A Second McCain Aide Resigns (Burma lobbying)

[Ichingcarpenter]

Source: The Atlantic

Doug Davenport, the regional campaign manager for the mid-Atlantic states, founded the DCI Group's lobbying practice and oversaw the contract with Myanmar in 2002.

"Doug has tendered his resignation and we have accepted it," Jill Hazelbaker, McCain's communications director, wrote in a e-mail.

He joins former DCI Group CEO Doug Goodyear, who resigned yesterday from the post of convention CEO after Newsweek reported that DCI was paid more than $300,000 to represent Myanmar's ruling junta.

Goodyear and Davenport were recruited by McCain's campaign manager, Rick Davis, who has been accused by some current and former McCain advisers of take insufficient care of McCain's reformer brand by appointing lobbyists to key positions. Ironically, as Newsweek reported, Goodyear was asked to become convention CEO after Davis's lobbying firm partner, Paul Manafort, was nixed because of his own close ties to foreign governments and controversial companies.

Read more: http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/05/a_second_mccain_aide_resigns.php

[truthisfreedom]

1. If McCain were to really clean house, he'd have to fire himself.

So just keep going, John... clean it all up.

[Ichingcarpenter]

3. I don't think McCain is in charge of his decisions or if he is he's still

not in charge. The Straight Talk Express just lost two of its tires.

[tanyev]

2. McCain Aides

Down the drain--
Are there any
Who don't have stains?
Burma-Shave.

[fascisthunter]

4. DId McCain Not Do Background Checks on these People Before Hiring Them?

You know he did.... but the man took his chances in hoping this crap wouldn't be an issue. That's how far-gone this corrupt dipshit is. To him, this is his way of life... do we you do for money. Never feel bad about it.

[Earth_First]

6. To be honest with you, I don't think the average American knew (or cares) anything about Myanmar

until the devastation after the cyclone.

McCain was banking on the ignorance of his base to allow for individuals associated with his campaign to make millions doing business with oppressive regimes.

[murielm99]

7. There might be some.

A few may remember the recent unrest, and the murder of the monks. I think that made a few more Americans aware of their government and of Suu Kyi.

My father was there during World War II. He thought it was a beautiful place. Before his dementia set in, he was saddened to learn that it was governed by such a heartless, repressive regime.

[ShockediSay]

17. McCains whole campaign was rescued by lobbyists !

"fascisthunter" great handle!

[bluesmail]

5. This may be the resignation that tilts the government to

cancel elections. As I drive through my town there is a quiet uneasiness, like a sadness I can feel.

[johnt66]

8. McCain has lost his mind

John  Mc Hundred did  do a  background  check  on Goodyear and
 Davenport, and  knew  they  were  in  bed  with  the 
military government  of  Myanmar, but  nature  step  in  and
everything  came  to  light, the  killing  by  the 
government, the  withhold  of  people  from  its  people  who 
are  starving  to  death, well  John  Mc Hundred  since  you 
said  we  went  to  war  in  IRAQ because  that  government 
was  killing  its  people, when  will  the  first  American 
Troops  hit  the  ground  to  save  the  people  of  Myanmar,
and  the  bulls--t  about  Hams endorsing  Sen. Obama  is 
just  full  of  s--t. Between  John Mc Hundred and  Billary,
is  there  anything  these  two  will  not  do  to  win?

[chapel hill dem]

9. I think McCain has sent a message to his troops of "embarrass me and you are fired"

Watch for a lot of McCain folks to quietly drop off his team as they self-terminate.

An org chart from last month will likely look a lot different than the one for next month!

[NorthCarolina]

10. I'm beginning to wonder if McCain is simply a GOP sacrificial lamb

for a Presidential election that they know they have no chance of winning OR if something will happen at the GOP convention to elect a candidate other than McCain for the GE.

[mcollier]

11. Were on the same page...

There's gonna be a lot of moving trucks on K Street...

