http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/43628CREW filed a Senate ethics complaint today against Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), whose disregard for official Senate rules led him to use outside funds to pay for robocalls in other senators’ states that urged voters to support passage of his motion to quash the Senate’s healthcare reform legislation.
First reported in National Journal, Sen. McCain apparently recorded calls urging the constituents of Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) to pressure their senators to support his motion.
Here’s the script of his Arkansas call:
On Monday I introduced the first Republican amendment to the massive health care bill, which would send the bill back to the Senate Finance Committee and stop the Democrats from cutting vital Medicare coverage for our seniors. I need Sen. Blanche Lincoln to join me in this effort. If you agree with me, please go to our website at www.healthcaretaskforce.org and sign a petition to Sen. Lincoln urging her to join my effort to fight a Washington DC government takeover of your health care.
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Senate Rule 38 prohibits senators from having “unofficial office accounts” – meaning they can’t use private donations to support official senate business. Sen. McCain reportedly funded these robocalls with money from the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), therefore blatantly using outside money to pay for advancing his senatorial agenda.
If Sen. McCain wanted to lobby voters, then he should have used his own money to do it. The Senate’s rules are clear – if the NRSC paid for his robocalls, his actions were improper.
Ethics rules are not optional.
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get him!
we all know how much of a cheater he is.