That McCain Story From Drudge

Drudge has a short item on John McCain fighting behind the scenes to spike a story on his relationship with a telecom lobbyist. I've found two items that make this a curious blurb.

Just weeks away from a possible surprise victory in the primaries, Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz has been waging a ferocious behind the scenes battle with the NEW YORK TIMES, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned, and has hired DC power lawyer Bob Bennett to mount a bold defense against charges of giving special treatment to a lobbyist!

McCain has personally pleaded with NY TIMES editor Bill Keller not to publish the high-impact report involving key telecom legislation before the Senate Commerce Committee, newsroom insiders tell the DRUDGE REPORT.

Item one - McCain co-sponsored Senate Bill - 1504:

Senate Bill 1504–the Broadband Investment and Consumer Choice Act–was introduced in July by Republican Senators John Ensign of Nevada and John McCain of Arizona. According to the bill, the act would “eliminate government managed competition of existing communication service” and “provide parity between functionally equivalent services.”

Essentially, the legislation would eliminate a requirement for telecommunications companies to pay franchise fees to local municipalities. These fees are required as compensation to the community for use of the public right of way through which the companies route cables and utilities. By eliminating the franchise fees, the bill will eliminate the only source of funding that the public access provider receives.

Item two - McCain likes lobbyists and they like him. Whether or not he went too far, as the Drudge blurb suggests? But then, that depends on what the definition of too far is.

Republican John McCain and Democrat Hillary Clinton each list more than twice as many lobbyist-fundraisers than any of their respective party’s other presidential candidates. All of the candidates using lobbyists as bundlers are listed in the following chart.

Comments

[Fred Beloit]

"...each list more than twice as many lobbyist-fundraisers than any of their respective party’s other presidential candidates." More than...than...? One than too many. Why Are we seeing more of this solecism than than we should?