McCain's Lobbyists

John McCain, the 'maverick' Republican Presidential candidate, claimed that lobbyists should not have any part of a political campaign. "Registered lobbyists who work for campaigns as fundraisers clearly represent a conflict of interest," McCain said in 1996. "When a campaign employs an individual who also lobbies that member, the perception of undue and unfair influence is raised."

Flash forward to 2008. Here's a list of the McCain lobbyists who currently work, or have up until recently been working on his campaign staff. I'll be taking a closer look at these people over the coming weeks.

McCain's Inner Circle. Click on the links, these guys actually advertise that they are lobbyists on the McCain payroll!

• Rick Davis: McCain Campaign Director
• Lobbying connections:
  
• David Manafort, Inc. (Lobbying firm, founder)
  
• COMSAT
• SBC Communications
  

• Wayne Berman: National Finance Committee Co-Chair & Senior Adviser
• Lobbying connections:
• Ogilvy Government Relations (Lobbyist and Managing Director)
  
• Carlyle Group
• Citigroup
• Airbus
  

• Charlie Black: Chief Political Adviser
• Lobbying connections:
• BKSH & Associates (Chairman)
  
• General Motors
• United Technologies
• JP Morgan
• AT&T
  

• David Crane: Senior Political Adviser
• Lobbying connections:
• Quadripoint Strategies (Lobbyist and President)
• Bank of America
• Financial Services Roundtable
• US Chamber of Commerce
  

• Mike Dennehy: National Political Director
• Lobbying Connections:
• The Dennehy Group (Founder)
  

Other lobbyist/campaign members:
Carlos Bonilla
Tom Loeffler
Wiliam Ball
Susan Nelson
James Courter
Anthony Villamil
Christian Ferry
James Rill
John Green
John Timmons
Brian Ballard

Grant Aldonas
Nancy Pfotenhauer
Jerry Kilgore
Slade Gorton
Joseph Wright
Richard Zimmer
Don Sunquist
William Hilleary
Aquiles Suarez
Matt Salmon
Robert Aiker
Kirk Blalock
Timothy McCone

Other notables:
Vicki Iseman
Lowell 'Bud' Paxson