Interesting letter from John McCain to Barack Obama

[ejs]

MCCAIN RELEASES LETTER TO OBAMA
For Immediate Release
Monday, Feb 06, 2006

Washington D.C. *– Today, Senator McCain sent the following letter to Senator Obama regarding ongoing Congressional efforts towards bipartisan lobbying reform. The following is the text from that letter:

February 6, 2006

The Honorable Barack Obama

United States Senate

SH-713

Washington, DC 20510


Dear Senator Obama:

I would like to apologize to you for assuming that your private assurances to me regarding your desire to cooperate in our efforts to negotiate bipartisan lobbying reform legislation were sincere. When you approached me and insisted that despite your leadership’s preference to use the issue to gain a political advantage in the 2006 elections, you were personally committed to achieving a result that would reflect credit on the entire Senate and offer the country a better example of political leadership, I concluded your professed concern for the institution and the public interest was genuine and admirable. Thank you for disabusing me of such notions with your letter to me dated February 2, 2006, which explained your decision to withdraw from our bipartisan discussions. I’m embarrassed to admit that after all these years in politics I failed to interpret your previous assurances as typical rhetorical gloss routinely used in politics to make self-interested partisan posturing appear more noble. Again, sorry for the confusion, but please be assured I won’t make the same mistake again.

As you know, the Majority Leader has asked Chairman Collins to hold hearings and mark up a bill for floor consideration in early March. I fully support such timely action and I am confident that, together with Senator Lieberman, the Committee on Governmental Affairs will report out a meaningful, bipartisan bill.

You commented in your letter about my “interest in creating a task force to further study” this issue, as if to suggest I support delaying the consideration of much-needed reforms rather than allowing the committees of jurisdiction to hold hearings on the matter. Nothing could be further from the truth. The timely findings of a bipartisan working group could be very helpful to the committee in formulating legislation that will be reported to the full Senate. Since you are new to the Senate, you may not be aware of the fact that I have always supported fully the regular committee and legislative process in the Senate, and routinely urge Committee Chairmen to hold hearings on important issues. In fact, I urged Senator Collins to schedule a hearing upon the Senate’s return in January.

Furthermore, I have consistently maintained that any lobbying reform proposal be bipartisan. The bill Senators Joe Lieberman and Bill Nelson and I have introduced is evidence of that commitment as is my insistence that members of both parties be included in meetings to develop the legislation that will ultimately be considered on the Senate floor. As I explained in a recent letter to Senator Reid, and have publicly said many times, the American people do not see this as just a Republican problem or just a Democratic problem. They see it as yet another run-of-the-mill Washington scandal, and they expect it will generate just another round of partisan gamesmanship and posturing. Senator Lieberman and I, and many other members of this body, hope to exceed the public’s low expectations. We view this as an opportunity to bring transparency and accountability to the Congress, and, most importantly, to show the public that both parties will work together to address our failings.

As I noted, I initially believed you shared that goal. But I understand how important the opportunity to lead your party’s effort to exploit this issue must seem to a freshman Senator, and I hold no hard feelings over your earlier disingenuousness. Again, I have been around long enough to appreciate that in politics the public interest isn’t always a priority for every one of us. Good luck to you, Senator.

Sincerely,

John McCain

United States Senate


http://mccain.senate.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=NewsCenter.ViewPressRelease&Content_id=1654

[lawyerlee]

It seems to me like it would make sense to include the letter Obama sent McCain. Otherwise, this is pretty damned one sided, no?

Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain Exchange Letters on Ethics Reform (http://obama.senate.gov/letter/060206-sen_obama_and_sen_mccain_exchange_letters_on_ethic s_reform/index.html)

February 2, 2006

The Honorable John McCain
United States Senate
241 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear John:

Thank you for inviting me to participate in the meeting yesterday to discuss lobbying and ethics reform proposals currently before the Senate. I appreciate your willingness to reach out to me and several other Senate Democrats to discuss what should be done to restore public confidence in the way that Congress conducts its business. The discussion clearly underscored the difficult challenge facing Congress.

