McCain suspending his campaign

[Lurker]

The statement is factually correct. If you're making the connection that the equity ownership interest presents a conflict, then by all means let's open up every single campaign staffer's brokerage statement for review for undue influence for every stock they own.

You're comparing ownership of a lobbying firm to ownership of a share of common stock??

 

Well, why shouldn't I be surprised....

 

Listen....I'm done with this dissembling. Fini. No Mas. !@#$ it all. Good luck with your candidate. I thought TSW was becoming a waste of good server space. Silly me...

[GG]

You're comparing ownership of a lobbying firm to ownership of a share of common stock??

 

Listen....I'm done with this dissembling. Fini. No Mas. !@#$ it all. Good luck with your candidate. I thought TSW was becoming a waste of good server space. Silly me...

 

Sorry to ruffle the sensitive sensibilities. Yes, I'm comparing the two, because the rules address that. Davis did not skirt the rules. He left his firm in 2006, has no management or employment relationship, nor receives any payments from the company. At this point, he's a passive equity investor. Pretty much clear.

 

But since we've established that McCain didn't lie when he said no one on his staff has ties, you want to play a game of six degrees of separation, then it certainly is worthwhile to examine everyone's stock ownership, because they are also passive equity investors and can also be influenced.

 

Of course, this could also be another case of stellar journalism that NYT has been unveiling in its coverage of John McCain. Can't wait for another affair story on "my candidate." Perhaps then you'll recognize that this is a bigger indictment of NYT, then support for a particular candidate.

[drnykterstein]

He says he's going to Washington to work on the economic crisis. He previously said he didn't know much about economics, and now they can't figure it out without him? This sounds like another hail mary publicity stunt.

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26872907/

 

Ya think? I dunno, I really don't think it does.

[Wacka]

Why don't you dems talk about Obama being #2 on the contributions list from Fannie and Freddie. He got that high in three years while most of the others had 10 years to take contributions.

 

Thing is this is a dem caused problem. If there was a Republican they could pin this on, they would have the guy sitting in the electric chair already.

 

Dodd and Frank are in up to their eyeballs and should immediately be stripped of their chairmanships, if not booted out of Congress.

 

 

 

Obama's statement fits right in with his total political career-Don't stand for anything.

[Lurker]

Sorry to ruffle the sensitive sensibilities. Yes, I'm comparing the two, because the rules address that. Davis did not skirt the rules. He left his firm in 2006, has no management or employment relationship, nor receives any payments from the company. At this point, he's a passive equity investor. Pretty much clear.

 

I came back to edit my post, to find this Alice in Wonderland logic that because he's passively benefiting, it's OK because the "rules" say that such an arrangement precludes him deriving any value from the arrangement. Nevermind that his passive asset is worth more...and after the election he'll benefit from that reality. The guy who brought up the "I did not have sexual relations with that women" sure got it right....are we going to debate the meaning of the word 'is' too?

 

But since we've established that McCain didn't lie when he said no one on his staff has ties

Joseph Heller couldn't write dialog any better than this....come to think of it, McCain sort of reminds me of Lieutenant Scheisskopf.

[ExiledInIllinois]

McCain can't spare an hour and a half to debate... He is needed that badly in DC to support the BUSH PLAN? Newsflash, Obama will be in DC also on Friday.

 

Do we really want a Prseident that can't do two things at once... Let alone set and HOUR AND A HALF of time to discuss something important.

 

People... We heard this story before... Remember 2002-2003? "WE NEED TO ACT FAST! THERE ARE WMD'S OUT THERE!"

 

[GG]

I came back to edit my post, to find this Alice in Wonderland logic that because he's passively benefiting, it's OK because the "rules" say that such an arrangement precludes him deriving any value from the arrangement. Nevermind that his passive asset is worth more...and after the election he'll benefit from that reality. The guy who brought up the "I did not have sexual relations with that women" sure got it right....are we going to debate the meaning of the word 'is' too?

 

No, the passive investment means that he doesn't have any involvement with his company nor its clients. That means that if Fan/Fred want to curry favor with his firm for whatever reason they decide to do after Davis returns back to the firm is totally irrelevant to whether the firm or Fan/Fred have any influence on Davis or McCain right now - WHICH IS THE WHOLE FRIGGIN POINT OF THE ARTICLE. They couldn't prove a causal relationship, so why not dig up a tangent and write it up in a manner that makes gullible Times readers connect the dots.

 

 

Joseph Heller couldn't write dialog any better than this....come to think of it, McCain sort of reminds me of Lieutenant Scheisskopf.

 

Hope you're enjoying the starring role in this saga. Check that, you're the unwitting dupe in the background.

