McCain's Latest Lie: Obama is the 'Big Oil' Candidate
By SilentPatriot Friday Aug 08, 2008 2:15pm
What's a Republican candidate to do when he's rightfully accused of being beholden to the interests and agenda of Big Oil? Why, wrongfully accuse your opponent of being beholden to the interests of Big Oil. Just a day after getting publicly busted for taking highly dubious campaign contributions from a Queens, NY, couple with ties to the energy industry, the McCain campaign is selectively citing a Center for Responsive Politics report to make the ludicrous argument that Obama is in the pocket of the oil industry. New McCain communications flack Nicole Wallace -- formerly of Bush Co. -- took to "Morning Joe" this morning to push this deceptive storyline, only to get busted on it despite Joe Scarborough's most valiant effort to cover for her.
Download | play 
Download | play (h/t Bill W.)
Wallace: "The money story of the week was the day after Barack Obama launched his ad - John McCain, George Bush, blah blah blah, Big Oil - turns out Barack Obama has actually received more money from Exxon-Mobil and from oil than John McCain has..."
A couple things here. First, it is true that Obama has received more contributions from employees of Exxon Mobil than McCain. But it's also true, however, that McCain has received more than three times overall ($1.3 million) from the industry than Obama has.
(note the recent spike after McCain announced his full-throated support for off-shore drilling)
Second, as Steve Benen notes, there's a big difference in the types of contributions flowing to each candidate:
There’s a qualitative and quantitative difference between some low-level Chevron employee chipping in to the Obama campaign, and the kind of bundling we’ve seen from oil executives working on McCain’s behalf. There’s money from the oil industry and then there’s money from the oil industry.
Exactly. Say my wife works as an accountant for Exxon Mobil or Chevron and donates to the Obama campaign. It can hardly be argued that he is being influenced by the industry by taking her contribution. McCain and the RNC, on the other hand, are collection huge, bundled donations that certainly seem to be affecting the GOP energy platform.
Benen also makes this crucial distinction which seems to elude the shrieking wingnuts and clueless pundits:
Let’s not miss the forest for the trees — the problem isn’t just that McCain is taking Big Oil’s cash, it’s that he’s pushing Big Oil’s agenda. That’s a much bigger deal.
That's the point that needs to be hammered home. Regardless of who the contributions come from, the real issue is whether or not those contributions unduly influence the candidate's policy toward the respective industry. If Obama wants to take money from employees of oil companies then use that money to get elected and slap a huge windfall profits tax on the industry, by all means, go right ahead. But to somehow argue that Obama is in the pocket of Big Oil -- when he receives 1/3 of McCain's total large-sum contributions, mind you -- is just rank dishonesty.
Again, it should come as no surprise that this deceitful line of attack comes just one day after McCain is forced to return over $50,000 in questionable oil money. I'm pretty confident that the majority of Americans are smart enough to realize how laughable it is for a Republican to accuse a Democrat of favoring the Big Oil agenda. Then again, the idea was to divert attention away from McCain and his shady dealings. In that vein, it looks like it just may have succeeded.
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People shouldn't be surprised...
If Obama can't win this election, the Dems are officially extinct as a political force. The corporations don't need a weatherman to tell them which way the wind blows.
Why let facts get in the way of a good narrative? It's getting rather redundant pointing out how the MSM fails in practically every aspect of their job.
This has been the one-two punch of the Republican MO for awhile now. One: Take your opponents strongest quality and attack him with it. Attacking John Kerry for his war heroics is no different than now attacking Obama's swelling popluarity and ability to inspire. Two: try to project your candidate's biggest weaknesses onto the opponent; which is what we are seeing here.
Lying whore.
Come on...They're both "Big oil candidates" (Obama and McCain).
Hey, is there any other kind?
This is a classic Machiavellian tactic of doublespeak. Call the other guy what you are. So McCain just told everyone HE was the big oil candidate.
obvious difference between donations to each political party. numbers don't lie but mccain does. he wouldn't be getting this oil money if he wasn't committed to "Big Oil's"
agenda that goes without saying. take a look at this easy to read graph. obama don't stand there and take hit back
http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=E01
That's also why the Democrats are worse than the Republicans. The Democrats sell out for much, much less.
Yawnnnnn. More bullshit fom the GOPers.
I heard today that Obama sold out the stadium in Denver. In 24 hrs. I don't know if this is true or not, so some help would be nice.
