#86. RELYING ON LOBBYISTS

#86. RELYING ON LOBBYISTS

Like Bush, McCain relies on lobbyists to raise money for his campaign.

BUSH:

Lobbyists Raised Money and Competed To Influence Bush. "At the centre of this torrent of money lie the Pioneers and Rangers. Formed by four family friends in 1998 when Bush was still governor of Texas, they have grown into a nationwide network of influence. With its different levels, the aim is to make top donors compete for influence. 'When you do that, the sky is really the limit. They give more and more, but in the end it is all just gravy for the Bush train,' said Andrew Wheat, director of Texans for Public Justice, a group that monitors the network…The industries the network spans are also tightly knit. Almost 20 per cent of the elite donors come from the world of finance, while 18 per cent are lawyers and lobbyists." [The Observer, 5/23/04]

MCCAIN:

According to Public Citizen, McCain Has 76 Current and Former Lobbyist Bundlers. Public Citizen's WhiteHouseForSale website noted that 76 current and former lobbyists are McCain bundlers. [WhiteHouseForSale.org, Accessed: 8/8/08]

Bush's Lobbyist Fundraisers Supporting McCain. "President Bush's campaign finance machine crushed John McCain's upstart presidential campaign seven years ago. But in his second attempt to win the White House, the Republican senator from Arizona is picking off some of his former adversary's key players. McCain has wooed 66 former Bush Rangers and Pioneers to bundle checks for him, including more than a dozen prominent GOP lobbyists." [Politico, 5/23/07]