Straight Talk and Cold Cash
"Our Democracy is not for sale."
—Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican
Sen. John McCain has worked hard to cultivate an image as the straight-talking man. For years, he pressed for clean campaigns unsullied by the big-money influence of special-interest groups. He prevailed five years ago by helping to steer a historic campaign finance reform bill through Congress. The McCain-Feingold bill removed what McCain saw as a cancerous growth on the body politic—the huge unlimited "soft money" contributions that corporations, lobbyists, and labor unions gave to national political parties.
But now, as the former pow makes another run for the White House, he faces a question that strikes at the heart of his campaign: When it comes to money, just how straight-talking is he, really?
McCain has positioned himself as a die-hard opponent of special-interest influence. But a U.S. News analysis of his 25-year legislative career shows he has been an avid seeker of special-interest money to support his campaigns and initiatives. The pattern goes all the way back to his first House race in 1982. Moreover, as the boss or No. 2 member of the Senate Commerce Committee, he has drawn heavy support from pacs and individuals associated with industries overseen by that committee—especially telecommunications, media, and technology firms.
Between 1997 and June 2006, he collected nearly $2.6 million from such interests, according to the Center for Public Integrity, an independent watchdog group in Washington. In some cases, the review showed, McCain's positions mirrored those of his biggest supporters. Big corporate donors also have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Reform Institute, a tax-exempt organization—once closely affiliated with McCain—that was established to promote campaign finance reform.
Connections. McCain is also relying on well-connected corporate executives and lobbyists to raise funds—people like Thomas Loeffler, a former congressman and lobbyist whose law firm was paid more than $5 million last year to represent Saudi Arabia. Loeffler, who is directing the McCain fundraising effort, is one of 15 national finance cochairs who each have pledged to raise $1 million for McCain.
McCain has repeatedly said that he wants to break up "the iron triangle of big money, special-interest lobbyists, and the legislation they buy," but his aides say he has no choice but to rely on influential money men if he wants to be president. McCain declined to be interviewed by U.S. News but provided written responses to questions. "Campaign contributions," the senator wrote, "have never affected my support or opposition to any legislation." He said that he took "positions, rightly or wrongly because I believe they are in the public interest." McCain added that his lobbyist supporters "have never asked for nor have I ever offered to take a position on legislation in exchange for their support."
As it is, McCain has a ways to go to catch up to his chief rivals for the Republican nomination. Federal campaign reports show he raised $12.5 million in the first quarter of the year, trailing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney ($21 million) and ex-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani ($15 million). McCain, disappointed with the effort, recently shook up his fundraising team.
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