Today's Must Read - McCain, Public Land for Developer Friend, $$$$$$$

[L. Coyote]

Today's Must Read
By Paul Kiel - April 22, 2008 - http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/04/todays_must_read_322.php

You know the story: after surviving the Keating Five scandal, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) vowed to be incorruptible. Sure, he surrounds himself with lobbyists, but that is only to test his vigilance.

The New York Times tests the limits of McCain's vigilance in a piece today about McCain's decades-old ties to a wealthy Arizonan developer named Donald Diamond.

The main thrust is this: on a number of key occasions, McCain played a key role in helping Diamond, a major campaign contributor, make deals that made him millions of dollars. The piece focuses on three deals in particular: two of those involved bills (in 1991 and 1994) co-sponsored by McCain that swapped public land for Diamond's land, and the other involved McCain doing a couple personal favors in order to help Diamond land an incredibly lucrative piece of land owned by the Army. In each of those cases, Diamond was able to secure the assistance of other members of the Arizona delegation, and it's crystal clear from the piece that Diamond knows how to work his lawmakers.

Part of what makes the piece so amusing is that while the McCain camp was obviously keen to minimize McCain's assistance -- pointing out, for example, that McCain refused a number of Diamond's requests -- Diamond doesn't seem to have much patience for pussyfooting. For example:

" Mr. Diamond is close to most of Arizona's Congressional delegation and is candid about his expectations as a fund-raiser. "I want my money back, for Christ's sake. Do you know how many cocktail parties I have to go to?" ....."

...........

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NYT: A Developer, His Deals and His Ties to McCain
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and JIM RUTENBERG
Published: April 22, 2008
For John McCain, who has pledged to avoid conflicts of interest in office, Donald R. Diamond can pose a test.

[liberal N proud]

1. Diamonds remarks reflect the attitude of those who get favors

And Diamond, typically, doesn't see why there would be any fuss:

Mr. Diamond, for his part, said Mr. McCain had only done his job. "I think that is what Congress people are supposed to do for constituents," he said. "When you have a big, significant businessman like myself, why wouldn't you want to help move things along? What else would they do? They waste so much time with legislation."

They think they deserve it.

[Greyhound]

13. "Today's political campaign system is nothing but legalized bribery" - Bill Moyers n/t

[L. Coyote]

2. "Do you know how many cocktail parties I have to go to?"

Isn't that what Romans said as slaves rowed their galleys!

Does he know how many tons of lumber a carpenter carries? How many bricks a mason?

[L. Coyote]

3. A Developer, His Deals and His Ties to McCain = "$250,000 so far"

A Developer, His Deals and His Ties to McCain
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and JIM RUTENBERG
Published: April 22, 2008 - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/22/us/politics/22diamond.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Donald R. Diamond, a wealthy Arizona real estate developer, was racing to snap up a stretch of virgin California coast freed by the closing of an Army base a decade ago when he turned to an old friend, Senator John McCain.

When Mr. Diamond wanted to buy land at the base, Fort Ord, Mr. McCain assigned an aide who set up a meeting at the Pentagon and later stepped in again to help speed up the sale, according to people involved and a deposition Mr. Diamond gave for a related lawsuit. When he appealed to a nearby city for the right to develop other property at the former base, Mr. Diamond submitted Mr. McCain’s endorsement as “a close personal friend.”

Writing to officials in the city, Seaside, Calif., the senator said, “You will find him as honorable and committed as I have.”

Courting local officials and potential partners, Mr. Diamond’s team promised that he could “help get through some of the red tape in dealing with the Department of the Army” because Mr. Diamond “has been very active with Senator McCain,” a partner said in a deposition.

....

A longtime political patron, Mr. Diamond is one of the elite fund-raisers Mr. McCain’s current presidential campaign calls Innovators, having raised more than $250,000 so far. .........