I heard this on Ed Shultz's show this morning.
Other than that, I expect the McCain camp to come up with even more ridiculous statements.
Shultz made a comment that stuck with me. He said that the GOPers in Congress with all their posturing about voting on drilling is a moot point.
The reason being is that the GOP have voted against every alternative energy bill when they were in the majority.
This is the only platform they have. And it's a piss poor one at that. They've got nuthin.period.
There's a huge difference between oil company employees sending a donation to Obama and the corporation making a massive donation to the RNC.
mccain top recipient....same tactic lie and leave it up to public to figure it..confuse the public so that the potential negative frame...doesn't establis itself. this is a perfect example of why people don't get involved get wore down constantly digging for the truth not everybody has that time. check out this list mccain on top.
http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/recips.php?ind=E01&cycle=2008&reci...
Charles @ 8:
Who's lies do you prefer ? It's just that the Repugs are just more experienced at it and have Karl Rove leading the pack teaching the cohorts.
Charles @ 6:
Shame that most people in the US would likely think that 1984 is a date for a beer or something .............
Mike Mid City @ 4:
Given the country she is from and the job she has chosen to do, she can't be anything else. There is no credibility of US politicians, or anyone on the TV and also the people now. Just stick up a grinning blonde and and 90% of the US people will just accept anything she says.
General_Rennenkampf @ 1:
It's not a case of win, there hasn't been a cleanly elected or run election in the US for a long time. McCain has been chosen, everything else is just a song and dance to keep the sheep happy, angry and distracted.
constituent @ 11:
Oh must be "liberal media lies" or something ............ quick where are my guns and bible .........
Johnny2BadObamaCavedOnOffshoreDrilling @ 5:
i believe your correct......now that's established who's the biggest? most total contributions from oil?
Jerry @ 12:
Chosen? Who does the choosing? The Elders of Zion or whatever boogeymen you fellas imagine? Geez, there's more John Bircher nuts on C&L than there are at a lot of conservative sites these days, and I can hardly stand Con sites, much too akin to Nazism.
George W. Bush explains to the US womens volley ball team how he stopped playing golf out of respect for the US military in harms way.
Link to picture.
-GSD
Another Republican perma-grin blonde issuing partial truths and convincing themselves that they are helping/manipulating the public.
They won't be challenged except in blogs like this. Even if they were challenged, the damage has been done, they know it, and they keep on grinning.
mcBush/HESS'08
lj @ 17:
That's because the US is devoid of anything bordering on investigative journalism, as the people have been taught not to think for themselves and just take spoon fed emotive "pundits" at their word and then repeat it to others.
General_Rennenkampf @ 15:
"I disagree with it, there four it must be conspiracy" ........... you're attempts at comedy with Robert W. Welch Jr aside, the US is a bought and sold country with a lot of sheep running around thinking they actually make a difference, while their government which is run by a hand picked cabal enacts the interests of the military and oil industries. Ah Nazism ....... the kind that Prescott Bush supported so vehemently as did a lot of the US population, before changing sides when it became more profitable.
Can we agree that BOTH of these guys, and their parties are in the pocket of Big Oil and Big Biz?
It's good to know that I have personally contributed to putting Obama in the pocket of "Big Software"
typical/effective Rove tactic dilute if you will the potential
media coverage of 50k questionable funds. although not overly concerned this concerns me nonetheless...dems.
get on the offense...hit harder..make some noise.
wow..u.s. women take:gold,silver,bronze.sabre/fencing
go usa
Jerry @ 19:
No...I asked a simple question, who makes up the cabal. If you cannot provide an answer, that's your problem. Who...is...the...cabal?
Hess oil.
oil contributions to senators mccain #1 recipient
http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/recips.php?ind=E01&cycle=2008&reci...
That McCain is missing his true vocation - stand-up comedy.
People forget that atleast some of the oil industry, especially Hess, are unionized. Its no surprise that lower level workers would contribute to Obama then.
This is just another case of 'Throw enough shit and hopefully it will stick'. Any person with half a brain will know this for what it is. McCain's pathetic attempt to look revelant. Fact is, he has nothing else to offer but smears.
General_Rennenkampf @ 23:
Be that the fed, leaders of the obvious industries that I've pointed out or just the wealth. I have no problem seeing it as it is.
