Besides being an American war hero, Senate Commerce Committee chairman, a powerful campaign finance reform voice, a credible GOP presidential contender and-until recently-the darling of the mainstream press, John McCain (R-Ariz.), we now know, is human. All too human. For some, that makes McCain all the more appealing. For others, recent revelations about the Arizona lawmaker strike at the heart of an outsider strategy that has served McCain well heading into the New Hampshire primaries next Tuesday.
First, there were the stories of McCain writing FCC Chairman William Kennard for a decision on a long-pending matter affecting a McCain donor. Not just any donor, though. This donor happens to be winging McCain around the country on its private jet.
Wasn’t it McCain who got on Kennard’s case for giving into pressure from Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) to let a pirate broadcaster resume operations?
That McCain nudges Kennard along is no news to us. Had McCain not raised Cain about the backlog at the FCC a year or so ago, the wireless bureau might still be a basket case.
Last week, The Washington Post reported on McCain’s alleged fondness for Baby Bells and generous donations he received from U S West Inc. Again, not big news from where we sit, but bad presidential press for McCain nonetheless.
It just so happens U S West chief exec Saul Trujillo co-chairs McCain’s presidential campaign finance committee. Trujillo, you may recall, initially headed the Telecommunications Development Fund.
Trujillo, too, is the fellow who last year revived a $5 million donation (on U S West’s behalf) for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Two days later, Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt vowed to pursue state telecom deregulation.
U S West previously had withdrawn its $5 million contribution after bribery allegations surfaced in connection with the International Olympic Committee’s selection of Salt Lake City to host the 2002 winter games.
If memory serves correctly, Leavitt subsequently dropped the telecom dereg initiative after quid pro quo queries were raised.
McCain is at once impressive and intriguing.
Last year, he supported FCC bankruptcy legislation meant to snuff out NextWave Telecom Inc. even as key House members opposed it. That McCain might have wanted to stay as far away as possible from another multibillion dollar government bailout is understandable. Some believe Pete Belvin, a McCain telecom advisor, simply has never been fond of NextWave.
McCain was one of a handful of lawmakers to oppose the 1996 telecom act. Wasn’t deregulatory enough, he said. The Baby Bells agree. Now, several bills are floating around on Capitol Hill that would let the Bells (all four of them) into the potentially lucrative broadband market.
Meantime, the big money continues to flow into the Bush campaign. Now that makes John McCain mad.
