Not surprised, John McStraight-talk is on both sides of every issue, just ask the good people of Arizona, they call him the "Pander Bear".

http://aidanmaconachyblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/john-mccain-and-george-bush-lot-in.html

Where are the responsibility and ethics behind giving the tanker contract to a European company enjoying liberal subsidies from multiple European countries? Probably the same place as John "Keating 5" McCain's responsibility and ethics when he forbade language proscribing government-subsidized entities from responding to the RFP. CREW needs to grow up.

Again, you can't say he's not his own man, DNC. McCain has stomped out graft and corruption in the Senate for 20 years. This is just the latest example.

p.s. Jack Murtha was the biggest congressional earmarker/porker of 2007. It's not surprising that Rahm and the rest wanted to get their hands on some of that taxpayer loot that was never voted on by congress. Murtha and Rahm criticizing McCain is like a robber criticizing a cop who just busted them for stealing the taxpayers' money.

Where are the responsibility and ethics behind giving the tanker contract to a European company enjoying liberal subsidies from multiple European countries? Probably the same place as John "Keating 5" McCain's responsibility and ethics when he forbade language proscribing government-subsidized entities from responding to the RFP. CREW needs to grow up.

Posted by: Travis Minor | March 6, 2008 7:44 PM

McCain was a Founding Member of the Keating Five

Back in the old days, defendants in famous trials got numbers -- the Chicago Eight, the Gang of Four, the Dave Clark Five, the Daytona 500. McCain was one of the "Keating Five," congressmen investigated on ethics charges for strenuously helping convicted racketeer Charles Keating after he gave them large campaign contributions and vacation trips.
Charles Keating was convicted of racketeering and fraud in both state and federal court after his Lincoln Savings & Loan collapsed, costing the taxpayers $3.4 billion. His convictions were overturned on technicalities; for example, the federal conviction was overturned because jurors had heard about his state conviction, and his state charges because Judge Lance Ito (yes, that judge) screwed up jury instructions. Neither court cleared him, and he faces new trials in both courts.)

Though he was not convicted of anything, McCain intervened on behalf of Charles Keating after Keating gave McCain at least $112,00 in contributions. In the mid-1980s, McCain made at least 9 trips on Keating's airplanes, and 3 of those were to Keating's luxurious retreat in the Bahamas. McCain's wife and father-in-law also were the largest investors (at $350,000) in a Keating shopping center; the Phoenix New Times called it a "sweetheart deal."

Mafia ties:
In 1995, McCain sent birthday regards, and regrets for not attending, to Joseph "Joe Bananas" Bonano, the head of the New York Bonano crime family, who had retired to Arizona. Another politician to send regrets was Governor Fife Symington, who has since been kicked out of office and convicted of 7 felonies relating to fraud and extortion.
http://www.realchange.org/mccain.htm

Wow, whoever wrote the headline is either a lefty showing bias, or simply an ignoramus who is obviously unaware of Senator McCain's hard-earned reputation as a leader who blows the whistle on tax dollar waste. I'm not at all surprised that CREW would defend him.

Wasn't the Boeing lobbyist for the first deal Senator Tom Daschle's wife?

The Boeing plane is superior for many reasons. My husband was a tanker pilot in both gulf wars he would much rather fly the smaller Boeing plane than the larger Airbus plane that can't land on half the runways of Europe. The Boeing plane allows pilot override of the computer and the Airbus plane does not. Do we trust the french computer over the USAF pilots??? I do not!

BEWARE -The WEAPONS of MASS DECEPTION:

WMD's =
NBC, MSNBC - owned by GE
CBS - owned by Westinghouse
CNN - owned by AOL Time Warner
Most of "the Mainstream Media"

THIS ELECTION IS ABOUT - 29 NEW NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS (Big MONEY)
Aka: Dick Cheney's NEXT Big ENERGY MONOPOLY RIPOFF ... ( Plan)....

Whether Cheney's PLAN succeeds ....OR NOT.... is UP to ALL of YOU.

We all know CORPORATE POWER is in control of our government and ROBBING us every way they can. The "NEWS" media is NOW nearly totally under the CONTROL of Powerful CORPORATE Interests.

The Corporate-Controlled "news" media have interlocking Boards of Directors (same member serves on multiple boards) and all of them serve to enrich their CONGLOMERATED Corporate Masters. (*see FAIR website LINK at the end of this post.)

(YOU can HELP Get the Word Out: Please post this NEWS thruout the Blogsphere and in any NEWS media you can find.)

REAL News you won't see on TV:

Obama is the pre-packaged "New & Improved Chocolate Flavor" Presidential candidate being Marketed like a PRODUCT - hyped & PUSHED by GE and its WHOLLY-Owned subsidiaries NBC & MSNBC...along with Westinghouse & its subsidiary CBS...while slamming the Clintons all day every day. (Assisted by...CNN/FOX/ and a lot of newspaper & radio media dependent on advertising $$$.) GE is the 2nd largest corporation on the planet.

