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Allegations of ranch deal threaten McCain's clean image



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Left to campaign under the radar as attention focuses on the Democratic race, the Republican John McCain yesterday faced renewed scrutiny of his ties to businesspeople and lobbyists during his years in the Senate.The Washington Post reported that McCain pushed legislation through Congress for an Arizona housing development that benefited one of the senator's main presidential fundraisers.It was the second report this election season to raise questions about McCain's reputation as a crusader against the influence of money in politics.The newspaper said the project allowed a rancher, Fred Ruskin, to trade 22,300 hectares (55,000 acres) of grassland and forest for prime development land, in what was one of the largest such deals in Arizona .After McCain's legislation passed in November 2005, Ruskin hired developer Steven Betts, one of McCain's most generous donors, to build up to 12,000 homes on the land. Betts, who raised $100,000 for McCain's presidential campaign this year, told the newspaper there was no connection between his financial support for McCain and the development deal.McCain, who was initially opposed to the project, had a change of heart after Ruskin and his partners hired a number of McCain's former aides and fundraisers as lobbyists, including a former campaign manager. Ruskin also paid $60,000 (£30,800) to another former McCain aide, Michael Jimenez, the newspaper said.
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25 responses // Allegations of ranch deal threaten McCain's clean image

  • Oh dear.
    Egnatius212
  • No wonder some people call him teflon john. He was also part of one of the most publicized lobying scandals in Congressional History, relating to Savings and Loan abuses not too distant from our subprime lending crisis in America. The fact that he supports Bush economic policy in light of our current economic downturn and the widespread abuses in the subprime loan, student loan, and health insurance industries, and that he proposed the gas tax holliday sans windfall profit provisions against the counsel of every leading economist, should raise the alarm that perhaps the Senator is more than just "out of touch."
    ocanada
  • everybody got a closet and they all seem to get opened in this fine political season. do you think he'll be in D.C. on july 12th for the revolution. well i really worried about what's going to be after nov. whoever wins better have there shit together and take care of our own first. we could have fixed our energy problem with all that money spent killin!!!!!!!!
    arizonamike
  • Remember when the USA hat the chops to deal with huge situations? I want to live in that america. We are at our best just after revolution.
    cursedasfunk
  • ocanada - perhaps he's lost his bearings!

    He's dirty because he is a man without moral character. His (morale) compass is broken.

    The truth to him and Busheney gang is flexible, a matter of perception, subjective - what immature rubbish!

    He is a 15 year old in an old man's skin - sorry, I don't mean to denigrate 15 year olds by lumping mccain in with them.
    VoyagerFilms
  • I can't imagine McCain being in politics this long without a closet packed to the rafters with dirty dealings, kickbacks, special interest slush funds and golf junkets paid for by lobbyists. It's just a matter of taking all those deals and making a NEW MUSIC VIDEO about them, right? Who's with me?
    Julie_Soller
  • he lost his bearings and that's not all he lost, after this loss there is not much left to lose. This stinks of a deal made by DUMB YA when he was govenor of Tejas.(LOL) No wonder Mc VAIN wants to be like DUMB YA. They are both evil crooks
    Robroy1
  • We need some more dirt on this "maverick" ..lol
    surfpub2001
  • hey everyone... if you haven't seen this yet, you should watch this...

    http://zeitgeistmovie. com/main. htm
    justin1
  • http://zeitgeistmovie.com/main.htm
    sorry this one should work...
    justin1
  • THEY ALL ARE LAIRS!! THEY ALL LIE! EVERYONE KNOWS THIS AND ACCEPT IT AND IGNORE IT! I AM SICK OF POLITICS!! THE TINIEST BIT OF RESEARCH OF HISTORY WILL SHOW YOU THERE INTENTIONS AND WHERE THERE LOYALTIES LIE.

    It truly makes me sick that these elites can get away with everything they do and people are still so naive to the truth. ::sob::
    Magnus_Kain
  • how can this ranch deal stick to mccain, and obama remains untouchable?

    -r
    c0mmunic
  • Two times? Is that all? How many other senators do this sort of thing hundreds of times while they're in office? It's just election time mud slinging.
    potterc7
  • The Keating Five were five United States Senators, who were accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The five senators, Alan Cranston (D-CA), Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ), John Glenn (D-OH), John McCain (R-AZ), Donald W. Riegle (D-MI), were accused of improperly aiding Charles H. Keating, Jr., chairman of the failed Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, which was the target of an investigation by the Federal Home Loan Bank Board.

    After a lengthy investigation, the Senate Ethics Committee determined in 1991 that Alan Cranston, Dennis DeConcini, and Donald Riegle had substantially and improperly interfered with the FHLBB in its investigation of Lincoln Savings, while John Glenn and John McCain had been only minimally involved. The Committee recommended censure for Cranston and criticized the other four for "questionable conduct."

    All five of the senators involved served out their terms, but only Glenn and McCain ran for re-election (and were subsequently re-elected).
    Marilynn_Murray
  • agreed!!! now what can we do about it??? could it be that we live in the "FREE" world and can do nothing about these terrible people "leading" us?? i would love to stand up and say something... but how?.. to what news station?... to what news paper?...at what public gathering?...its just not aloud?... theres "freedom of speech"?.. yet theres no platform to speek from!!!... the fact is that its so corrupt, that even the news station are owned by the same people who will destroy this "great nation"..and as soon as you do say something, they put you on government watch!! like youre some kind of "terrorist"... well i am an american who has been "terrorized" by my own government!!!!!!!!!!!!!, and i'm sick of it!!! now who's with me? who out there feels the same way? current.com reaches so many people.... who among you is willing to stand up and do something about it??? there is power in numbers!!! we dont have to put up with this!!!! I will start something!!! if anyone wants to join me instead of just talking about it, heres my e-mail; justinpltt@yahoo.com.... its wrong what these people who call themselves leaders are doing... lets not be sheep anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    justin1
  • GW III NO! Throw the bum out.
    patsarts
  • -- and this from a man who has never, EVER added 'pork' to legislation...... LOL!!! :-(
    shelchak
  • A music video is great but why not put all the bushies together and make a dvds worthof music videos......wait that might be a 20 disk set. n-e-way im down
    cursedasfunk
  • communic the reason everything is sticking to mcpain(in the a$$) is that bush has been so untouchable for so long, and the people are tired of political corruption. Not to mention how much he has changed in the last couple years. What has obama been attacked with, hes a terrorist?, to young, not enough exp., a racist friend, this is a rediculous last ditch effort by the clinton camp. A-ne-who Im willing to bet dollars to donuts this is the first of many mcpain scandals because nobody has even starded digging yet. Obama doesnt have much more to hide otherwise hilldawg would have used it already. SORRY EVERYBODY I KNOW THIS POST IS KINDA ALL OVER THE PLACE BUT YOU GET THE IDEA
    cursedasfunk
  • Another thing the temper people are always attributing to McCain has flared to the point that he has actually physically attacked people on the Senate floor.
    Marilynn_Murray
  • It is a sad day that we have a member of the Keating Five running for the Presidency. To think he actually has a chance to win the office is as disturbing as it gets!.
    Inofuilwell
  • Disgusting but nothing new.
    PoisonTheMonkey
  • Since when did McCain have a "clean" image?
    Inofuilwell

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