MUST READ: McCain Advisers Lobbied for Airbus
March 11, 2008
Despite John McCain's claims that the lobbyists don't have any influence on him, the Associated Press today reports that the lobbyists running McCain's campaign lobbied on behalf of a European company that won a $35 billion Air Force tanker contract. According to the report campaign finance director Susan Nelson and newly hired Congressional liaison John Green both lobbied on behalf of European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. McCain's national finance chairman, former Texas Rep. Tom Loeffler, lobbied for EADS as he was raising millions for McCain.
McCain weighed in on behalf of EADS and Airbus, including urging the Pentagon to ignore the fact that the United States government had filed an unfair trade practice complaint because of government subsidies European governments provide Airbus.
The following are excerpts of today's report:
McCain advisers lobbied for Airbus
By JIM KUHNHENN and MATTHEW DALY
Associated Press
March, 11, 2008
Top current advisers to Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign last year lobbied for a European plane maker that beat Boeing to a $35 billion Air Force tanker contract, taking sides in a bidding fight that McCain has tried to referee for more than five years.
Two of the advisers gave up their lobbying work when they joined McCain's campaign. A third, former Texas Rep. Tom Loeffler, lobbied for the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. while serving as McCain's national finance chairman….
According to lobbying records filed with the Senate, Loeffler Group lobbyists on the project included Loeffler and Susan Nelson, who left the firm and is now the campaign's finance director. Ogilvy lobbyist John Green, who was assigned the EADS work, recently took a leave of absence to volunteer for McCain as the campaign's congressional liaison.
"The aesthetics are not good, especially since he is an advocate of reform and transparency," said Richard Aboulafia, an analyst with the aerospace consulting firm Teal Group. "Boeing advocates are going to use this as ammunition."
For the full story, click here: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iiW1J4iWjV71TzWJ0uAmi9yL-N0AD8VB329G0
