[MLUG - DISCUSSION] [POLITICS] Obama/Clinton/McCain/etc.

[Mike Miller]

On Thu, 21 Feb 2008, Vern Green wrote:

>> This sounds very serious to me.  It will be a cloud over his campaign 
>> for months if he ever overcomes it.  Reporters will be reviewing his 
>> votes on the commerce committee that may have helped the 
>> telecommunications companies she represented.
>
> I have actually read about this as well. What they will find is that at 
> least on one occasion, he told her and her clients no and voted against 
> their wishes. The key thing here, is if he had been working with someone 
> who is of the male persuasion, this would have not even been brought up.

Lobbyists and drug reps use attractiveness and flirtation to get what they 
want.  I'm sure it works.  Men aren't able to do that.

It's a tricky situation for a guy like McCain -- if he tries to work with 
men to steer clear of the flirty girls, then he could be branded a sexist, 
but if he works with women, he could be accused of sexual impropriety.  I 
don't see any good solution to this except to limit time with lobbyists to 
strictly business meetings, preferably with staff present at all times -- 
no dinners for two, no trips together, no opportunities to screw up.

Mike