Senator McCain's Fairy Tale Image

Meg White fairly well explained The Keating Five Narrative: How McCain Turns Scandal Into Campaign Fairy Tale ---

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Of the five [Senators], McCain was the only one to have a direct financial conflict of interest. His wife Cindy had a major interest in a Keating real estate development. He was also the closest of the five senators to Keating on a personal level. The McCains flew down to Keating's vacation home in The Bahamas on his private jet multiple times.

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In the end, the risky investments of Keating's company led to a massive taxpayer bailout. Pensioners and others lost their life savings when Keating's company went under. Keating spent four years in prison. The financial scandal went down in history as one of, if not the, worst in the history of the Senate.

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McCain got off with a mild rebuke from Congress.

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Of particular local interest, are Senator McCain's connections to casino gambling and his apparent gambling addiction, reported in the NYT --

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Mr. McCain portrays himself as a Washington maverick unswayed by special interests, referring recently to lobbyists as “birds of prey.” Yet in his current campaign, more than 40 fund-raisers and top advisers have lobbied or worked for an array of gambling interests — including tribal and Las Vegas casinos, lottery companies and online poker purveyors.

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When rules being considered by Congress threatened a California tribe’s planned casino in 2005, Mr. McCain helped spare the tribe. Its lobbyist, who had no prior experience in the gambling industry, had a nearly 20-year friendship with Mr. McCain.

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Maverick? No, just more of the same corruption re-packaged.