So Much For The "Straight Talk Express"

Much like our own Claire McCaskill,  who cozied right up to the lobbyists she disparaged during her campaign, John McCain has his hand out to people he once eschewed.

Just about a year and a half ago, Sen. John McCain went to court to try to curtail the influence of a group to which A. Jerrold Perenchio gave $9 million, saying it was trying to "evade and violate" new campaign laws with voter ads ahead of the midterm elections.

As McCain launches his own presidential campaign, however, he is counting on Perenchio, the founder of the Univision Spanish-language media empire, to raise millions of dollars as co-chairman of the Arizona Republican's national finance committee. (Solomon, John. McCain Taps Cash He Sought To Limit, Washington Post)

For me, this puts another check in the plus column for Ron Paul, who had this to say about the now infamous McCain-Feingold bill:

The legislation will do nothing to curb special interest power or reduce corruption in Washington, but it will make it harder for average Americans to influence government. “Campaign finance reform” really means the bright-line standard of free speech has been replaced by a murky set of regulations and restrictions that will muzzle political dissent and protect incumbents. Justice Scalia correctly accuses the Court of supporting a law “That cuts to the heart of what the First Amendment is meant to protect: the right to criticize the government…This is a sad day for freedom of speech.”

What others are saying: NH INSIDER-McCain Taps Cash He Sought To Limit, Daily Kos-McCain flip-flops on campaign financing