Top McCain adviser lobbied for nation of Georgia

News Type: Event — Seeded on Wed Aug 13, 2008 9:28 AM EDT

Article Source: mcclatchydc.com

politics, mccain, john-mccain, russia, georgia, orion, randall-scheunemann

On April 17 of this year, McCain issued a stern statement assailing "Russia's moves to undermine Georgian sovereignty." Two weeks later, Georgia gave Orion a $200,000 contract extension.

Orion is the company his adviser (Randall Scheunemann) lobbied for up until he took "leave from" two months before joining the McCain campaign. Orion still lists him as its' President.

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Groups: The Brief on John McCain
Regions: Washington DC

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{"commentId":2440966,"authorDomain":"miasma"}

miasma

That's not Staight Talk I can believe in.

{"commentId":2440966,"threadId":"331063","contentId":"1745056","authorDomain":"miasma"}

5 votes

#1 - Wed Aug 13, 2008 9:29 AM EDT

{"commentId":2441259,"authorDomain":"gbixler"}

Gene in Mass

My god. Does McWiki employ every lobbyist and former lobbyist in the world? It seems like every week, we find out about another one. At least this one took a leave of absence before joining the campaign, though.

I wonder if he joined the campaign before or after they created their policy requiring lobbyists to leave their firms in order to work for McWiki?

{"commentId":2441259,"threadId":"331063","contentId":"1745056","authorDomain":"gbixler"}

4 votes

#2 - Wed Aug 13, 2008 10:07 AM EDT

{"commentId":2441853,"authorDomain":"kick-boxer"}

Machiavelli

WHAT? So exactly how is this wrong in any way? It appears that the McCain team was prescient in its assessment of the actual real obvious Russian threat, which is to destroy democracy in the independent Republic of Georgia. I fail to see how this is any different fom Hitler invading Czechoslovakia in 1938, do you? The West was helpless to prevent it in 1938 just as it is helpless righ now. Russia wants this territory as a satellite nation, as it has been for centuries, and Russia does NOT want another NATO member in that vicinity, if it can help it. The Russian Empire re-asserts its power under the new Tsar Vladimir! I fail to see how predicting the future acccurately is a negative for McCain when it appears that Obama's camp wasn't paying any attention to this potential threat whatsoever. At least the McCain team was aware of the threat of war long before anyone was and knows what's going on. Russia very expertly set this up (much like Hitler did with the Sudetenland) and we and Georgia played right into their hands.

{"commentId":2441853,"threadId":"331063","contentId":"1745056","authorDomain":"kick-boxer"}

#3 - Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:10 AM EDT

{"commentId":2442229,"authorDomain":"gbixler"}

Gene in Mass

You miss the point. Was McCain warning of something he genuinely believed would happen, or was he pandering to secure cash for his buddy's lobbying firm? Even if he was proven right, one has to consider his motive for making the statement.

Besides, Georgia made the first move, with buildups along their northern border. It doesn't take Nostradamus to predict what Russia would do in such an eventuality.

{"commentId":2442229,"threadId":"331063","contentId":"1745056","authorDomain":"gbixler"}

1 vote

#3.1 - Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:42 AM EDT

{"commentId":2443112,"authorDomain":"miasma"}

miasma

Randall Scheunemann was part of the circle of advisors and operatives around Ahmad Chalabi, the Iraqi exile who used bogus intelligence to sell the war. Wow I guess being tight with "Curveball" makes for good experience of making stuff up. Business as usual. What a "maverick!?"

{"commentId":2443112,"threadId":"331063","contentId":"1745056","authorDomain":"miasma"}

1 vote

#3.2 - Wed Aug 13, 2008 1:06 PM EDT

{"commentId":2442448,"authorDomain":"lpwillham"}

No Mcgovern repeat 08

Ok lets just make one point , Obama is the one running on the No "Washington politics as usual" and "I wont deal with lobbyists and special interest."

