mccain's cozy dealmaking

An interesting study in the Washington Post about how John McCain has helped a friend - and a major campaign donor - by pushing a land swap that would let his friend Steven Betts of SunCor Development trade some remote lots of land for federal property that is ready for development.

Is it a fair trade, land for land? Sure, if think giving me a diamond rock in exchange for this quartz rock I have would be a fair trade. The guy Betts said he's never discussed this with McCain. Of course, Betts has also raised over $100,000 to McCain's presidential campaign. These things are just understood.

So we'll see if this gets any traction on St John. It's not terribly surprising really. I mean, McCain was one of the Keating Five, interfering with an investigation into a failed S&L while receiving over $100,000 (in 1980s money) from Keating himself...

And perhaps even MORE stunning - John McCain does not always wear a flag pin! The shock. It is revealed here by crack political reporter Princess Sparkle Pony. Princess Sparkle Pony isn't optimistic however that this will receive the same attention as Barack Obama's refusal to always wear that little piece of trite political tin...