McCain’s Character vs Obama’s?

Skull Boy asked:


Who do you think has better ethics? Who has the better character?

Before you answer consider the following:

McCain was far deeper in bed with Charles Keating than Obama was with Tony Resko. Keating gave far more to McCain’s campaign than Resko gave to Obama’s. In fact, Keating was one of McCains’ top fundraisers. Keating paid for many McCain vacations and flights to his resort homes, which McCain never disclosed (by law he must as a congressman) until years later during the Keating 5 fiasco. Cindy McCain and her dad invested $400,000 in a Keating strip mall. But here’s the big difference, Obama dropped Resko like a wet cigar when Resko’s started stinking. McCain on the otherhand, stepped in and tried to prevent a Senate hearing into Keating’s fowl deeds. Keatings stench was all over McCain during those hearings. How McCain stayed out of jail is amazing.

OK, I know I know the Keating stuff was 20 years ago. Fair enough, but has McCain changed? Well now, McCain has a whole army of Keatings working for him, more lobbyists than any other presidential candidate in history. He On March 7, 2007, McCain named ex-Texas Representative Tom Loeffler, who has one of the most lucrative and influential practices in the nation’s capital, as his campaign co-chair. In the same month, McCain named former Washington Sen. Slade Gorton, now a heavyweight lobbyist, as his honorary chairman for Washington state. Loeffler’s client list includes PhRMA, the drug industry association; Southwest Airlines; Toyota; and Martin Marietta. Gorton represents, among others, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., Weyerhaeuser and Fidelity National Financial. In addition, David Crane, now the campaign’s senior policy advisor, was a senior executive at The Washington Group, a firm with 2006 billings of $10.4 million and 52 clients, including Delta Airlines, the Association of American Railroads, and the governments of Panama and Bangladesh. And Charlie Black, who is now a campaign spokesman appearing on McCain’s behalf on radio, television, and as a “spin-doctor” after debates, is chairman of BKSH & Associates, with lobbying billings of $7.6 million in 2006, representing J.P. Morgan, Occidental and General Motors.

All told, there are 11 current or former lobbyists working for or advising McCain, at least double the number in any other campaign. Among the current and former lobbyists working for McCain are: Campaign CEO Rick Davis, a partner at Davis Manafort, where his clients have included SBC Communications and Verizon; and former Davis Manafort associate, National eCampaign Director Christian Ferry. At the end of 2006, Mike Dennehy, who founded The Dennehy Group, a New Hampshire lobbying firm, was appointed McCain’s national political director. He gave up that post in May to become a senior campaign advisor.

McCain’s new buddies make Keating look like an amateur. They are far more intelligent than Keating ever was. In otherwords, they are good at hiding the stench of their crookedness.