Yet, Obama rents a estate in Hawaii for his vacation from a major contributor to his campaign who sits on the board of lobby group that spent 400,000 lobbying.

So there is no problem with that? Why not apply Obama own standard to HIM!

{"commentId":2442448,"threadId":"331063","contentId":"1745056","authorDomain":"lpwillham"}

1 vote

#4 - Wed Aug 13, 2008 12:01 PM EDT

{"commentId":2442485,"authorDomain":"gbixler"}

Gene in Mass

Um. McCain is the one who instituted a policy not allowing lobbyists to work for his campaign.

And what difference does it make that Obama rents a house from a lobbyist while on vacation? Now, if you had proof that Obama came out in favor of some pro-environment legislation just as this lobbying firm donated a few hundred thousand to the DNC, you'd have a story. This isn't even a smoking gun.

{"commentId":2442485,"threadId":"331063","contentId":"1745056","authorDomain":"gbixler"}

2 votes

#4.1 - Wed Aug 13, 2008 12:04 PM EDT

{"commentId":2442563,"authorDomain":"caesara"}

Hatuxka

Wow, Democrat and repub partisans arguing over how bad each of their respective coteries of lobbyist hangers-on are. Great thread.

{"commentId":2442563,"threadId":"331063","contentId":"1745056","authorDomain":"caesara"}

#4.2 - Wed Aug 13, 2008 12:13 PM EDT

{"commentId":2443400,"authorDomain":"miasma"}

miasma

Operating without the sort of limits placed on campaign fund-raising, the institute under Mr. McCain has solicited millions of dollars for its operations from some 560 defense contractors, lobbying firms, oil companies and other corporations, many with issues before Senate committees Mr. McCain was on. NYT

Lobbying disclosure records for Scheunemann's two-person company, Orion Strategies, show dozens of phone calls and meetings with McCain and his staff between 2001 and 2008, as well as regular contributions to McCain's campaign and political action committee. In 2006 McCain cosponsored legislation that passed the Senate endorsing an expansion of NATO to include Georgia and Macedonia as well as Albania and Croatia. -&-
Scheunemann was working for Taiwan, which has paid him and partner Mitchell a half-million dollars since early 2005. (Scheunemann ceased lobbying for Taiwan in March; Mitchell continues to work for the Taiwanese.) "When China threatens democratic Taiwan with a massive arsenal of missiles and warlike rhetoric, the United States must take note," McCain wrote. Lobbying records show that as late as June 2007, Scheunemann's partner was lobbying McCain staffers on "Chinese ballistic missiles pointed at Taiwan." Salon

haha here's a good one

Chris Wallace: Let me ask you one last question. David Axelrod said you talked in your speech today about changing the way Washington does business, but your campaign is run by two of the biggest lobbyists in Washington. How do you respond to that?

By lying about it of course. (WMV file)

Pelley: You point your finger at other senators and claim that there is culture of corruption on Capitol Hill. But you take money from lobbyists who have business before your committee, as other senators do. So how is it that you call the system corrupt?

McCain: Well, one of the reasons why I call the system corrupt is because we have members of Congress who are in jail, who are former members of Congress. But it's not the individuals, it's the system we have today. I believe that I serve with honorable men and women. And I believe the people who bring their case to government, the overwhelming majority of them are honorable people.

Pelley: The lobbyists?

McCain: Retirees have a lobbyist, firemen have a lobbyist. Your business has a lot of lobbyists, a lot of lobbyists.

See because republican lobbyists are good. Democratic lobbyists are bad. Except that a lot of lobbying firms give to both parties. That's not straight talk I can believe in.

{"commentId":2443400,"threadId":"331063","contentId":"1745056","authorDomain":"miasma"}

1 vote

#4.3 - Wed Aug 13, 2008 1:30 PM EDT

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"331063","isPrivate":false}

MIASMA

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Top McCain adviser lobbied for nation of Georgia

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