You and many in the Democratic Caucus have played a major role in reform efforts in the Senate. In fact, the Indian Affairs Committee hearings you led were instrumental in promoting public awareness of the culture of corruption that has permeated the nation's capital.

As you know, Senator Harry Reid and others in the Democratic Caucus have taken an important step by introducing S. 2180, the Honest Leadership Act, which imposes many of the same disclosure requirements for lobbyists that you have proposed, while also strengthening enforcement, eliminating "pay to play" schemes, and imposing more restrictive rules on meals, gifts, and travel that Members and their staff can receive from special interests that advocate before Congress. This bill, which now has the support of 40 members of the Democratic Caucus, represents a significant step in addressing many of the worst aspects of corruption that have come to light as a result of the Justice Department investigation of Jack Abramoff.

I know you have expressed an interest in creating a task force to further study and discuss these matters, but I and others in the Democratic Caucus believe the more effective and timely course is to allow the committees of jurisdiction to roll up their sleeves and get to work on writing ethics and lobbying reform legislation that a majority of the Senate can support. Committee consideration of these matters through the normal course will ensure that these issues are discussed in a public forum and that those within Congress, as well as those on the outside, can express their views, ensuring a thorough review of this matter.

Given the state of affairs in Washington, we have a historic opportunity to make fundamental changes in the way our government operates so that the actions we take as public officials are responsive and transparent to the American people. Thank you again for your interest in this important matter.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama
United States Senator



*****************

Further, calling Obama out for playing party politics is certainly the pot calling the kettle black. (No pun intended.)

[lawyerlee]

Also, Obama's response to McCain's Feb. 6th letter:

February 6, 2006

The Honorable John McCain
United States Senate
241 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear John:

During my short time in the U.S. Senate, one of the aspects about this institution that I have come to value most is the collegiality and the willingness to put aside partisan differences to work on issues that help the American people. It was in this spirit that I approached you to work on ethics reform, and it was in this spirit that I agreed to attend your bipartisan meeting last week. I appreciated then - and still do appreciate - your willingness to reach out to me and several other Democrats.

For this reason, I am puzzled by your response to my recent letter. Last Wednesday morning, you called to invite me to your meeting that afternoon. I changed my schedule so I could attend the meeting. Afterwards, you thanked me several times for attending the meeting, and we left pledging to work together.

As you will recall, I told everyone present at the meeting that my caucus insisted that the consideration of any ethics reform proposal go through the regular committee process. You didn't indicate any opposition to this position at the time, and I wrote the letter to reiterate this point, as well as the fact that I thought S. 2180 should be the basis for a bipartisan solution.

I confess that I have no idea what has prompted your response. But let me assure you that I am not interested in typical partisan rhetoric or posturing. The fact that you have now questioned my sincerity and my desire to put aside politics for the public interest is regrettable but does not in any way diminish my deep respect for you nor my willingness to find a bipartisan solution to this problem.


Sincerely,

Barack Obama
United States Senator

[ejs]

Lawyerlee, I was just getting ready to post the other letter. Thanks for beating me to it. My intent wasn't to make it "pretty damned one sided."

[Freckles]

I heart Obama.:) However, I have to confess I like both men, and I hope they can find a manner to work together on this important issue. It sounds like it was a great misunderstanding on McCains part.

[lawyerlee]

Lawyerlee, I was just getting ready to post the other letter. Thanks for beating me to it. My intent wasn't to make it "pretty damned one sided."
Okay then. Sorry to step on your thread.

[flygirl]

Is it just me, or does the McCain letter reek of too much group-writing by staffers? Not only is the sarcasm and condescention uncharacteristic (I think?), I just don't hear his voice behind it.

On the flipside, Obama's letter is succinct and pretty much rhetoric-free. I *heart* Barack :D.

[msnicolea]

This was a disappointing exchange--I respect McCain in general, but he seems out of line here, unless ther's something more to the story. From what I've read, McCain jumped to a lot of conclusions about Obama's "intent."

[pocket]

Interesting - one of my closest g-friends is not only a R, but a professional R. she's a political moderate and lives in dc. mccain has also done some huge personal favors for her along the way. she can't stand him. when i told her i liked him, she said i had to wait until i knew more about him. i never believed her really that he was a dick, but i think she was probably right. that's a shockingly insulting letter.