Though that you have to ask (in a loaded and passive aggressive manner) I'm sure you have the usual list if knee jerk reactionary responses.
where is she from? does anybody know where she lives? i want to speak to her husband and explain to him that he is married to a stupid lying republican whore.
Jerry @ 29:
Nah...I see aristocracy where you see X-Files Syndicate. The small group of aristocrats in the US have and will control the affairs of North America for quite some time. Both Paleo-Riches and Neo-Riches.
We should all agree Obama's change is business as usual.
Both Senators are corrupt and not worth fighting for.
Well, at least we aren't talking about Edwards. We have seemed to move beyond it, I wish MSM would do the same. Apparently THEY Believe the Democratic Party is doomed! What a bunch of corporate hacks.
Nicole Wallace is a fictional character in NBC's Law & Order: Criminal Intent, portrayed by Olivia d'Abo. She is the archnemesis of one of the show's main characters, Det. Robert Goren.
Noun
archnemesis
1. chief nemesis
WTF? The McCain campaign indeed becomes more and more celebrity-like.
Still waiting for this headline-
"McCain Accuses Obama of Fathering Black Baby"
General_Rennenkampf @ 31:
Aristocrats? I think you mean plutocrats.
i'm still surprised with people that don't understand
obama's pursuit of Change......obama is a realist.
in the land of realism compromise rules the land. obama is not in a position to bring the change that is needed until winning that opportunity. people from lotus land please leave your negative and less than profound comments for the people who don't want/understand u.s. politics...the life of politics is much more involved than saying it's business as usual....so let's quit. that in itself is a strategy.i find it interesting that some people have decided to define change and obama on their simplistic terms. i have an understanding of black and white thinkers having had discussions with people who
think on those terms......it doesn't work in this case. it's more complicated and nuanced.
getalife "whiners" @ 32:
Americans will need to vote for one of them however, that is-- if they intend to vote. Oh, one could vote for that other party I suppose, but then why vote at all, in that case?
Again, Obama seems to be less involved with special interests in general (corporate and religious) than his far more corrupt adversary still apparently is. That's a glimmer of hope overall, imo
the real story here is that john mcsame has NO ABILITY to differentiate between human beings and corporations
Exxon-Mobil is a CORPORATION, and has given NOTHING to the Obama campaign
the employees of Exxon-Mobil are HUMAN BEINGS, and as such, are NOT COMMONLY REFEREED TO AS THE CORPORATE ENTITY THEY WORK FOR
is john mcsame the equivalent of the US Senate ???
then why are the employees of Exxon-Mobil = Exxon-Mobil ???
has anybody asked mcsame that ???
McCain knows he can't win on the issues facing this country so he's relying on a snowstorm of lies. The "Straight Talk" Express has become the "Bullshit" Express. Pretty pathetic if you ask me.
DRILL HERE DRILL NOW? (pushback video using their slogan against them.)
constituent @ 37:
I really enjoyed this post, Mr. or Ms. Constituent. I hope that most folks who stop by here will get a chance to read it.
BennyP @ 20:
no...we cannot
back to freeperville you go
These people are just inherently dishonest.
Behind the sweet perky mask sits a ruthless professional liar.
MSNBC The New Network Of Deception
"Thou shell rationalize any facts needed to advance Republican gaols." MSNBC uses the former statement like a biblical commandment. Racism, Democratic intentions and actions, polls, truths and facts mean nothing to this network of deception. Their primary goal is to create a reality that favors the Republican agenda. MSNBC is now worse then Fox News.
From Dan Abrams to Kieth Olbermann, they all twist information to suit issues, facts and special guest assertions. They lie and back it up with a rational line of scenarios no one will call them on in the moment they release their deceptions. Believe it this was an exception to the rule. You can thank Karl Rove for Nicole Wallace's attempt to accuse the opponent of what they accuse you of. You recall they used this tactic with the claim Barack Obama was getting more attention from the press. Like this claim, it was a lie they hoped would catch on. The John McCain camp has to do something; their bias polls have been discovered and now stand to be washed out by true pollsters who give Obama more of a lead. It is known Gallup and Rasmussen daily tracking polls are being used as a option to lower Obama's numbers as needed. You don't really think McCain is beating Obama or one point behind him? If you do, I have some land in Alaska I can sell you really cheap.