[Booster4324]

Why don't you dems talk about Obama being #2 on the contributions list from Fannie and Freddie. He got that high in three years while most of the others had 10 years to take contributions.

 

Thing is this is a dem caused problem. If there was a Republican they could pin this on, they would have the guy sitting in the electric chair already.

 

Dodd and Frank are in up to their eyeballs and should immediately be stripped of their chairmanships, if not booted out of Congress.

 

 

 

Obama's statement fits right in with his total political career-Don't stand for anything.

 

While I do listen to Rush, could you do me a favor and at least parrot Hannity? He is on after my lunch. kthx

[GG]

Well, Letterman didn't put McCain's cancellation in a favorable light, and invited Olberman as a substitute to boot.

[Lurker]

No, the passive investment means that he doesn't have any involvement with his company nor its clients. That means that if Fan/Fred want to curry favor with his firm for whatever reason they decide to do after Davis returns back to the firm is totally irrelevant to whether the firm or Fan/Fred have any influence on Davis or McCain right now - WHICH IS THE WHOLE FRIGGIN POINT OF THE ARTICLE. They couldn't prove a causal relationship, so why not dig up a tangent and write it up in a manner that makes gullible Times readers connect the dots.

 

 

 

 

Hope you're enjoying the starring role in this saga. Check that, you're the unwitting dupe in the background.

Enough with the ad hominems, Doc Daneeka...

 

Let's play your game and ignore for a moment the inference that this story is about influence pedling. What about the propriety of Davis continuing to indirectly benefit (though the increased profit/value of his firm) by taking advantage of his position on the McCain staff when his boss says none of his team are doing so? Kickbacks. shakedowns, the stuff small time elected officials and bureaucrats get charged with all the time, but fat cat Washington lobbiests rarely do? Doesn't that count for anything in this sorry equation?

[swede316]

I'd say the latest poll numbers probably have something to do with it...

Yep...But what you fail to realize is the short attention span of 90% of America. This is the big story this week but if it's solved say next week...What's the next big story to sway opinion. I guess we'll have to wait until the week before the election to pick a winner.

[Johnny Coli]

Sorry to ruffle the sensitive sensibilities. Yes, I'm comparing the two, because the rules address that. Davis did not skirt the rules. He left his firm in 2006, has no management or employment relationship, nor receives any payments from the company. At this point, he's a passive equity investor. Pretty much clear.

 

But since we've established that McCain didn't lie when he said no one on his staff has ties, you want to play a game of six degrees of separation, then it certainly is worthwhile to examine everyone's stock ownership, because they are also passive equity investors and can also be influenced.

 

Of course, this could also be another case of stellar journalism that NYT has been unveiling in its coverage of John McCain. Can't wait for another affair story on "my candidate." Perhaps then you'll recognize that this is a bigger indictment of NYT, then support for a particular candidate.

Actually, the story broke in the NYT, Newsweek and Roll Call. McCain is trying to brush it off as a liberal media hit piece by only attacking the NYT, which it is clearly not. And, Newsweek has followed up their piece showing that Davis hasn't "severed his relationship with Davis Manafort in 2006," and has been listed as a crporate officer (Treasurer and one of two coporate directors) as recently as April of this year.

 

Filings made by "Davis Manafort Partners" with the Virginia Corporation Commission as recently as April 1, 2008, show that Davis was still listed as one of only two corporate officers and directors of the firm, according to records on the commission’s Web site reviewed by NEWSWEEK. That filing records Davis as the "treas/clerk" of the firm; his business partner, Paul Manafort is listed as the president and chief executive officer.

Another filing by “Davis Manafort, Inc.” (with the same Alexandria, Va. address, and recorded on Oct. 17, 2007) also lists Davis as an officer and director of the firm, reporting his position as "T/Clerk," a reference to his formal title as corporate treasurer and clerk.

 

Both filings are annual reports of basic corporate information that are required by Virginia state law. There is no record of any amendments to the filings reporting that Davis's status with the firm has changed. The next annual report by "Davis Manafort Inc.", for the year 2008, isn't due to be filed until next month.

 

That's not severing ties. The article brings up an important question--if the only person (Davis) who was working on the Freddie Mac account was no longer working on the Freddie Mac account and had suspended his day-to-day workings in the firm (although still remaining a corporate officer ), then why was Davis Manafort continuing to bill Freddie Mac if Davis wasn't doing anything for them.

[Johnny Coli]

If someone has posted this point already, I appologize, but, what in the world will Super Mac hope to accomplish by jumping into the Executive/Legislative negotiations?

 

Multiple reasons, but none that are related to the economy crisis:

 

- He's getting killed in the polls, particularly wrt the economy and is trying (and failing) to change the conventional wisdom that he has no idea what he's doing

- "Suspending" the campaign and not preparing for the debate further lowers expectations if the debate goes forward..."I'm not prepared because I was attending to a crisis."

