McCain Campaign Gushes Over Oil - Just Like What's-His-Name

One is definitely a Maverick. The other may not be (as much he'd like people to think he is)

It's 1:00AM. I usually don't post anything on Sunday evening/Monday morning. Hey, it's my one day off! But I just read this and just couldn't help but comment on it:

Industry Gushed Money After Reversal on Drilling

By Matthew Mosk

Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 27, 2008; Page A10

Campaign contributions from oil industry executives to Sen. John McCain rose dramatically in the last half of June, after the senator from Arizona made a high-profile split with environmentalists and reversed his opposition to the federal ban on offshore drilling.

The article goes on to say that even oil executives treated George "Native Son" Bush differently: they gave money much earlier to Bush's campaign, and that it was natural that they would give additional campaign funding to someone who might unlock the oil resources previously barred by environmentalists.

True.

However, McCain's campaign staff is shouting "character assassination" when people find out the "surge" in giving happened almost immediately after his speech on opening those resources. Oh my! Bush may be stupid - arrogantly so - but McCain isn't that bright either: at least not on his timing. His campaign should have held the money for later disclosure or request that it be given in small increments. Not $1.1 million in a matter of days. The complicity is so obvious that it almost smacks of Cheney-ism. Of course, Obama's stance against the oil industry gave McCain's campaign contributions a boost, but a rise in contributions three times the size of previous months, and after the speech of June 16th is almost begging for some answers. And those answers won't come from McCain or his campaign.

If the allegations are true (and I think that's possible), McCain is getting to look more like George Bush than the old "maverick" people have come to admire.

Another tidbit:

According to Congressional Quarterly's Voting Studies, in 2007 McCain voted in line with the president's position 95 percent of the time – the highest percentage rate for McCain since Bush took office – and voted in line with his party 90 percent of the time.

Just a thought.