[trefoil]

I agree with msnicolea. I'm usually like McCain and respect the thoughtfulness he brings to political debates, but that letter seemed a bit childish and more than a bit rude. I like how Obama handled the situation. I'm very happy to be represented in the senate by Obama and Durbin. :)

[msnicolea]

Obama is all class--LOVE him.

[alootikki]

Obama is all class--LOVE him.

Exactly! Obama's letters were all so straightforward and clear - in comparison McCain just comes across as melodramatic, condescending and petty.

Maybe instead of picking random insignificant fights with freshman Democratic senators, McCain should stand up to his own party's President. (I lost so much respect for McCain when he was stumping for Bush - after the 2000 primaries).

[gayle]

Hmm, and I thought McCain was quasi OK until reading this. How insulting, and I agree, juvenile.

[MLA]

Well, there goes my impression of John McCain. I'd always thought he was a stand-up guy, but that letter's just mean-spirited. It kind of sounds like some of the more huffy posts in heated political threads around here. I expect more from a U.S. Senator. Honestly, I didn't even understand his letter. It seemed so over the top and was pretty rambling. I doubt anyone on his staff wrote it. It's just too full of venom to have been written by someone who wasn't directly involved in the matter.

Interesting - one of my closest g-friends is not only a R, but a professional R. she's a political moderate and lives in dc. mccain has also done some huge personal favors for her along the way. she can't stand him. when i told her i liked him, she said i had to wait until i knew more about him. i never believed her really that he was a dick, but i think she was probably right. that's a shockingly insulting letter.
Very interesting to know that a professional Republican who knows McCain thinks he's a dick. That really says a lot.

Oh, and I HEART Obama, too. His letters were very professional. He strikes me as being everything I'd want a statesman to be.

[ejs]

The end of the saga?
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/07/mccain.obama/index.html
McCain and Obama 'moving on'
Senators have 'nice discussion' after ethics tiff, McCain says

Tuesday, February 7, 2006; Posted: 8:47 p.m. EST (01:47 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A day after a testy exchange of letters that raised eyebrows on Capitol Hill, Republican Sen. John McCain said Tuesday that he and Democratic Sen. Barack Obama were "moving on" after having a "nice discussion."

Further, the two senators are scheduled to appear together on Wednesday afternoon at a Senate hearing on proposed changes to lobbying rules -- the issue that became a bone of contention between them.

"Everything's fine," said McCain, of Arizona, who declined to provide additional details of his conversation with Obama when pressed by reporters. "We're moving on, we're moving on, we're moving on."

On Monday, McCain unleashed an unusually biting and blunt broadside against Obama, accusing the freshman senator from Illinois of backtracking on a previous commitment to work with McCain in developing a bipartisan proposal for lobbying and ethics reform.

In a letter to Obama on Monday, McCain -- upset by his colleague's support for a reform bill put forward by Democratic leaders as well as a suggestion that McCain's approach might delay the process -- accused Obama of "self-interested partisan posturing" and "disingenuousness."

McCain also told the Illinois Democrat that "I understand how important the opportunity to lead your party's efforts to exploit this issue must seem to a freshman senator, and I hold no hard feelings over your earlier disingenuousness."

"I have been around long enough to appreciate that in politics, the public interest isn't always a priority for every one of us," McCain wrote. "Good luck to you, senator."

In response, Obama sent a letter back to McCain, saying he was "puzzled" by McCain's reaction and insisting he still supported a bipartisan approach to ethics reform.

"The fact that you have now questioned my sincerity and my desire to put aside politics for the public interest is regrettable but does not in any way diminish my deep respect for you, nor my willingness to find a bipartisan solution to this problem," Obama wrote.

Earlier Tuesday, as the controversy brewed, McCain paused in front of the cameras to defend the letter, saying his comments were "a little straight talk about people saying one thing and doing another."

"I don't think that the tone was either venomous or sarcastic," he told reporters, prior to his conversation with Obama. "I'm not angry in the slightest."

