Haruna, 
 (http://www.democrats.org/page/m/67364f17b09f2f42/FOXWHN/VEsH/) I've  got a 
joke for you. 
Last week, John McCain's campaign manager, Rick Davis, sent a memo to the  
McCain campaign staff about a brand new "conflicts policy." 
This policy was designed to identify staffers with "conflicts" working within 
 McCain's organization after three advisers resigned from the campaign. One 
was  found to be working for an anti-Democrat "527" organization, and the other 
two  -- a regional campaign manager and the convention CEO -- were found to 
have  lobbied for the Myanmar junta in 2003. 
Here's the punch line: Rick Davis, author of the memo and the person in  
charge of finding these "conflicts" within the campaign, founded his own  lobbying 
firm, and, according to the Politico, "has made at least $2.8 million  
lobbying Congress since 1998." 
But it gets worse. Charlie Black is McCain's chief political adviser. Over  
the past seven years, lobbying filings show he's used his connections with  
George Bush and Dick Cheney to lobby administration officials for dozens of  
wealthy clients. The Washington Post reported that "Black said he does a  lot of 
his work by telephone from McCain's Straight Talk Express bus." 
John McCain's commitment to keeping Washington lobbyists out of his campaign  
is a joke -- but it's not funny. It's shocking. 
Since Davis sent around his "conflicts" memo, two more people have been  
shamed out of the McCain campaign. But why not Davis and Black? Of all the  
possible conflicts revealed, isn't lobbying from the campaign bus the worst? And  
does McCain care that his campaign manager made millions after starting his own  
lobbying shop? If those are acceptable, what exactly did McCain find about 
the  people they let go? 
Tell John McCain to fire Rick Davis and Charlie Black today. If he's really  
committed to keeping "conflicts" out of his campaign, he should have no 
trouble  cleaning house the way he needs to. 
_http://www.democrats.org/FireTheLobbyists_ 
(http://www.democrats.org/page/m/67364f17b09f2f42/FOXWHN/VEsE/)  
This past Sunday, John McCain defended the situation by telling reporters  
that his lobbyist advisers are "not in the lobbying business; they've been out  
of that business." 
And just yesterday, John McCain said he wants to have "the most comprehensive 
 and transparent of any presidential campaign in history" when it comes to  
lobbyists. How can that be true when people like Charlie Black admit he's  
conducting his lobbying business on the back of the bus? 
John McCain and his campaign can't have it both ways. On the one hand, he  
says "ethics and transparency are not election year buzz words." But, on the  
other hand, he and his top campaign advisors have no problem fudging about their 
 lobbying records. When pressed on the discrepancy, they give a flip excuse:  
Americans don't care. 
Demand honesty and openness in politics. Tell John McCain to fire Charlie  
Black and Rick Davis today: 
_http://www.democrats.org/FireTheLobbyists_ 
(http://www.democrats.org/page/m/67364f17b09f2f42/FOXWHN/VEsF/)  
Let's keep McCain accountable, 
Howard Dean



**************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with 
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