[lovuian]

12. McCain won't be Prez it would be his Vice Prez that would be

the Republicans are thieves of the worst kind

[KSinTX]

13. What is going on with these lobbying firms molding foreign policy?

Ever since the first Iraq war, I've been seeing more and more of this lobbying/polling by governments, especially our own. Even when Petraeus was testifying before Congress, our elected officials were citing polls and newspaper reports rather than intelligence reports. It's starting to boggle my mind how prolific we've allowed this to become.

Fer crying out loud, $100 million paid by the House & Senate in 2004? To convince US of why we should think a certain way? That's insane!

[pfitz59]

14. Turn over any rock in the GOP.....

and ugly little wriggly things emerge! This is just the beginning.....

[bdamomma]

15. kick

[annabanana]

16. McCain's Little Lobbyist List: (not counting Charlie Black)

Some examples of the lobbyist ties of McCain’s senior staff:

– Rick Davis, Campaign Manager: Between 2002 and 2005, Verizon paid Davis $640,000 to lobby on its behalf. Davis signed Verizon up as a client in 2001, just a year after he managed McCain’s first presidential campaign. McCain served as Senate Commerce Committee chairman for most of that time. Verizon and Davis terminated their contract after 2005, when McCain gave up the chairmanship. (Senate Lobbying Database; USA Today, 3/23/08)

– Christian Ferry, Deputy Campaign Manager: Ferry “partnered with Davis in representing SBC and Verizon from 2003 to 2005.” (USA Today, 3/23/08)

– David Crane, Senior Policy Adviser: Crane is a lobbyist and president of Quadripoint Strategies and “served as a senior policy advisor” to McCain on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. “He previously worked as a lobbyist and senior vice president for Global USA and The Washington Group. His clients have included Bank of America, the Financial Services Roundtable, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.” (Media Matters, 2/26/08)

– John Green, Congressional Liaison: Green is co-founder and managing director of Ogilvy Government Relations, one of Washington’s most powerful lobbying firms. Recently, McCain pushed the Pentagon to open the bidding process for new Air Force tankers to EADS — a European company — “a move loudly objected to…by numerous members of Congress.” Green received $1,080,000 to lobby for EADS, although he is now on a “leave of absence” from Ogilvy. (AP, 3/11/08)

– Thomas Loeffler, Campaign Co-Chairman: Loeffler is founder, chairman, and senior partner at the Loeffler Group. While serving as McCain’s national finance chairman, Loeffler also lobbied for EADS in the Air Force deal. (AP, 3/11/08)

– Susan Nelson, Campaign Finance Director: “Before joining the campaign last year, Nelson represented AT&T and Qualcomm for the Loeffler Group in 2006 and 2007. She also represented Verizon in 2004 while working at Ogilvy Government Relations.” (USA Today, 3/23/08)

– Wayne Berman, National Finance Committee Co-Chairman: Berman is the managing director of Ogilvy Government Relations and “has represented AT&T since last year, and Verizon and Verizon Wireless since 2004. Co-workers and their spouses at Ogilvy, formerly known as the Federalist Group, gave McCain’s campaigns $38,550 in the past decade.” (USA Today, 3/23/08)

– Doug Davenport, Regional Chairman: Just yesterday, GOP sources reported that the McCain will be hiring Davenport as one its 10 regional campaign managers. Davenport is founder of the DCI Group and heads its lobbying practice. In the past, DCI “helped set up Progress for America, the well-funded 527 that assisted President Bush in the 2004 elections.”

[cliss]

18. This is a weird story...

help me out here.

The Junta of Myanmar hires lobbyists to "enhance" their image.

Meanwhile, they WON'T let U.S. aid workers into the devastated country. They will only let AID in, but not workers.

What's the deal?

[CabalPowered]

19. I just watched news hour, local news, national news

and some cnn. All of them covered McCain and Burma, but not this story.

I listened to about 5 hours of bbc on sirius yesterday and must have heard the story 20 times.