Obama is IN with the Nuclear Industry: Excelon Corp of Illinois has been one of his largest contributors from his entry into politics to the present. Excelon is the largest nuke operator on the planet;owns Con-Ed of NY; more nukes in Illinois than any other state.

GE, Westinghouse, Excelon & 3 consortiums of other companies are planning to build 29 new nuclear power plants. Their Wholly-Owned & Wholly Influenced "News" media are selling the Obama Product because Obama is in favor of Nukes.

In 2005 Obama Voted FOR the Cheney Energy Bill (H.R.6) which ENABLED the nuke industry to make its Plans to build 29 new nukes-by Guaranteeing Taxpayer Payback of any nuke loans that default. (No nukes were built for the past 30 years because the banks wouldn't loan the money - too risky)

Obama Voted FOR the Cheney Energy Bill-despite the fact the Congressional Budget Office rated the risk of default on the nuke loans at 50% or greater. (Does that sound like...GOOD...JUDGMENT to You?)

[NY Times has several articles about the nuke plans & a map showing all 29 locations; Wikipedia covers the subject]

Clinton Voted AGAINST the Cheney Energy Bill and said her Energy Plan does not include nuclear.

? "Its about the FUTURE ...... Turn The PAGE" ?

Nope. Its about Turning the PAGE BACK to the PAST: Obsloete 50 yr old nuke power plants-the dirtiest most expensive kind/centrally-controlled MONOPOLY POWER-instead of deploying New, Clean, Green De-Centralized Inexpensive Energy.

An ad campaign has already begun on the TV media to re-package & re-name nuclear power plants as: GREEN & CLEAN -for- everybody too young to remember the 1970's anti-nuke movement and all the Bad News about nuclear energy.

Don't be taken in by the ad campaigns - Google:'nuclear waste dumps' & read about the hundreds of BILLIONS of gallons of nuke waste at the Hanford Washington dump; 14 tons of plutonium stored at Rocky Flats, Colorado; Barnwell, South Carolina; leaking into groundwater and rivers; plutonium released into the air around Denver from 500 instances of fires at Rocky Flats; nuke waste stored ON-SITE at every nuke reactor in America...presenting hundreds of potential "dirty bomb" targets for terrorists.

Is it true that Obama takes No Contributions/ NO MONEY from Registered Federal Lobbyists?

Yes. It's a LawyerSpeak/Trick of: Speaking a Small truth covering up a Big Lie.

Nope, doesn't take money from REGISTERED FEDERAL Lobbyists.

DOES take money from STATE Lobbyists, Not Registered Lobbyists, AND the wives, husbands, law partners,
...of REGISTERED FEDERAL Lobbyists. Gets money from the same big corporate donors as any other candidate.

Obama's campaign finances are involved in the prosecution (by Patrick Fitzgerald) and trial of his friend of 20 years Antoin Rezko. Some of the funds... allegedly...extorted by Rezko went into Obama's campaign coffers.

Curiously, Iraqi Power Plants amd fraud are also involved in Rezko's trial. (Google: Obama -Rezko- Alsammarae-Auichi- IRAQ POWER PLANTS). With the Rezko trial looming over his head Obama, in all good conscience, should not have run for the Presidency - given all the unanswered questions about his involvement with Rezko; including Obama's meeting with Rezko and Rezko's friend Iraqi Billionaire Auichi. Obama's LACK of good conscience in running for President - given the very high risk that the Rezko trial will result in the election of a Republican - reveals Obama's lack of good conscience and his lack of any regard for his party, his country, or its people. Obama should withdraw from the race.

At the beginning of this campaign season a large majority of voters were looking forward to electing Clinton. Then Obama stepped in and started the dirty campaigning that has created the DIVISION he so hypocritically decries. Obama played "the race card" so he could win in South Carolina. He was caught red-handed playing that race card-but the media blamed it on Clinton -even though they all knew they were pushing THE BIG LIE..

With nearly ALL "the mainstream media" pimping for Obama & slamming, smearing, and lying about the Clintons-it is truly amazing enough voters have seen thru the Media-Created Obama "movement"-for Clinton to STILL be in the race.

The only way a very small minority can CONTROL a very large Majority is: DIVIDE & CONQUER -Exactly the same Republican Strategy/Deception they have successfully pulled for most of the last century And ALL of this century, so far. . .

GE, the nuke industry/wealthy have hedged their bets & they will get 29 new nukes IF either Obama or McCain is elected.

Ladies & Gentlemen, Dads & Moms buy nothing GE & Westinghouse are selling - not Obama, not a washing machine, a dishwasher, 29 nuke power plants, or a garbage disposer .... because there is no garbage disposer for Radioactive Nuke Waste. Do not allow them to poison the earth and your children anymore.

