McCain Making Some GOPers Queasy "In January 2006, just two months later, the subject of
The NY Times reported Sunday that many high ranking G.O.P. officials are worried about the current state of John McCain's presidential bid. Organizationally McCain is far behind where Bush was in 2004. What's more, his staff seems to be in a near constant state of turnover.
The campaign has been rocked by several high-profile resignations in recent months. Much of the turnover stems from rules McCain imposed that no "registered" lobbyists are allowed to work on the campaign. The only problem is that the person charged with enforcing McCain's new lobbyist rules-- Campaign Manager Rick Davis-- was HIMSELF a lobbyist until 2006. And just who has he lobbied for? Telecom companies like SBC and Verizon, an Israeli satellite imaging firm and yes, you guessed it, a "controversial Russian industrialist":
metals trading came up in association with a social meeting Mr. Davis helped
arrange near Davos,
Switzerland. At that meeting, first reported by The Washington Post, Mr. McCain
met the Russian aluminum magnate, Oleg Deripaska, who has been barred from entering the
United States apparently because of alleged criminal ties." \
Sounds like McCain has put together a real team of mavericks around him...
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