For years, John McCain has chaired the International Republican Institute, a massive non-profit that promotes global democracy and raises hundreds of millions from lobbyists, corporations, and assorted other private donors. It's been a good gig. "Operating without the sort of limits placed on campaign fund-raising, the institute under Mr. McCain has solicited millions of dollars for its operations from some 560 defense contractors, lobbying firms, oil companies and other corporations, many with issues before Senate committees Mr. McCain was on." Neat! Meanwhile, it's allowed McCain to make some useful friends along the way. For instance, when Obama gave a speech to Cuban exiles in May, Republicans circulated a rejoinder from the Cuban Democratic Directorate, who had gotten $8 million from McCain and the IRI over the years. That said, nothing in this post should be interpreted, construed, or understood to in any way question the purity of Mr. McCain's intentions, his heroism during the Vietnam War, or his reputation as a man who hates lobbyists and would sooner spit on them than chair a large institute that raises millions of dollars from them.
