The John McCain School for Lobbyists

Washington Dispatch: While the Arizona senator was decrying Washington's "revolving door," his own staffers were zipping back and forth through it.

By Jonathan Stein

May 27, 2008


As one of the leading critics of Washington's quid pro quo culture, John McCain has not just denounced the influence lobbyists have over policy and the legislators who make it. He has repeatedly bashed the "revolving door" through which government officials move from federal jobs overseeing an industry to high-paying private positions repping for that same sector—and vice versa. He has supported legislation that would strengthen lobbying restrictions on former members of the Executive Branch, former Members of Congress, and former congressional staff. On his campaign website, McCain declares that he "has fought the 'revolving door' by which lawmakers and other influential officials leave their posts and become lobbyists for the special interests they have aided."

Yet, McCain's offices have been part of the revolving door culture. Mother Jones conducted a review of lobbying disclosure forms and publicly available information at OpenSecrets.org and Legistorm.com. The records show that since the Keating Five scandal, which by McCain's own account turned the Arizona senator into a crusader for reform, at least 20 McCain staffers—working for McCain's personal Senate office or for one of the committees he has chaired—either came to McCain's employ from a lobby shop or joined one after leaving the congressional payroll.

It is common practice for congressional aides from both parties to head to lucrative lobbying positions after working on Capitol Hill. And often lawmakers themselves leave Congress and return to lobby their former colleagues. But McCain has a special lobbyist problem. It's not just that his presidential campaign has been managed by former lobbyists for corporations and foreign governments. (Though several lobbyists have recently left his campaign, McCain's two closest aides—Charlie Black and Rick Davis—used to be top-tier lobbyists.) McCain has surrounded himself with lobbyists and lobbyists-to-be, all while positioning himself as the revolving door's top critic. McCain vows that if he's elected he'll change the revolving door culture of Washington. But if he can't do so in his own outfit, how can he do so for the entire town?

http://www.motherjones.com/washington_dispatch/2008/05/john-mccain-revolving-door.html