- He's totally unprepared to debate Obama, and would rather take the political risk of looking like he's avoiding the debates than get killed in the debates

- His unvetted VP pick has been cramming for two weeks and the campaign has decided, like they have with respect to her fielding any unscripted questions from the media, that it would kill them to have her debate anyone on a national stage

 

 

His campaign has calculated that the negatives associated with both him and his unvetted VP pick never debating are far less damaging than the negatives they would get hit with if they actually debate. That's what this is about.

[finknottle]

He may not have received dollars, but I'm unclear as to how revenue accuring to the firm doesn't benefit it's overall health--hence his equity stake.

 

You can dissemble any way you like, but Davis benefits from the payments through his ownership stake. Maybe not in terms of cash flow today, but certainly after the first Tuesday in November.

 

What a partisan joke. Obama is the #3 recipient of donations from Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, and has two Fannie Mae CEO's and a Vice Chair as his advisors, yet Lurker would have us worry about undue influence from this.

 

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=75586

http://pfds.opensecrets.org/092408.html

[finknottle]

It is interesting that Obama reached out first to McCain to discuss the issue and try to agree on a joint statement (in areas where they agreed). McCain's reaction is the theatrical "I wills suspend my campaign" yadda yadda.

 

Obamas idea of leadership: a puff-piece joint statement, no doubt filled with lofty rhetoric and vision.

McCains idea of leadership: go back to Washingtoin and do his job - participate in the formation of the legislation which is supposed to be so crucial to this crisis.

[finknottle]

If someone has posted this point already, I appologize, but, what in the world will Super Mac hope to accomplish by jumping into the Executive/Legislative negotiations? I can't imagine any good coming out of his interference. The process is under way, the agreement is being hammered out and it does not need presidential politics being injected into this. The last thing it needs is that acually. And yes I know politics is involved, but this could gum up the works entirely if McCain and Obama jump in there and start an argument over nothing.

 

Ummm, his job? Isn't this why we have a Congress?

 

Despite the Obama experience, it is not supposed to be just a political stepping stone where you get elected, vote present a few times, and move onwards and upwards.

[pBills]

Why don't you dems talk about Obama being #2 on the contributions list from Fannie and Freddie. He got that high in three years while most of the others had 10 years to take contributions.

 

Thing is this is a dem caused problem. If there was a Republican they could pin this on, they would have the guy sitting in the electric chair already.

 

Dodd and Frank are in up to their eyeballs and should immediately be stripped of their chairmanships, if not booted out of Congress.

 

 

 

Obama's statement fits right in with his total political career-Don't stand for anything.

 

 

Wow, yes this thing is completely blamed on the dems? OK? Have you seen the news about McCain's aide receiving $15,000 per month since the later part of 2005 till now? What's that $400,00+??

[pBills]

Obamas idea of leadership: a puff-piece joint statement, no doubt filled with lofty rhetoric and vision.

McCains idea of leadership: go back to Washingtoin and do his job - participate in the formation of the legislation which is supposed to be so crucial to this crisis.

 

 

 

McCain is clearly using this crisis as a photo-op. It's sad that people can not see that. I also love the fact that his campaign rescheduled the presidential debate for October 2nd. The same day that the VP's were supposed to go at it. Interesting.

 

So the guy who does not know the economy, now is our/it's savior? What a douche.

[pBills]

What a partisan joke. Obama is the #3 recipient of donations from Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, and has two Fannie Mae CEO's and a Vice Chair as his advisors, yet Lurker would have us worry about undue influence from this.

 

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=75586

http://pfds.opensecrets.org/092408.html

 

 

 

And how about this bit of news: http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na...0,1801675.story

[finknottle]

Wow, yes this thing is completely blamed on the dems? OK? Have you seen the news about McCain's aide receiving $15,000 per month since the later part of 2005 till now? What's that $400,00+??

 

Yes, but have you read the facts behind the spin as reported by The Obama Times? Or even the details offered in this thread?

 

How on earth does this compare with Obama being advised by Fannie Mae CEO '91-'98 James Johnson ($21 million in compensation from FM), Fannie Mae CEO '99-'04 Franklin Raines ($90 million in compensation), and Fannie Mae vice chaiirman '98-'03 ($26 million in compensation, despite being found against over manipulating the books to trigger executive bonuses, and a separate conflict of interest controversary).

 

Yeah, McCain is really the one here who is going to be unduely influenced by Fannie Mae, because some aid has a tie to a firm which receives 30k a month from a company which spreads around the money like a farmer spreading pig-slop.