It appears everything goes on MSNBC. Pat Buchanan boarder line racist statements, calling candidates children a whore to be pimped by their own Mother and anything they can use to keep viewers away from Fox news. One could make the argument actual news reporting is second to news creation in MSNBC. Where has all the professionalism went? It surely is not on MSNBC.
Joseph
Uncle Joe Mccarthy @ 43:
Excuse me? Are you calling me a right winger?
Those are fighting words where I come from, punk. I thought personal attacks were frowned on here.
If you honestly think Obama and the Dems are somehow pure and untouched by corporate interests and constraints then you're no different than the 20% who blindly follow BushCo.
Back to Fantasyland you go.
Where do they get all these air-headed blonde bimbos as party spokesmen?
Do you win the argument by having the prettiest girl?
Sorority girls and pom-pom girls always went with the jocks who didn't share a brain cell between them, but when they never got discovered by the scouts and fell apart had nothing left.
Remember when the reichwing were all just gushing over how gorgeous they thought ann colter was?
NEWS FLASH!
The definition of Bop is getting hard to pin down with the Edwards affair.
Date line Cyberspace 8/09/08 5:20pm EST
Bam Bam Obama's http:www.BOP-O-METER.com tops 27,000 Big Mac McCain now leads with fewer Bops!
Bops for Obama break past Big Mac McCain!!!!!! Is this the Paris Bop effect?????
Google bop-o-rama to see what is in the news!
Movement to paint the White House PINK grows!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Voters and Boppers seen defecting to Paris, and we don't mean Paris France!!!!!!!
McCain's http://www.BOP-O-METER.com tops 23,000.
Obama's http://www.BOP-O-METER.com tops 27,000
Hey she is totally hot! --Diddy Widdy unofficial spokesperson for The Paris Hilton for President campaign.
Obama campaign has no comment at this time. A real celebrity in the race now. Panic in Hawaii????
Meanwhile, the McCain camp had the following to say.
"Bop-O-Nomics! Could we please get someone in here to explain Bop theory of economics!"
Paris is now talking more than painting the white house PINK. "Congress is a bit drab. No wonder they can't get anything done." PINK it is!!!!! I
Your Bops Count!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Goooo PINK!!!!!!!!!!
"Bop early and Bop often." --Alphonso Carponzo
http://www.bop-o-rama.com
Nicolle Devenish Wallace is the skank who traveled with Dubya, spinning his bullshit for most of his presidency. When she appeared with David Gregory on his show yesterday, I had to switch channels. It's Bush all over again. Now Rove is driving McCain's campaign. These people make me sick to my stomach. Every word they spew is spin. The most damning part of McCain right now, is his relationship with the Bush Gestapo. How could it be one bit different than Bush/Cheney? All the players are the same!
funny how they never have their facts with them at the opportune time...."oh, I will Blackberry them to you later..." Uh, how about blackberry them to me right now!!!!.."Oh dear, I don't have my Blackberry with me".... the oldest trick in the book....Joe's a retard for letting that crap on his crappy show....!
The Rethugs are desperate, and I know things are going to get REALLY nasty before long...
getalife "whiners" @ 32:
Yeah, now that the GOPers have fucked up beyond salvation, now "we are all created equal" right?
It just proves that when we collectively distribute this critical information to people outside of the belt wave, we can hammer the messages, that our national media will not give to them.
I have an address book with more then fifteen hundred people of all walks of life and every color in the rainbow, who receive this critical information and pass it on to millions more, who watch CNN, Fox News and MSNBC, and cringe at the different takes, they get.
They are also watching the bogus polling data and actually looking at the difference in people they see supporting both candidates. It just does not jive, when we see McCain visiting all of these States, on weekly bases and yet he is barely able to draw 100 people, yet they claim he is running neck and neck to Obama, who draws hundreds of thousands of people, every where T shirts in the hundreds of thousands . I know because people are making small fortunes with this stuff.
Unfortunately I even think our liberal radio stations have the data wrong with the polling. Not on purpose, but for the reason they are so busy with their daily radio broadcast, they are not seeing what we see and connecting the dots. Unlike the right wing talk shows and TV, who deliberatly and willfully mislead the public.
They are even using false polling data to misslead the public into thinking we want the democrats to join the republicans into drilling. We hear these freaks all over these political talk shows sprouting how much heat the democrats are taking from their constituents, they know is not true.
They know dame well that we want Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats to continue on with her vacation and continue giving the jack asses on the right, the all mighty finger.