McCain also said he understands that "people don't like straight talk."

"That's why I am not going to win Miss Congeniality again this year in the Senate."

What set off McCain was a letter Obama sent him late last week, after he and several other Democrats attended a meeting hosted by McCain to discuss a bipartisan approach to lobbying and ethics reform.

In that letter, Obama expressed support for a reform bill being pushed by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, rather than McCain's proposal for a bipartisan task force to look at legislation.

"I know you have expressed an interest in creating a task force to further study and discuss these matters, but I and others in the Democratic caucus believe the more effective and timely course is to allow the committees of jurisdiction (in the Senate) to roll up their sleeves and get to work on writing ethics and lobbying reform legislation that a majority of the Senate can support," Obama wrote.

In the letter he sent Monday, McCain accused the Democratic leadership of wanting "to use the issue to gain a political advantage in the 2006 elections." And he denied that his task force was designed to short-circuit the Senate committee process.

"The timely findings of a bipartisan working group could be very helpful to the committee in formulating legislation," McCain said. "I have consistently maintained that any lobbying reform proposal be bipartisan."

"As I explained in a recent letter to Senator Reid, and have publicly said many times, the American people do not see this as just a Republican problem or just a Democratic problem."

But in his rebuttal, Obama said he made it clear during last week's meeting that the Democratic caucus would insist that any reform plan go through the normal committee process -- and that he believes Reid's bill "should be the basis for a bipartisan solution."

McCain and Obama are scheduled to testify Wednesday before the Senate Rules Committee. The hearing starts at 2 p.m.

CNN Correspondent Ed Henry and Producer Ted Barrett contributed to this report.

[flygirl]

Straight talk? Am I missing something? It was dripping with sarcasm. If you wanted to talk to him straight, tell him you're deeply disappointed and leave it at that.

I still think that letter was written by staffers and not looked at closely enough by McCain.

[msnicolea]

Dinner is served, Senator McCain:

http://www.borealforest.org/birds/crow.jpg

[alootikki]

Hee hee - from Maureen Dowd's column this morning:

Senator McCain went over the top again this week in a letter to Senator Obama. Although Mr. McCain tried to cast his "I'm the reformer — you back off, new guy" letter as "straight talk" after an Obama dis, it was snide and bitchy, more like an angry missive of a spurned lover to an ex-boyfriend than a note from a respected senior senator to a respected junior one.

[chrisinluv]

Dinner is served, Senator McCain:

lol!

Dear Sen. McCain,
I apologize for assuming you wouldn't start playing dirty just because you see your presidential hopes disappearing before your aging eyes. I should have known better, and I am deeply sorry.

[MLA]

Straight talk? Am I missing something? It was dripping with sarcasm. If you wanted to talk to him straight, tell him you're deeply disappointed and leave it at that.

I still think that letter was written by staffers and not looked at closely enough by McCain.

ITA about the "straight talk" nonsense. BUT I really don't believe that staffers wrote the letter. If they did, I'd think they'd be fired. It's just too dripping with sarcasm (as you rightly pointed out) to have been written by a staffer. What staffer in their right mind would write such a sarcastic letter on behalf of their boss? If it were me, I'd be too worried about my job to do something like that. Oh no. I think McCain wrote it himself.

[lawyerlee]

Dinner is served, Senator McCain:

http://www.borealforest.org/birds/crow.jpg
:D :D :D

Somebody needs to get off his bitchy high horse, ASAP.

[Delta]

I'm just catching up on all of this. He totally wrote the letter. I not really a fan of McCain's continued attempts clean up the process because it really just results in bigger messes (see campaign finance 'reform'.) JMO.

However, it seems he bodyslammed Obama here. Obama tried to renege on their prior agreement (so that the Dems could stick together and use this issue in the upcoming elections) and McCain called him on it and Obama feigned ignorance. I really don't see how he's eating crow. Obama relented and McCain got what he wanted.

And he tried to get out of what he said in his first letter in his second letter, but as reported here (http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2006/02/democrats_tell_.html), his spokesperson even said last week that Obama wasn't interested in a commission.