For further Info see Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting website:
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3258

John McCain OPPOSED a deal that would have given a multi-billion dollar contract for Air Force re-fueling tankers to American workers.

That's all I need to read.

Those who complain that Hillary's winning big states Obama won't be able to are nuts.

McCain is for giving great jobs that are funded with American tax dollars to Eurpoeans. Nevermind the savings. The money that American workers would have spent in America would have created more jobs and more tax revenue for communities and the federal government.

When John McCain says he doesn't know anything about the economy, he's not kidding.

OHIOANS who get their heads out of their behinds would have no choice but to select Obama over McCain.

Texans who believe in America first - over Europe - would similarly realize that keeping American tax dollars in America is, guess what, John? Good for America!

Praise from CREW for a Republican is especially interesting, since CREW is in essence an affiliate of the Democratic Party. For example, CREW's executive director Melanie Sloan, who is quoted in the above release, is a former staffer to Democrat Cong. John Conyers and a Clinton administration official. The rest of the staff has similar Dem ties.

Funny how the reporter didn't disclose this information when he called CREW a "watchdog group".

McCain was never censured for Keating Five. Only DeConcini and Riegle (both democrats) were. The ethics committee said in their report said that McCain and John Glenn were only minimally involved and that experience led McCain to co-author McCain-Feingold. I'd say the debt's more than repaid.

There's nothing "unlikely" about a group dedicated to stamping out graft and corruption, like CREW praising McCain. Except for Senator Tom Coburn no one in the Senate has been more dedicated to stopping wasteful spending than John McCain.

I heard on NPR or TV (not sure which source) yesterday that the size of the plane was changed by the military so that Boeing couldn't get the contract.

It's nice to know that some people refuse to let politics cloud their judgment. Good for them, the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)! CNN, MSNBC and Foxnews, to name a few, could learn something from this.

Again, you can't say he's not his own man
Posted by: Jeff | March 6, 2008 7:44 PM

Where have I heard that before....oh yeah...Bush. The wingnuts daily would say during the "stay the course" period that Bush had resolve, his own man. We know how that worked out.

McCain and John Glenn were only minimally involved and that experience led McCain to co-author McCain-Feingold. I'd say the debt's more than repaid.
Posted by: Jeff | March 7, 2008 12:35 AM

Here we go again. Justify very questionable acts. The apologizing has started already.

That's no justification, Bill Hussein. That's the truth. I'll send you the ethics committee's report if you want. I've read the whole thing. I'm sorry if the truth doesn't fit your political agenda. Typical response of an Obama supporter, say nothing and then attack those who run on substance.

Here's the substantive part:

"After months of testimony in 1991 revealed that all five senators acted improperly to differing degrees, the senators maintained they were following the status quo of campaign funding practices. In August 1991, the committee concluded that Cranston's, DeConcini's, and Riegle's conduct constituted substantial interference with the FHLBB's enforcement efforts and that they had interfered at the behest of Charles Keating. The Ethics Committee concluded that Glenn's and McCain's involvement in the scheme was minimal. The committee recommended censure for Cranston and criticized the other four for "questionable conduct.""

Don't you just hate it when the facts contradict your politically-motivated hate, Bill Hussein R.?

Yes, the Boeing lobbyist was Daschle's wife and Daschle, himself, is now a lobbyist who is employed by guess who's campaign? Barack Obama, who lies and says his campaign doesn't employ lobbyists.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/obamas-k-street-project-2007-03-28.html

I am extremely dissappointed to hear that the Air Force decided to give the contract to Airbus. I think I understand what McCain was trying to do, however, this country has sold out as much business as it can to foreign interests. We fought a Revolution over two hundred years ago to overcome foreign influence on our lives. Now we have put it back into their hands. My heart sickens.

Don't you just hate it when the facts contradict your politically-motivated hate, Bill Hussein R.?

Posted by: Jeff | March 7, 2008 8:57 AM

I'm not sure what facts you talk about Jeff. You your self point out that McCain took part in this "scheme". Although you feel proud that it was minimal. What???????

Jeff,
A Congressional committee running an investigation of other Congressmembers is enough to satisfy you? Seems like only an independent committee could give a throrough and credible investigation into wrongdoing.

ps....Jeff...I'm glad your above politics.

hello...pull the lever!

Congress exempted Airbus from the Buy American Act and therefore Airbus is treated in this regard as an American company bidding on a military contract. I’m no fan of the French but I wish Boeing and these sickening Politician’s would stop crying over this, if they want Boeing to be the only supplier of mid-air refueling tankers then make it law, don’t offer Airbus the opportunity to bid on a Military contracts and then complain if they win.

18 comments show on the page..counter says 23 comments....are we forgetting to pull the lever???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????