They know that at this stage of the game, we want them to continue running out the clock. There is NO need for any more floor fights with these lunitics. We are through with that crap.
dont worry , big oil takes care of thier own, barack and john!
constituent @ 14:
Who's less of a shill? It seems to be Obama. Now that's change we can believe in.
His new tag line should be: "I'm the lesser shill you've been waiting for." Or..."Yes We Can, take a fewer big oil dollars than the Republicans."
Beautiful.
Who are these people, and how is it that their opinions matter?
When is Obama going to start fighting fire with fire?!
It's no secret that Obama is in the tank for Big Oil. After all, nothing could be more obvious than Big Oil's desire to be spanked with a windfall profits tax.
For anyone not paying attention, Big Oil is run by a bunch of bleeding heart socialists who secretly want everything to be free for consumers, while oil executives scratch out a lower middle class living.
And for those people who think Obama "caved" on off-shore drilling to appease Big Oil -- nonsense. To the extent he caved, he most likely did so because he could see the polls shifting.
oh really @ 58:
Caving on FISA was all it took to prove to me who works for who.
Johnny2BadObamaCavedOnOffshoreDrilling @ 55:
Perhaps you'd like to scroll down to The Gang of 10 thread on this website to get the bigger picture of this issue. Or maybe it's easier to take cheap shots at Obama and disregard political realities.
We don't need any more complainers, Johnny. There are tons of them over in the Repub party. Why not light a candle instead of cursing the darkness for once?
Projection. It's not just for bigscreen TVs anymore...
Bottom line:
CORPORATE OIL supports the candidate that will do THEM the most good. - Oil profits = Greatest PROFIT in HISTORY of business
OIL COMPANY EMPLOYEES support the candidate that will do THEM the most good. - Real Wages/Benefits = greatest decline in 8 years
go figger . . . .
McSame is now resorting to sending out BABES. Is he trying to fool the NASCAR crowd into thinking they are voting for a BABE???
Mike Mid City @ 4:
Blondes don't lie, do they? That's why Pox is loaded with them, because they're so believable, and would never say anything untrue or nasty.
McCain’s Latest Lie: Obama is the ‘Big Oil’ Candidate
That was particularly true during his gericurl (sp) days.
Uncle Joe Mccarthy @ 43:
This is also a common lament of third party supporters, libertarians, Greens, Naderites and Paulicians (beginning to sound Biblical, ain't it?)
I'm inclining to the Socialist party myself.
Let me get this straight, mcgramps calls for off-shore drilling and holds Obama hesitancy on the issue against him. And he's not in the pocket of Big Oil?
Of course it's now harder to make this case since Obama comes from the Pelosi/Reid branch of Democrats and immediately folded under pressure.
God that whole clip pissed me off. McCain has gotten three times as much money from big oil as Obama. Also, the "Cheney energy bill" actually increased taxes on the oil industry. The bill cut some taxes and increased other taxes and resulted in a net tax increase.
The bill also contained in it the biggest tax break ever for alternative energy sources. The majority of democrats supported the bill.
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/oily_words.html
Everyone needs to start factchecking that every time the GOP lies about that bill. Cheney's tax cuts got stripped from the bill by the time it passed.
While McCain, his cheap gang of supporters and the Oil corporations are busy trying to sell these lies of Obamas so call involvement in taking all the oil money, I hope that we are busy in our States checking on these election offices to make sure they will be ready for the massive numbers of people that will be voting in November.
We are racking up New Voters, all over this country and you may be sure they will Not be voting for McCain or any of these disgusting Republicans. We will be ready with our identification cards and thanks to them we are going to be pro-active, so that it will not be necessary to be re-active on election day. There will be nothing that will stop us from voting.
I observed a number of people from the black and brown communities, voting in our primary election that will close on Tuesday. They came armed with their identification cards, phone bills and whatever else they thought would be needed, in order to not have any reason they would be denied the right to vote.
I was very proud to see that the message is getting out, and we need to keep promoting this to everyone. It takes all of us to look out for our citizens, that may not be getting the necessary information to make sure they are allowed to vote.
They can send these little cheap tricks out on the right wing talk circuit, until the cows come home and it makes no difference to real honest, concerned citizens. We have had it with these cheap thugs.
Come November, we are going to be armed and extremely dangerous, to anyone that would even think about screwing around with this election.
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