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Candidates Vie to Be The Anti-Lobbyist
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"Senator McCain wanted to set a higher standard than any presidential candidate ever had about conflict of interest and lobbying," Black said. "The next question is: Will Obama do the same and enforce it?"
Some of McCain's advisers said Monday they are mystified by the new policy, which they said gives Obama an opening to attack their candidate.
"The most interesting thing in every campaign is the self-inflicted wound. This is a great case," said one GOP fundraiser, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss McCain's campaign decisions candidly. "When asked to name the 10,000 things people think are the most important issue, this doesn't make the list."
Another adviser said: "There's scratching of heads. What is going on? Why are we doing this?"
Democrats seized the opportunity to hammer McCain by calling for more departures. Several groups focused on Black, who recently quit his lobbying practice to work on the campaign full-time. In an e-mail to members, the liberal group MoveOn.org called Black's role as a McCain adviser a "moral issue" because of Black's work as a lobbyist representing controversial foreign leaders. Black and his firm have represented the governments of Zaire (now Congo), Somalia, Angola and Nigeria.
Black, who has served on several presidential campaigns, said he has no intention of leaving. "Of course not," he said in an interview.
He told reporters on McCain's campaign plane that Obama's comments about him were "nonsense." And several campaign aides pointed out that the Democrat's pledge not to take money from lobbyists was not as ironclad as it may seem. Obama does accept money from the spouses of lobbyists and from many of the interests that lobbyists represent.
Obama's campaign does not allow paid staff members to be lobbyists, according to a spokesman. But it does allow volunteers to lobby the federal government while donating their time to Obama.
The Democrat's remarks Monday were his sharpest to date on a subject that has put McCain on the defensive. Obama first waded into the discussion Sunday, when he questioned McCain's judgment on the topic. That brought a pointed response from McCain aides, who said in an e-mail to reporters: "If Barack Obama is going to make associations the issue, we look forward to the debate about Senator Obama's associations and what they say about his judgment and readiness to be commander in chief."
They noted that "just a few years ago when Barack Obama was beginning his career in politics he was launching it at the home of William Ayers, an unrepentant domestic terrorist who his chief strategist said Senator Obama was certainly friendly with."
Obama, in turn, sharpened his comments, telling the crowd here that one of McCain's advisers had been lobbying for big energy companies, and two others had done work "for the military regime that's stopping aid from getting into Burma."
"I'm glad Senator McCain is taking these steps," Obama told the crowd. "But it's noteworthy that two of the most influential corporate lobbyists in Washington have taken time off to run his campaign. And they are still at the helm today."
Shear reported from Washington. Staff writer Paul Kane in Washington contributed to this report.
