What Do John McCain and Saddam Hussein Have in Common?

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What Do John McCain and Saddam Hussein Have in Common?

collage: DoD / Flickr (Marcn)

The answer is William Timmons, a lobbyist tapped by McCain to head his transition team. Timmons was connected to a lobbying effort on behalf of the Hussein regime, though he has denied any wrongdoing.

(h/t: Political Wire)

Huffington Post / Murray Waas:

William Timmons, the Washington lobbyist who John McCain has named to head his presidential transition team, aided an influence effort on behalf of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to ease international sanctions against his regime.

The two lobbyists who Timmons worked closely with over a five year period on the lobbying campaign later either pleaded guilty to or were convicted of federal criminal charges that they had acted as unregistered agents of Saddam Hussein’s government.

During the same period beginning in 1992, Timmons worked closely with the two lobbyists, Samir Vincent and Tongsun Park, on a previously unreported prospective deal with the Iraqis in which they hoped to be awarded a contract to purchase and resell Iraqi oil. Timmons, Vincent, and Park stood to share at least $45 million if the business deal went through.

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TAGS: government hussein iraq lobbying lobbyists mccain oil politics saddam timmons

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By Fadel Abdallah, October 15, 2008 at 6:57 pm #

What Saddam and McCain have in common?

One was intoxicated with the arrogance of militarism and paid for it with his life, the other is still among us intoxicated with the arrogance of militarism and the false heroism of Vietnam, who is seeking the highest office, so he can push his militaristic arrogance to its final conclusion!

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By purplewolf, October 15, 2008 at 11:17 am #

What do they have in common? Huh? They are both dead? No that can’t be it, John is only brain dead so far.

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By kelley, October 15, 2008 at 10:25 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

With the McCain camp it’s always been about reverse-psychology. it’s like when you ask someone ” are you cold”, what this really means is the person who is asking is the one who is cold. McCain/Palin and their surrogates say “Obama pals around with terrorist”, he’s un-american and he’s hiding he true agenda. But it is crystal clear he was really referring to himself and his pals.

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By jackpine savage, October 15, 2008 at 8:44 am #

One thing that they don’t have in common is courage.

Saddam, for all his faults, went to the gallows with his head held high and had the audacity to deride the audience with his final breath.

McCain offered up military secrets to his captors so that they’d treat him better.

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By jackpine savage, October 15, 2008 at 6:56 am #

They both spent some time living in a hole in the ground? Oh wait, that’s not it. McCain spent most of his imprisonment at the ‘plantation’, and according to other POWs that was where the Vietnamese kept prisoners that they were fattening up for release.

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By Hubert, October 15, 2008 at 4:17 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Given that there was no WMD whatsoever found in Iraq, one would think that lobbying against the sanctions was the right move and the lefties can’t find a single problem with this appointment. Of course this is an election year where McCain was not even tortured and Obama is the Chosen One who will lead the Americans to the gates of paradise

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By Eric L. Prentis, October 14, 2008 at 10:51 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Sen. McCain names William Timmons to head his presidential transition team, poor judgment, Timmons lobbied for Saddam Hussein. Americans cannot trust McCain to select a prepared VP or untainted staff. Sen. Obama needs to beat this drum all the way to election day.

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By Marc Nozell, October 14, 2008 at 10:37 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Photo by Marc Nozell used under a Creative Commons license

I’ve taken a number of photos of most of the Democratic and Republican candidates and related people. Some are licensed under CC, some are not (ask).

See http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcn/sets/

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By classysbf, October 14, 2008 at 10:13 pm #

If this isn’t all over the MSM tonight or tomorrow(in light of all the Ayers BS) I will know that they are REALLY in the tank for the GOP.

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By Inherit The Wind, October 14, 2008 at 8:29 pm #

McCain’s connection to Saddam is far more serious than Obama’s connection to Ayers.

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