[lawyerlee]

I'm just catching up on all of this. He totally wrote the letter. I not really a fan of McCain's continued attempts clean up the process because it really just results in bigger messes (see campaign finance 'reform'.) JMO.

However, it seems he bodyslammed Obama here. Obama tried to renege on their prior agreement (so that the Dems could stick together and use this issue in the upcoming elections) and McCain called him on it and Obama feigned ignorance. I really don't see how he's eating crow. Obama relented and McCain got what he wanted.

And he tried to get out of what he said in his first letter in his second letter, but as reported here (http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2006/02/democrats_tell_.html), his spokesperson even said last week that Obama wasn't interested in a commission.
All Obama said was that he thought the Democrats' bill was a place to start. How does one take that to mean he's done with the bipartisan effort? :confused: Why is Obama under any obligation to do things the way McCain wants to do them or be painted as someone who hasn't kept his word? Why isn't he entitled to suggest a different way of handling things? I think we can all point to examples of task forces who have toiled for ages and gone no where. It seems to me that McCain made a lot of assumptions, which we all know can be dangerous.

[Delta]

All Obama said was that he thought the Democrats' bill was a place to start. How does one take that to mean he's done with the bipartisan effort? :confused: Why is Obama under any obligation to do things the way McCain wants to do them or be painted as someone who hasn't kept his word? Why isn't he entitled to suggest a different way of handling things? I think we can all point to examples of task forces who have toiled for ages and gone no where. It seems to me that McCain made a lot of assumptions, which we all know can be dangerous.
I think if you read his letter and the statement from his spokesperson, it was clear he wasn't interested in a bipartisan effort (because Reid et al didn't want him to be involved.)

And Obama can certainly do whatever he wants, however he did apparently try to back out of an agreement he'd made with McCain and others. McCain strong-armed him back into compliance. It's just politics.

[lawyerlee]

I think if you read his letter and the statement from his spokesperson, it was clear he wasn't interested in a bipartisan effort (because Reid et al didn't want him to be involved.)
Of course, I'm sure you know more than I do. Cause clearly I haven't read anything and I'm talking out of my ass. :rolleyes:

[lawyerlee]

McCain, Obama Agree to Stop Bickering (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060209/ap_on_go_co/mccain_obama;_ylt=AtWXuDOUTRc3YuLRZnoAMzGs0NUE;_yl u=X3oDMTA3b2NibDltBHNlYwM3MTY-)
AP

By JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Two leaders in current efforts to reduce special interest influence on Congress once again appeared to be fighting on the same side Wednesday, two days after an unusually fiery falling out.

Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., testified together at a Senate hearing on lobbying and ethics overhaul. With a pat on the back and an exchange of compliments, they publicly put in the past an angry letter from McCain charging that Obama was more interested in scoring political points than in working together on the ethics issue.

"I'm particularly pleased to be sharing this panel with my pen pal, John McCain, and look forward to working with him," Obama said at the Senate Rules Committee hearing.

When Obama walked into the hearing room, he put his arm on McCain's shoulder and posed for photographers.

McCain told the committee that he and Obama "are moving on and are continuing to work together and I value his input."

McCain for years has campaigned to reduce the influence of money in politics and make lawmakers less beholden to special interests. His letter on Monday accused the Illinois freshman of putting partisan politics ahead of the public interest. McCain also wrote that he was mistaken in assuming that Obama's concern for good government was "genuine and admirable."

McCain apparently was upset that Obama, after being invited to a bipartisan meeting on lobbying reform, had written a letter expressing support for a plan being pushed only by Democrats.

"I have no idea what has prompted your response," Obama said in a second letter to McCain. "But let me assure you that I am not interested in typical partisan rhetoric or posturing."

The lawmakers also said they would support separate proposals to bring greater control and transparency to the specific projects that are inserted in larger bills at the request of individual members or special interest groups. Such projects, known as earmarks, often are added without the knowledge of other lawmakers.

[Delta]

I also meant to say this last night, but McCain may have 'won' politically and gotten what he wanted WRT Obama, but he still came off looking like an a-hole. I don't dispute that.