"Sen. John McCain, who is pushing a bill for a federal crackdown on independent '527' political groups, has accepted campaign money from the prime financier of an independent group McCain accused of 'dishonest and dishonorable' tactics in the 2004 presidential race,"
Texas-based donors linked to the swift boat veterans: brothers Charles and Sam Wyly and their relatives had their donations to McCain rejected last year, "But the McCain campaign attributed last year's rejection of the Wyly brothers' cash to a pending investigation into their business dealings, not their support of the anti-Kerry group or 527s."
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0207/2658.htmlCampaign Financier Who Gave to Group McCain Criticized has Donated $4,200 to Arizona Senator
By: Kenneth P. Vogel
February 6, 2007 07:52 PM EST
Sen. John McCain, who is pushing a bill for a federal crackdown on independent "527" political groups, has accepted campaign money from the prime financier of an independent group McCain accused of "dishonest and dishonorable" tactics in the 2004 presidential race.
The $4,200 contribution came from Bob Perry, the Texas homebuilder who was the biggest donor to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which aired television attack ads that wounded Democrat John Kerry's presidential bid.
Perry cut his check to McCain's Senate campaign committee in 2005. But McCain's term runs until 2011. Last week, McCain, an Arizona Republican, reported transferring $1.05 million, including Perry's money, from his Senate campaign to his presidential exploratory committee.
The $4,200 is a nominal amount compared with the $4.45 million Perry donated to the anti-Kerry veterans group, and even the $83,500 Perry gave in November to one of McCain's competitors for the GOP presidential nomination, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.
Still, it highlights a fundamental political reality facing McCain, a leading advocate for campaign finance reform. If he stands by his agenda, he could risk continuing alienation of Republican activists who believe restrictions on political funding stifle their freedom of speech, but whose support he needs. And if he distances himself from the agenda, he could lose standing among moderates whose support would be crucial in the general election campaign -- not to mention the risk being accused of hypocrisy.<snip>