Despite being a longtime critic of pharmaceutical companies, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) received a $1,000 contribution from the industry’s top lobbyist, former Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-La.), as the senator’s presidential campaign was imploding last summer.

In an ordinary election cycle, a Republican candidate socking away campaign cash from drug makers would not stand out. But 2008 is not an ordinary cycle and McCain is not an ordinary Republican.

“Sen. McCain put out a call for help and Billy … answered it,” said Ken Johnson of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), where Tauzin has been president and CEO since 2005.

According to Johnson, Tauzin also sponsored a fundraising event in Washington for the presidential campaign of Democratic New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. Tauzin worked with Richardson during their years together in the House, much of the time while Tauzin was a Democrat.

Since writing McCain a check in June 2007, Tauzin has not given money to any other candidate and neither has PhRMA. His contribution, made from his dormant campaign coffers, is out of keeping with the industry he represents.

Among employees, executives and lobbyists for drug companies, McCain’s take is well below that of his Democratic rivals for the White House, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.).

McCain even still trails two Republican contenders who dropped out of the race months ago: former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

McCain so far has taken in $139,000 from employees of drug and medical device companies, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which combines the two industries in its calculations. This total pales in comparison to Obama’s $559,000, Clinton’s $506,000 and Romney’s $410,000 and also is less than Giuliani’s $194,000. The McCain campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

Compared to his rivals, McCain has had difficulties raising money overall. The Center for Responsive Politics reports that McCain has raised $64.7 million during the cycle, much less than the $193.6 million Obama has raised, the $169 million collected by Clinton and Romney’s $105.1 million.

The reasons drug makers and their Washington representatives have largely shunned McCain are as specific to the pharmaceutical industry as they are emblematic of McCain’s larger troubles raising money and winning over conservative voters. Because he does not always take the orthodox Republican stance on issues, McCain triggers anxiety among those on whom a GOP presidential candidate could usually rely.

Apart from Tauzin, no other PhRMA employee has given to McCain, according to data from CQMoneyLine.com. Clinton got $250 from lobbyist Amy Enfantis, $2,300 from attorney Neal Comstock and $1,000 from Hispanic outreach director Marieli Colon-Padilla. External affairs executive Mimi Simonneaux-Kneuer contributed $1,000 to former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) while policy director Gregory Geirer gave $250 to Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.).