McCain's transition chief aided Saddam Hussein.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Timexwatch
Pretty much. Bill Timmons sins are far far less relevant that say, Franklin Raines or any number of lobbyists employed by his campaign. The whole anti-lobbying bit by both sides is just red meat for dopey neophytes and an exaggeration of the 'lobbyist' issue. As soon as I see Obama eschewing big labor and wall street money (of which he has raised a lot from NYC financial types) and dumping Axlerod and the big labor political folks on his campaign, I'll take him seriously.

Why is Franklin Raines relevant to anyone in this campaign? He isn't employed by either campaign, nor has he been.

So I fail to see why his "sins" are relevant compared to Timmons, who actually works for one of the campaigns.

Did you not read about Timmons involvement with the oil-for-food situation?

[Timexwatch]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov


Why is Franklin Raines relevant to anyone in this campaign? He isn't employed by either campaign, nor has he been.

So I fail to see why his "sins" are relevant compared to Timmons, who actually works for one of the campaigns.

Did you not read about Timmons involvement with the oil-for-food situation?

Raines and the other Fannie guy advised Obama's campaign, and arguably they did far more damage to the U.S. than Timmons ever would have. It's relevant because both campaigns have employed or retained, continue to employ or retain and will employ or retain lobbyists as advisors or campaign staff.

Timmons doesn't 'work' for McCain; he's probably a volunteer. He more than likely has more money that he knows what to do with and is doing it because McCain or someone in the campaign probably put up a dartboard with the names of GOP dons in the city and the dart hit his name. If Obama tapped Gerry Cassidy or anyone else in that vein, I wouldn't care.

And I did read the article, and I had two thoughts: First, if Timmons had done anything wrong, he would have been prosecuted. Second, given the context of the time and the industry people occasionally did work for shady clients. It came with the territory in the 80s and 90s in the lobbying industry.

All in all its the same ****, different politician. Obama will have lobbying-types all over his administration. Goes with the territory. Nothing to see here.

[Kirnwaffen]

Meh. I tend to think at this point that the only real story relevant to this election is how poorly John McCain's campaign is being run. No consistent message, poor discipline (i.e. the pulling out of Michigan leak), failure to articulate his economic proposals (or, at least until recently, failure to have a legit economic proposal)...The list goes on and on. I really would have expected a much savier effort from the students of Karl Rove.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Timexwatch
Raines and the other Fannie guy advised Obama's campaign, and arguably they did far more damage to the U.S. than Timmons ever would have. It's relevant because both campaigns have employed or retained, continue to employ or retain and will employ or retain lobbyists as advisors or campaign staff.

Timmons doesn't 'work' for McCain; he's probably a volunteer. He more than likely has more money that he knows what to do with and is doing it because McCain or someone in the campaign probably put up a dartboard with the names of GOP dons in the city and the dart hit his name. If Obama tapped Gerry Cassidy or anyone else in that vein, I wouldn't care.

And I did read the article, and I had two thoughts: First, if Timmons had done anything wrong, he would have been prosecuted. Second, given the context of the time and the industry people occasionally did work for shady clients. It came with the territory in the 80s and 90s in the lobbying industry.

All in all its the same ****, different politician. Obama will have lobbying-types all over his administration. Goes with the territory. Nothing to see here.

Both Raines and Obama have said that he never advised Obama. What evidence do you have that he did? This was a claim the McCain campaign made, based on one erroneous sentence in the WaPo.

Timmons may not be paid, but he's certainly part of the campaign in an official capacity. He's leading McCain's transition committee, for pete's sake.

Even so, if your threshold for doing something wrong is conviction, then neither Raines nor any of the ex-lobbyists cited have done anything wrong either, I suppose.

But isn't it a bit, oh, hypocritical of the McCain campaign to be playing the guilt-by-association, "he pals around with terrorists!" card against Obama, when someone much closer to McCain was formerly helping a rogue terrorist state? I do.

[MarkG]

Transition teams? Almost 3 months between elections and the new president sworn? In Greece the outgoing government is gone the next day of the election

[Boris Godunov]

Yes, but transitioning in Greece amounts to throwing all the old souvlaki out of the fridge and making sure everyone in the new administration knows the proper bus schedules.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov

But isn't it a bit, oh, hypocritical of the McCain campaign to be playing the guilt-by-association, "he pals around with terrorists!" card against Obama, when someone much closer to McCain was formerly helping a rogue terrorist state? I do.

I agree with ya.

[Darius871]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
Yes, but transitioning in Greece amounts to throwing all the old souvlaki out of the fridge and making sure everyone in the new administration knows the proper bus schedules.