McCain Conflict With Campaign Manager's Lobbying Firm Over Ukraine

Related Posts: Hillary Clinton Statement on Russia Election, Statement by Barack Obama on the Russian Election, Statement By John McCain On The Russian Election, John McCain....Next President Should Work Closely With Russian President Medvedev

• Similar to Hillary Clinton's conflict with Mark Penn and his lobbying activities for the Columbia free trade agreement, John McCain finds himself at odds with his campaign manager over his firm's lobbying activities in the Ukraine.
• In the past year the John McCain campaign has used lobbying firm Davis Manafort, Inc. The firm is co-owned by lobbyist Rick Davis who also serves as John McCain's campaign manager.
• According to the Wall Street Journal John McCain has come out in support of "a political movement in Ukraine that is at odds with the Putin-backed Party of Regions.""
• A January filing with the Justice Department revealed that Daniel J. Edelman Inc., a public relations firm hired by Davis Manafort, was paid $35,000 a month last year to promote the Party of Regions which directly conflicts with John McCain's position on Ukraine politics.
• The filing states that the firm was hired to influence public opinion in the United States and that the effort was aimed at "select top-tier media in the U.S.," as well as "experts and analysts focused on the former Soviet Union."

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121072447597990171.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

John McCain....Next President Should Work Closely With Russian President Medvedev

Related Posts: Hillary Clinton Statement on Russia Election, Statement by Barack Obama on the Russian Election, Statement By John McCain On The Russian Election

• In a statement posted on JohnMcCain.Com McCain said "The next U.S. President should look forward to working closely with President Medvedev"
• The following is the full text of his statement:

  "I sincerely hope the beginning of the Medvedev presidency will also be the beginning of a new era for Russia and for U.S.- Russian relations. The next U.S. President should look forward to working closely with President Medvedev on the great issues of our day. Americans and Russians share a common interest in a prosperous global economy and mutually beneficial free trade. We share common interests in addressing climate change, the careful use of our natural resources and countering radical Islamic extremism. And we share a common interest in non-proliferation and nuclear arms reduction. The United States needs to work hard to forge a productive relationship with the government and the people of Russia in these areas.

  "Today, President Medvedev pledged that his greatest duty would be to develop civil and economic freedom for the Russian people. I welcome this pledge and hope President Medvedev will soon begin restoring and strengthening the institutions of democracy, including a free press and the rights of a vibrant Russian political opposition to express its views and run for office. That is what the Russian people want and deserve, and it is also what we want for Russia. I also hope President Medvedev will take steps to ease tensions with Georgia by reversing recently announced measures that undermine Georgia's internationally - recognized sovereignty which have rightly caused great concern among our European allies. "

• Source: http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/News/PressReleases/b11458fe-add3-4d02-b605-009e6a7d5d8e.htm

Hillary Clinton Statement on Russia Election

3/2/2008 Press Release

Statement of Hillary Clinton on Russia

"Today’s presidential election in Russia – where the installation of Dmitriy Medvedev as Vladimir Putin’s self-designated successor was never in doubt – marks a milestone in that country’s retreat from democracy. Today’s contest is not an open and democratic election, and the Russian people have been denied the opportunity to choose their leaders and shape the future of their country. There’s no other way to describe today’s election.

"Mr. Medvedev has said some hopeful sounding things in the course of his campaign, and the job of a new American President will be to test these words, to see whether they could mark a new approach in Russian politics and foreign policy.

"But we have to do this with our eyes open.

"The list of issues that divides the United States and Russia is already long – and growing longer. In the heart of Europe, where we have worked hard since the end of the Cold War to bury old rivalries and hostilities, we are witnessing renewed disputes between Russia and many of its neighbors.

"Russia has stirred nationalist feelings against neighboring countries like Estonia and Georgia, repeatedly used oil and natural gas as a political weapon, attempted to block Western diplomatic efforts to keep peace in the Balkans, criticized nations that seek to join the NATO alliance, and made clear that it regards democratic breakthroughs and progress in other countries on its borders as a threat to itself.

"Mr. Putin has put Russia on a path of zero-sum competition with the United States and many of our friends and allies. He has stifled independent media, harassed and jailed political opponents, and made elections a depressing formality.

"Unfortunately, President Bush failed to grasp what was happening. He began the process of tearing up treaties without finding other ways to preserve mutual confidence, all the while looking the other way while Russia challenged the interests of the United States and its allies. After September 11, President Bush focused U.S.-Russian relations around just one issue, fighting terrorism. Mr. Putin saw that this meant he had a free pass to act as he liked at home and in Russia’s neighborhood. In the meantime, America’s relations with our European allies, who are absolutely essential to an effective Russia policy, frayed.

"We simply have to do better than this.

"For the past seven years, the Bush Administration has neglected both big problems and big opportunities in our relations with Russia.

"As President, I will be ready to work with Russia where our interests intersect – fighting terrorism and nuclear proliferation are just two examples – but I also want Russia to understand what America’s priorities are and that we will stand up for them."

Related Posts:

Statement by Barack Obama on the Russian Election
Statement By John McCain On The Russian Election

Statement by Barack Obama on the Russian Election

Press Release from BarackObama.Com:

Chicago, IL March 03, 2008
"Yesterday, Russians went to the polls to elect a new president and begin the process of a peaceful transition of power in the Kremlin. Against the backdrop of hundreds of years of autocratic rule, Dmitri Medvedev's election as Russia's next president may appear to represent progress. Against the backdrop of Russia's more recent experiment with democracy, this election was a tragic step backwards. Medvedev won easily in part because a very popular Putin selected him, but also in part because genuine opposition candidates were not allowed on the ballot, Kremlin-loyal television networks flooded the airwaves with positive coverage of Medvedev, and the entire state apparatus was mobilized to produce votes for Putin's candidate. The election was the least competitive in Russia's post-communist history.

The United States, however, will need to work with President Medvedev on a range of issues of common concern, such as preventing weapons of mass destruction from falling into the hands of terrorists, addressing Iran's nuclear ambitions, reducing our nuclear arsenals, and securing stable supplies of oil and gas from Russia. But engagement with President Medvedev and his government must not lead us to turn a blind eye to democratic erosion inside Russia. On the campaign trail, Medvedev himself hinted that he wanted to strengthen the rule of law, independent media, and Russia's embrace of political freedom. All true friends of the Russian people should encourage him to keep his word."

Source: http://www.barackobama.com/2008/03/03/statement_of_senator_barack_ob_6.php

Related Post: Statement By John McCain On The Russian Election

Statement By John McCain On The Russian Election

Press Release from JohnMcCain.Com:

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain today issued the following statement on the outcome of the Russian election:

"Yesterday we saw what is unfortunately yet another step away from democracy in Russia. In an election that was uncontested, where opposition candidates were either suppressed or arrested, where the result was foreordained by the manipulations of a corrupt and undemocratic regime, the one thing that was never in doubt was the result. It is a tragedy of history that at this moment, when the democratic tide has reached more nations than ever before, the Russian people who rose in unison in 1991 to end totalitarian rule backed by a pervasive and cruel KGB would, after less than two decades, be again deprived of the opportunity to choose their leaders in a free and open contest."

Source: http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/News/PressReleases/f0dc0c35-5d71-4353-b3ef-ea54f83da5c1.htm