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Ear to the Ground

McCain in Hot Water After Phone Call

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Posted on Jul 12, 2007

In yet another blow to his floundering campaign, The New York Times reports that McCain may have broken Senate ethics rules. His aides have confirmed that John McCain made a call to his top fundraisers from the Republican cloakroom, right off the Senate floor. McCain is well acquainted with the rule restricting campaign activity inside the Senate building: He headed up calls for an investigation of Al Gore for supposed violation of the same rule 10 years ago.

New York Times:

WASHINGTON, July 11—About 3 p.m. Tuesday, Senator John McCain ducked off the Senate floor, entered the Republican cloakroom and took out his mobile phone. Just hours after accepting the resignation of his two top campaign aides, he was making a conference call to his top fund-raisers to urge them to keep up the fight.

The call, however, may only have exacerbated an already tough week for Mr. McCain. Senate ethics rules expressly forbid lawmakers to engage in campaign activities inside Senate facilities. If Mr. McCain solicited campaign contributions on a call from government property, that would be a violation of federal criminal law as well.

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By Louise, July 14, 2007 at 7:41 am #

#86804 by tux on 7/13 at 10:36 pm

“What happened to the Straight Talk Express?  This guy turned from an anvil into a pound cake.”

Great line!

Hee-hee ...

Thanks for the chuckle!

Report this

By tux, July 13, 2007 at 10:36 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

What happened to the Straight Talk Express?  This guy turned from an anvil into a pound cake.

Report this

By James, July 13, 2007 at 1:20 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Hey, I got some straight talk for Sen. McCain:  See ya!

Report this

By THOMAS BILLIS, July 13, 2007 at 9:05 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

The republicans are starting to learn albeit very slowly that laws and rules are for republicans also.But in Mccains case I can see cutting him a break because he is a clearly as delusional as the guy in the White House.Maybe in his delusional state he thought he was outside.

Report this

By Hemi*, July 13, 2007 at 8:44 am #

I for one hope they publicize the hell out of this. But please no multi-million dollar investigations. His campaign is floundering; all the wheels are falling off. This is last gasp desperation and he’s going to be a non-factor. He has become a weak impersonation of Jimmy Cagney as the captain in Mr. Roberts.

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By ardee, July 13, 2007 at 4:34 am #

Vet240,

It comes down to responsibility. Politicians live Ivory Tower lives, paid pensions for life, and then their wives get a free ride too, free medical care for life, hell they dont even have to pay for a damn stamp! Is it any wonder that they almost always become so out of touch and corrupted?

I would make a comparison with the union movement, which gave the American worker so very much. When the union president began making six and seven figure salaries, moved into the same neighborhoods as the CEO’s of the companies the workers toiled for, things began to change quickly, and for the worse!

Lets lay the blame where it belongs, in both cases. It is the electorate to blame for alloweing the corruption in Washington and it is the union rank and file to blame for allowing it in her unions.

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By vet240, July 12, 2007 at 9:36 pm #

#86372 by ardee on 7/12 at 3:10 pm

Ardee you are right on the mark.

When the Nixon debacle unfolded many were shocked. I said then that I was afraid that his (Nixons) actions weren’t an aberration but even worse they might be the Norm.

I think it’s time for the American people to recognize that our government has run amok.

The corporations in the form of the military/industrial complex has had control for years.

If this country is to survive, we the people must take it back by electing officials who will swear to dismantle the monster.

Report this

By Louise, July 12, 2007 at 8:03 pm #

I dunno ...
Almost looks like McCain wants out! Screw up as bad as you can, watch everybody desert you and then whine ... “Cheez! How was I to know my loyal backers weren’t?”

Ya know?
Play the “I’m the real victim here, poor me ...” fiddle.

Or he remembered, pretending to be a fool put Bush in the White House, and’s noticed since ... being the fool has kept him there.

Hmmm, maybe McCain’s really the perfect replacement for Bush, and doesn’t even have to pretend.

Ya know?
For some folks, playing the fool just comes naturally.

Report this

By cyrena, July 12, 2007 at 6:07 pm #

Comment#86413 by vet240 on 7/12 at 4:59 pm

Vet240:

Ditto. You spoke my mind.

He should have quit while he was ahead. Now he’s just another bucket of slime, and I’m all for prosecuting him, along with all of the others.

Report this

By vet240, July 12, 2007 at 4:59 pm #

McLame is blinded by his lust for power.

He would have been well remembered if he had resigned ten years ago as a maverick Senator standing up for the people of his district.

Now I say prosecute the Bastard!!

Report this

By Goffredo, July 12, 2007 at 4:07 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Relax everyone, he was just checking to see what time the “STRAIGHT Talk Express” was to leave Washington, en route to TightAssVille, Florida.  His campaign adviser was just busted for offering $20 dollars to an undercover MALE cop to perform oral sex on him.  McCain, like other NeoCons, treat homosexuality as a disease, so the “STRAIGHT Talk” would have really been helpful to his campaign adviser.
Wait a minute?  $20? And to perform it on HIM?  Geez...not only has the price bottomed out but YOU are required to do the work.  I see that Republicans continue to restore integrity and morality to Washington, one phone call and one male prostitute at a time.  Republicans remind me of that conservative character in the movie “Chocolat”.  They do their best to repress every instinct but in the end that just end up bathing in it and getting it all over their face.  No pun intended smile

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By rage, July 12, 2007 at 3:59 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Ooooh! So Scrambly!

I love it when they become desperate. Rats tripping on their own crack-snared tails is always real funny.

First, the death of the Straigh-Talk Express. Somewhere in there was the kevlar vested lie that Iraq was like Indiana in spring. That Bomb Iran ditty. Surge Support. Now this. Forget the 2008 Presidency. Insane McCain is starting not to look too good for his current Senate seat in the coming weeks of 2007.

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By ardee, July 12, 2007 at 3:10 pm #

This is really not a Republican issue, or a Democratic issue but an issue concerning the ethics, or rather the lack thereof, of far, far too many of our elected officials.

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By QuyTran, July 12, 2007 at 3:07 pm #

Shame ! Shame ! Shame !

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By dick, July 12, 2007 at 3:00 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Mccain is not only a hypocrite, but a dunce too.

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