Favors, lobbyists, and the unfortunate involvement of John McCain

This is just what Obama is talking about when he speaks of a need for change in Washington:

In late 1998, Senator John McCain sent an unusually blunt letter to the head of the Federal Communications Commission, warning that he would try to overhaul the agency if it closed a broadcast ownership loophole.

The letter, and two later ones signed by Mr. McCain, then chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, urged the commission to abandon plans to close a loophole vitally important to Glencairn Ltd., a client of Vicki Iseman, a lobbyist. The provision enabled one of the nation’s largest broadcasting companies, Sinclair, to use a marketing agreement with Glencairn, a far smaller broadcaster, to get around a restriction barring single ownership of two television stations in the same city.
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A review of the record, including agency records now at the National Archives and interviews with participants, shows that Mr. McCain, Republican of Arizona, played a significant role in killing the plan to eliminate the loophole. His actions followed requests by Ms. Iseman and lobbyists at other broadcasting companies, according to lobbying records and Congressional aides.

I respect Sen. McCain personally, as a veteran and former prisoner of war...but it seems his actions with regards to lobbyists is hypocritical at best. This is just the sort of corruption that Washington is rife with. Not something I desire in a President.

Technorati Tags: Politics, McCain, Lobbyists, Iseman, FCC