The Associated Press reports that John "Freedom Fries" McCain employs former lobbyists for EADS, the parent of Toulouse, France-based Airbus, on his staff. EADS and Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) recently won a $100 billion contract to build refueling tankers for the Air Force, edging out Boeing Inc. (NYSE: BA) which has filed a protest.
McCain now employs the people who lobbied for EADS on his own staff. According to the AP report, EADS retained The Loeffler Group to lobby for the tanker deal in 2007. Loeffler Group lobbyists on the project included Tom Loeffler, who lobbies for EADS and serves as McCain's national finance chairman; Susan Nelson, who left Loeffler and is now the campaign's finance director; and former Secretary of the Navy William Ball III, who has campaigned for McCain.
EADS also had a long-term relationship with Ogilvy Government Relations, formerly known as the Federalist Group. Ogilvy lobbyist John Green, who records show worked on the EADS account, recently took a leave of absence to volunteer for McCain as the campaign's congressional liaison.
McCain denies any favoritism towards EADS in awarding the contract. EADS employees donated $14,000 to McCain's presidential campaign, more than any other member of Congress this election cycle. Did EADS get a good return on that $14,000?
It's worth investigating.
Peter Cohan is President of Peter S. Cohan & Associates. He also teaches management at Babson College and edits The Cohan Letter
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-12-2008 @ 4:19PM
gene said...
I was always curious why Mccain seemed to have a vendetta against Boeing. Peter Cohan's revelation about EADS lobbyists at the highest level of his campaign clears that up. McCain is no longer a war hero but a sell out. NO AMERICAN PATRIOT SHOULD VOTE FOR HIM
3-13-2008 @ 3:34PM
Gary said...
gene, are you serious? Perhaps you should do some further research on the subject and get the full story before engaging your brain, well, in this case that obviously wasn't done.
3-13-2008 @ 10:34PM
Keip Groff said...
It's a little scary - What is next ?
3-15-2008 @ 8:47PM
Ken said...
The manufacturing guys over at Evolving Excellence have also been taking Boeing to task, first in terms of the hypocrisy of whining about losing the tanker deal to NG/Airbus at:
http://www.evolvingexcellence.com/blog/2008/03/boeing-whiner-e.html
Then the even greater hypocrisy of the politicians that are siding with Boeing:
http://www.evolvingexcellence.com/blog/2008/03/so-whos-more-pa.html
Ken
3-15-2008 @ 9:58PM
abscondita cretina said...
airbus is a European Consortium that includes Britain, Germany, Italy and France. Get your facts right. As for the rest of your article, if it is as accurate as your knowledge of the above very simple fact, then it is not even worth thinking about it.
3-19-2008 @ 7:04PM
walt528 said...
This is SOO Typical of our government today...
sell their souls to the Devil for a "buck".
Well that helps me to decide who NOT TO VOTE FOR , FOR PRESIDENT..
Run for President in France...."Sell out King"
It make me proud and adds even more respect for me for my father, who lived in Arizona. He had Nothing good to say about McCane....he was RIGHT. (God Rest his Soul)
Walt
The "All American Boy"!!!!
3-19-2008 @ 7:06PM
Walt528 said...
I still think the "Game Changed" on this by someone......The 767 and the A330 are not in the same "field" for size and weight Class. The 777 would have been more appropriate...
Sound fishy to me.
Whats the story on the "donation" by Eads to the Republican Party and McCane having a EAD's lobbyist on his staff?
Walt
"Red-White and Blue" True!!
Interesting Huh????