===================
Donald R. Diamond - http://www.diamondventures.com/overview/management.html
Chairman, Diamond Ventures, Inc.
Mr. Donald R. Diamond is Chairman of Diamond Ventures, Inc. His business interests include
a variety of real estate investments and development projects in the southwestern United States and Mexico.
.... Mr. Diamond enjoyed a successful career in the commodities business as vice president of ACLI International in New York City.
.... Mr. Diamond was an owner and president of NBC-affiliate KVOA-TV (1971- 82) in Tucson; a partner in Arizona Mail Order (1975-98), one of the largest national mail order firms in women's ready-to-wear apparel; a founder, vice president and one of the principal owners of the Phoenix Suns (1968-87); owned an interest in the Arizona Diamondbacks; and a board member of the United Bank of Arizona and its holding company, United Bancorp (1975-88).

[L. Coyote]

4. "he soon turned over for a $20 million profit"

In California, the McCain aide’s assistance with the Army helped Mr. Diamond complete a purchase in 1999 that he soon turned over for a $20 million profit.

In 1991 and 1994, Mr. McCain sponsored two laws sought by Mr. Diamond that resulted in providing him millions of dollars and thousands of acres in exchange for adding some of his properties to national parks. The Arizona senator co-sponsored a third similar bill now before the Senate.

[Supersedeas]

5. meanwhile the cozy little Media free ride continues

[L. Coyote]

6. opensecrets.org: Donald Diamond = $312,542

DIAMOND, DONALD R., TUCSON,AZ 85718
314 records, Total for this search: $312,542

08/30/2004 - $12,500 - National Republican Senatorial Cmte
04/03/2006 - $10,000 - Arizona Republican Party
10/02/2002 - $10,000 - National Republican Congressional Cmte
11/03/2006 - $6,300 - Kyl, Jon
05/28/2003 - $5,000 - Senate Majority Fund
06/15/2006 - $5,000 - Republican Central Cmte of Pima County
05/31/2007 - $5,000 - Proven Leadership for America
09/21/1994 - $5,000 - National Republican Congressional Cmte
01/17/2002 - $5,000 - Straight Talk America

Shadegg, John
Coleman, Norm
Levin, Carl
McCain, John
Kolbe, Jim
Collins, Susan M
DeConcini, Dennis
Wilson, Heather A
Wilson, Pete
Domenici, Pete V
Lieberman, Joe
Renzi, Rick
Burns, Conrad
Reid, Harry
Ashcroft, John
Sessions, Jeff
Pastor, Ed
Bond, Christopher S
Bennett, Robert F
Boehner, John
Flake, Jeff
Hayworth, J D
Hutchinson, Tim
DeLay, Tom
Bush, George W
Santorum, Rick
Desert Caucus
Washington PAC
Obey, David R
Talent, James M
Shelby, Richard C
Hatch, Orrin G
Armey, Dick
Reed, Jack
Smith, Gordon H
more

[L. Coyote]

7. Straight Talk America = $6,001,053 came from individual contributions

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Straight_Talk_America

FEC filings

According to FEC filings (Committee ID: C00413245), Straight Talk America has raised $6,497,937 during the 2005-2006 election cycle (as of July 31, 2006). Of this amount, $6,001,053 came from individual contributions, while $474,087 was donated by other committees. As of this date, the committee had $1,206,767 in cash on hand.

Straight Talk America is a political action committee created by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) It was originally formed during McCain’s 2000 bid for the Republican presidential nomination. It was revived again in 2005 ...

=============
6 records found, Total for this search: $22,000
Donor name: Diamond, Donald, Mr. and Mrs.
Recipient: Straight Talk America

============
McCain Campaign Hires 'Best Bricklayer'

By Chris Cillizza and Zachary A. Goldfarb
Sunday, March 19, 2006; Page A05 - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/18/AR2006031800966.html

In the behind-the-scenes hunt for 2008 campaign talent, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has bagged a big one.

Terry Nelson, who served as national political director for President Bush's reelection race in 2004, has signed on as a senior adviser to McCain's Straight Talk America political action committee. ....

