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Public Citizen comes to McCain’s defense |
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By Jim Snyder
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Posted: 02/26/08 04:04 PM [ET] |
Public Citizen, the government watchdog group, is offering itself as a character witness for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in his defense against recent reports questioning his close ties to lobbyists.
“Regardless of how many lobbyists are working on his campaign or raising money for him, John McCain has fought for 14 long, hard years for reforms that seriously limit lobbyists’ power,” Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen, said in a statement.
Recent news reports have noted the GOP presidential front-runner’s close relationships with a number of Washington lobbyists, raising questions about whether McCain’s actions measure up to the anti-special interest rhetoric he espouses on the campaign trail.
A New York Times story last week quoted former staff aides as worrying that one relationship with a female lobbyist had turned romantic. Both McCain and the lobbyist, Alcalde & Fay’s Vicki Iseman, deny any romance.
Claybrook said McCain has a record of standing up to powerful interests in Washington. “He has fought for campaign finance reform, limits on gifts and travel from lobbyists, and extensive public disclosure of lobbyists’ activities — all of which limit the influence of lobbyists and the companies that hire lobbyists in Washington, D.C.,” she said.
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