Instead of whining to the press about bad coverage maybe they should try telling the truth:

On Sunday McCain said that his campaign manager Rick Davis had severed his ties with Freddie Mac and has had nothing to do with them since 2005.  With typical McCain bravado he challenged the press to check his facts saying "I’ll be glad to have his record examined by anybody who wants to look at it."

Well, the press did look at it.  And guess what they found?  

The New York Times is now reporting that Davis' company was being paid $15,000 a month a recently as last month.  No one else at his company besides Rick Davis is engaged on behalf of Freddie Mac.

Here's a crazy idea.. if they don't want to be called liars, they should consider, oh I don't know... not lying?

That money did not go to him directly and he had cut ties and was on leave with his firm. I am sure you know the firm is seperate from him personally.

The firm was probably getting paid a retainer to fulfill a previously agreed to contract after he stopped working there.


It is an issue the media are trying to make a big deal about and is laughable compared to Obama who had Jim Johnson on his campaign that took millions from Fannie Mae . Obama got $126,000 from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac .

-- Modified on 9/23/2008 11:37:09 PM

McCain's constituents are made up of apathetic, uninformed voters, Vietnam vets and total party loyalists. Any form of critical discretion of him, his voting record and demeanor reflects the most unflattering of political stereotypes.

I meant no slur on veterans of the Vietnam War, or any other war. All I did was list the strongest voter bases of McCain.

''Mr. Davis has seen no income from Davis Manafort since 2006. Zero. Mr. Davis has received no salary or compensation since 2006. Mr. Davis has received no profit or partner distributions from that firm on any basis — weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual — since 2006. Again, zero. Neither has Mr. Davis received any equity in the firm based on profits derived since his financial separation from Davis Manafort in 2006,” said McCain campaign spokesman Michael Goldfarb.''

MSM is in the tank for Obama this is nothing.

Timbow my friend,

So Rick Davis "cut his ties and was on leave with his firm?" Not quite the whole story:

New York Times (9/23): "Mr. Davis took a leave from Davis Manafort for the presidential campaign, BUT AS AN EQUITY HOLDER CONTINUES TO BENEFIT FROM ITS INCOME. No one at Davis Manafort other than Mr. Davis was involved in efforts on Freddie Mac’s behalf, the people familiar with the arrangement said."  Still making money from dealing those mortgage companies.

Several other news articles said he was paid because of his access to McCain.

Three final points:

You're all up in arms about Jim Johnson.  However, Johnson left Fannie in 1998.  So by your logic a guy not involved with Fannie Mae for 10 years is toxic, but a guy who took a leave of absence 3 years ago and is still an equity holder in his firm that does Fannie's bidding (Rick David, cough cough), is squeaky clean.  

And how about taking a closer look at that $126,000 Obama got from Fannie.  According to filings $120,000 of that was from INDIVIDUALS who each gave $200 or more (and are required by law to list their employer).  By now I'm familiar with this  standard GOP obfuscation, Obama got money from people who happen to work at Fannie so according to you guys that means "Fannie" gave him all that money.  Effective politically, but unfortunately not the truth.

And finally, you want  to stick it to Obama for having Johnson as part of his VIP selection team, but you don't seem to care that William Timmons who also made millions from Freddie is supposed to head up McCain's transition team.  No problem with that, right?  And let's not forget McCain's chief of staff at his Senate office who made almost a half million lobbying for Freddie.  No problems there either?

Guess it's okay if you're a Republican, huh?

It don't mean I will vote for him. I share a common experience with him which is more than what I share with Obama. IMHO common experience trumps race.

You know Timbrow - I suppose you could be right.  I mean that in all seriousness.

I suppose it's possible that Davis could have took a genuine leave of absence from his company and might never ever gain any benefit from the $2 million dollars that Fannie has funneled to his lobbying firm - either directly or indirectly.  

I might even be inclined to agree with you if Davis and McCain did already play games with the truth and spout off about how there were no connections between the mortgage giant and Davis.

The problem for your side is you're making a nuanced argument.  And as they say in politics, "if you're explaining you're losing."  Arguing that Davis might not see any gain from the millions Fannie paid his company is debatable - he'll eventually end his leave of absence and return to his company which will be $2 million bucks richer because Fannie Mae wrote years worth of fate checks.  The bigger problem it seems to me is that the argument you're making is trying to establish distinction without a difference.  It's the kind of argument Democrats usually make (which is why your side tends to kick our butts in Presidential elections).  And I have to say, in this case sounding like a Democrat probably isn't a winning formula.

A persons race is not (or shouldn’t be) a litmus test for their presidential consideration, and neither should be their service or non service in the military.

 My father was an Annapolis graduate. He served, led, fought and sustained combat injuries on a Destroyer in WWII. I hold those accomplishments of his in great reverence; but not necessarily qualifications for presidency.  

 My father (a life long registered Republican)
was proud as a peacock when fellow alumni Jimmy Carter ran for and won the Presidency.
When Carters administration was over I don’t think “being one“of my dad’s alumni was much consolation.    




-- Modified on 9/24/2008 11:44:55 AM

New Republican bumper sticker -- Would you like some fries with those McLies?

New Republican bumper sticker -- Would you like some fries with those McLies?



-- Modified on 9/24/2008 2:45:35 PM

edited  

-- Modified on 9/24/2008 10:21:24 PM