McCain and his chief political strategist, John Weaver, have spent much of the past year courting key members of the Bush campaign team. Until now, the majority of that recruiting has focused on the men and women -- designated Pioneers, Rangers and Super Rangers -- who each helped collect hundreds of thousands of dollars for Bush in 2000 and again in 2004. (In that vein, Straight Talk America recently received $5,000 checks from former Texas governor Bill Clements, a Republican, and lobbyist extraordinaire Ed Rogers -- a close ally of Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, ....

........

[ColbertWatcher]

8. Thank you for this! n/t

[L. Coyote]

9. MUST READ McCain scandal gets NO MEDIA!

Apr 25, 2008 - http://mediamatters.org/items/200804250009?f=h_column
"Media Matters"; by Jamison Foser

..............

On Tuesday, The New York Times ran what should have served as a reminder to other media outlets that stipulating to McCain's purity is not journalism, it is cheerleading. The Times revealed that McCain helped Donald Diamond, one of his biggest fundraisers, purchase a stretch of California coastal land from the Pentagon -- a purchase that netted Diamond a $20 million profit. Diamond explained: "I think that is what Congress people are supposed to do for constituents. ... When you have a big, significant businessman like myself, why wouldn't you want to help move things along? What else would they do? They waste so much time with legislation."

Rather than jumping on the Times report, as they have with stories about Clinton and Obama donors, the rest of the media politely averted their eyes. A Nexis search finds only a handful of news reports about McCain and Diamond since the Times story ran: a UPI article, an article in The Monterey County Herald, and a few blog posts.

.......

But nowhere was the media's assistance of McCain (intentional or otherwise) more apparent than during MSNBC's coverage of two new right-wing advertisements attacking Barack Obama.

This week, the North Carolina Republican Party unveiled an ad attacking Obama. Despite the fact that the ad is not yet running on television, television news outlets quickly began giving the state party free national airtime by playing the ad over and over. Which, of course, is precisely what the North Carolina Republican Party wanted -- you don't release an ad that is not yet running if you don't want television news to play it over and over again.

That isn't particularly unusual ...........

[L. Coyote]

10. NY TIMES OpEd: The Trouble With Not Being Earnest

I'm not seeing much concern here about ethics and crimes.
It seems the concern is about what McCain says.
If you are a crook, don't say you are not a crook?
Maybe, someone needs to say, Don't be a crook!
Or, maybe, someone needs to say, It appears John McCain is a crook.

===============
The Trouble With Not Being Earnest
25 April 2008 - http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042508O.shtml

Senator John McCain sells himself for the presidency as a champion of campaign finance reform, a sworn enemy of Congressional handouts and a maverick who is immune to the corrupting influence of big money. In two campaigns, he has vowed not to dispense favors to contributors.

Humans being humans, and senators being senators, it defied belief that Mr. McCain would not at some point have done a little something for a special friend back home. As it turns out, he has. David Kirkpatrick and Jim Rutenberg reported in The Times on Tuesday that Mr. McCain has used his influence and official position several times to benefit the real estate empire of Donald R. Diamond, a wealthy, 80-year-old real estate developer.

For his part, Mr. Diamond has successfully shaken the money tree for various McCain campaigns and already has raised $250,000 for this year's presidential effort. ...............

But it is Mr. McCain who is running for president as Mr. Straight Talk. He ought to live up to the standard ..........

[L. Coyote]

11. visibility kick

Busy today. Anyone researching this? Add more please.

[L. Coyote]

12. ditto

[L. Coyote]

17. "

[Greyhound]

14. "Today's political campaign system is nothing but legalized bribery" - Bill Moyers

You don't want to pick this scab if you're a good Democrat. I can't think of any party power brokers, on either side, that don't have this skeleton in their closet.

[L. Coyote]

15. Quid pro quo will get you 5-10 still!!

Look at Jack Abramoff, the Bush Pioneer and what he bought!! That is criminal.

Accepting contributions is not criminal. Acting officially in light of contributions is criminal.

[Greyhound]

16. LOL!

:kick: