli counter.

  by SMinDC on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:08:42 AM PDT

  •  earmark --

    that's what came to my mind, too.

    but but -- i thought he'd never used an earmark! it couldn't be one then, right?

    right?

    by birdbrain64 on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:28:44 AM PDT

•  This stuff needs tobe turned into ads

  by Hesiod on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:08:44 AM PDT

•  His next response is going be

  "Look over there!" ...as he scurries away. The man's an idiot.

  by Roddie Stimmings on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:08:57 AM PDT

•  Talking Heads are not reporting on McCain with

  the same fervor as the Democrats because the Talking Heads Corporate Masters actually control the message that is broadcast to the masses.

  Look beyond the obvious.

  by Mr SeeMore on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:09:35 AM PDT

  •  some people mention these things....

    it seems like if there is enough buzz the "corporate masters" have to at least comment on it.  hagee eventually came to the surface, this stuff can, too.

    it's probably even good business to report the truth, not that the short-sighted, ecocidal lunatics in charge seem likely to understand that.

    mccain is a lousy bet.

    by that veiled gazelle on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:23:08 AM PDT

•  No, it's clear--only personal supporters

  qualify for assistance.  He doesn't want to deal with intermediaries.  

  The primary functions of the federal government are to dole out rewards and punishments.  Iraq is clearly an example of the latter.  It had to be invaded and Saddam removed because he didn't provide the basing rights that were wanted.

  by hannah on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:10:19 AM PDT

•  McCain

  Who in congress has done less pork spending then McCain?

  by One On Every Bus on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:10:54 AM PDT

  •  Um ...

    ... everyone??

    by MikeTheLiberal on Fri May 16, 2008 at 11:20:20 AM PDT

•  TAX RETURNS TAX RETURNS

  Cindy's tax returns will show you how McCain has been enriching his own family as well and how McCain is interconnected with all these others whom McCain has used govt as a piggy bank for.

  by davefromqueens on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:12:15 AM PDT

•  announcing "Jews for John McCain"

  please visit my new site and sign up if you care to.

  by seesdifferent on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:14:07 AM PDT

  •  whoops

    use this link

    by seesdifferent on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:16:59 AM PDT

•  "I think my colleague Senator McCain is an..."

  honorable man.  But there's no denying that his friends and supporters have a remarkable habit of getting rich off the federal government.

  by Alden on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:18:46 AM PDT

•  John McCain is an American hero...

  So stop lying about him dammit! He is a genuine American hero and being an American myself, I appreciate his heroism greatly.

  I don't want to hear anything bad about this great maverick, hero. I will now close my eyes and ears and will simply sing the national anthem, God bless America and then will buy 4 American flags for my Chevy SUV.

  Blah, blah, blah you liberals...

  by TheRationalLeft on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:20:27 AM PDT

•  Need a daily McCain report/McSane Today N/T

  by RomeyDa on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:22:33 AM PDT

•  McCain said this report was "shameful"

  on the basis that "everyone" was in favor of it.

  USA Today said its analysis of campaign finance data compiled by the nonpartisan CQ MoneyLine shows that McCain's campaigns have received $224,000 since 1998 from donors connected to SunCor's parent company Pinnacle West, including $104,100 for his current presidential run.

  Two current and one retired Pinnacle executives are fundraisers for McCain's presidential campaign.

  McCain has made fighting special interest projects on Capitol Hill a centerpiece of his White House bid.

  --from the linked article in the story above.

  by Gorette on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:24:27 AM PDT

  •  Shameful. Yup. That's the word for it. n/t

    by Into The Woods on Fri May 16, 2008 at 11:06:53 AM PDT

•  Janet Napolitano had something to do

  with this as well.

  She is mentioned in the story you link to and in AZ blog posts I have read about this issue. (Which, by the way, was in the news last week in AZ. I was doing some background research and ran across this story. Is this new news?)

  Please make sure that she has no questionable ties to this matter before considering her as a potential VP for Obama.

  by Brooke In Seattle on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:28:02 AM PDT

•  Well he never has

  As long as they didn't directly benefit him too he'd never do anything for anyone.

  by skywaker9 on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:28:41 AM PDT

•  Greatest "strength" = greatest weakness

  spend too much time talking about campaign finance reform and lobbyists, you better be SQUEAKY clean. And McCain is one dirty bastard.

  by decembersue on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:30:29 AM PDT

•  Let's not forget the scandal at the beginning:

  his being one of the Keating 5.

  by wordene on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:41:02 AM PDT

•  I don't quite know how to take this

  By now Repubs should know that their every pronouncement will be researched. And, since almost all of their blather is false (and they know it) why do they keep on doing this? Why do they intentionally keep shooting themselves in the foot?

  Are they that stupid?
  Do they think they will somehow get away with this?
  Do they think we are that stupid?
  Are they totally ignorant of the research powers of the internet?

  The last one is my pick- they still think they can play by 2000 rules. Boy are they wrong. But they keep doing it. And their responses to exposure just adds more ignorance to it. I guess this is great. Every time they say something stupid they are exposed, and yet another voter thinks "I am not going to put this idiot in office". And the just keep making themselves look stupider.

  by azureblue on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:42:18 AM PDT

  •  Yes to all four

    Especially numbers 2 and 3.

    by MikeTheLiberal on Fri May 16, 2008 at 11:22:14 AM PDT

•  Conservatism = Conserve Wealth & Keep it for GOP

  Republican agenda: Control spending, but just for people making under $75,000.00;

  Conserve the wealth and keep it in their pockets;

  Make Liberalism a dirty word because to be liberal means to Share the Wealth among all people just not a special few.  

  by bacalove on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:56:43 AM PDT

•  Keating Five

  Why isn't it a scandal that Frank Keating is a McCain advisor?

  by raatz on Fri May 16, 2008 at 11:10:22 AM PDT

•  the important question though

  is will the media even talk about this?

  Or are they still in love with McCAin?

  by drache on Fri May 16, 2008 at 11:13:42 AM PDT

•  why is the white backpedlling suddently

  it's fun to watch. It's like they realized the mistake way after it was too late.

  "oopss, we didn't know no one was listening"

  by Nath 4 BO on Fri May 16, 2008 at 11:14:17 AM PDT

  •  "the white"??

    I don't get it.

    by MikeTheLiberal on Fri May 16, 2008 at 11:27:59 AM PDT

    •  the white house***

      by Nath 4 BO on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:20:30 PM PDT

•  Obama doesn't need to get dirty

  There is plenty of fertile information that is fair game.

  That was one of the best speeches I've heard Obama present and it is the writing on walls, ceiling and floor we are in such a strong position to win the GE.

  We have a record of injustice, inadequate governing by the powers that 'have been' that the truth is on our side and there are no arguments to continue on the path that has made a few wealthy while this country goes down the drain.

  No one, regardless of their political affiliation should stand on the side of wrong. This is our country and it is long time that the people have a say in their government.

  This is the year, that everyone of age to vote need and will have their voices heard.

  by on2them on Fri May 16, 2008 at 11:14:35 AM PDT

•  You mean *this* Luke AFB?

  

  by Blue Intrigue on Fri May 16, 2008 at 11:16:22 AM PDT

•  Can we start putting accurate dates on quotes? nt

  by MeToo on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:00:51 PM PDT