…and then he fell in with bad companions.

Media Matters, via Fire Dog Lake…

Lobbyist fundraisers. Two of the co-chairmen of McCain's national finance committee were registered to lobby Congress as of year-end 2007 (the latest disclosure data available), and a third previously lobbied Congress. Another co-chairmen is one of Florida's "most powerful lobbyists" (St. Petersburg Times, 10/1/06). McCain's "top fundraising official" (Washington Post, 2/22/08), one of the two co-chairmen registered to lobby as of year-end 2007, is the founder of a prominent Washington lobbying firm that has made "millions inserting earmarks into spending bills" (Politico, 2/8/08). McCain's reliance on lobbyist fundraisers, which according to Public Citizen includes 59 former and current lobbyist bundlers, follows a multi-year effort by McCain of "reaching out to K Street to strengthen his national fundraising network" (The Hill, 3/8/06).

Lobbyist advisers and staffers. At least 24 McCain staffers or advisers were either registered to lobby Congress (as of year-end 2007) or were previously lobbyists, according to a Media Mattersreview. Former and current federally registered lobbyists include McCain's campaign manager, deputy campaign manager, chief political adviser, senior policy adviser, more than half a dozen economic policy advisers, and numerous national and state co-chairmen.