Thursday, October 16, 2008

The McCains get two [not one, two] free cellphone towers at her Arizona ranch, where they live. His campaign says, anyone could make the same request.



Strib yesterday carried the AP plain vanilla reporting feed, not naming names, ties, or amounts of cash - and is the source of this first excerpt:

WASHINGTON - John McCain, a senior member of the Senate committee that oversees the telecom industry, now has cell phone coverage at the family's ranch near Sedona, Ariz., following a request from his wife, Cindy, early in 2007.

The Washington Post reported the story on its Web site on Wednesday and McCain's presidential campaign denounced it in the hours before the final presidential debate.

The two cellular companies most often used by the campaign staff, Verizon Wireless and AT&T, provided the coverage at the ranch, which is in a remote canyon where reception is difficult.

In June, Verizon delivered a portable tower free of charge to the ranch property after an online request from Cindy McCain's staff.

The "cell site on wheels" is ordinarily reserved for restoring service during emergencies.

AT&T brought in a tower in July.

McCain is a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees the Federal Communications Commission and the telecommunications industry.

"This story is a disgrace," said McCain campaign spokesman Brian Rogers. "The McCains went through the process that is available to anybody who subscribes to one of these cell phone companies to inquire about getting service."



Anyone could make the same request. Sure. And I want my pair, how about you? I think the point is, making the request is not at issue. Making the request and getting a few free service towers on your hobby land, there's something of a gap the McCain flak-man somehow misses, making his explanation somewhat incomplete, and somehow unconvincing. Or is it just me being too much a skeptic?

At least the campaign flak-man nailed it by saying the situation is disgraceful.

That's hard to dispute.

WAPO broke the story yesterday, reporting further explanatory detail - names, ties and amounts, and stating in major part:

Early in 2007, just as her husband launched his presidential bid, Cindy McCain sought to resolve an old problem - the lack of cellphone coverage on her remote 15-acre ranch near Sedona, Ariz., nestled deep in a tree-lined canyon called Hidden Valley.

Over the past year, she offered land for a permanent cell tower, and Verizon Wireless embarked on an expensive public process to meet her needs, hiring contractors and seeking county land-use permits.

Verizon ultimately abandoned its effort to install a permanent tower in August. Company spokesman Jeffrey Nelson said the project would be "an inappropriate way" to build its network. "It doesn't make business sense for us to do that," he added.

Instead, Verizon delivered a portable tower known as a "cell site on wheels" - free of charge - to the McCain property in June, after the Secret Service began inquiring about improving coverage in the area. Such devices are used for providing temporary capacity where coverage is lacking or has been knocked out, in circumstances ranging from the Super Bowl to hurricanes.

Ethics lawyers said Cindy McCain's dealings with the wireless companies stand out because her husband is a senior member of the Senate commerce committee, which oversees the Federal Communications Commission and the telecommunications industry. He has been a leading advocate for industry-backed legislation, fighting regulations and taxes on telecommunication services.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and his campaign have close ties to Verizon and AT&T. Five campaign officials, including manager Rick Davis, have worked as lobbyists for Verizon. Former McCain staff member Robert Fisher is an in-house lobbyist for Verizon and is volunteering for the campaign. Fisher, Verizon chief executive Ivan G. Seidenberg and company lobbyists have raised more than $1.3 million for McCain's presidential effort, and Verizon employees are among the top 20 corporate donors over McCain's political career, giving his campaigns more than $155,000.

McCain's Senate chief of staff Mark Buse, senior strategist Charles R. Black Jr. and several other campaign staff members have registered as AT&T lobbyists in the past. AT&T Executive Vice President Timothy McKone and AT&T lobbyists have raised more than $2.3 million for McCain. AT&T employees have donated more than $325,000 to the Republican's campaigns, putting the company in the No. 3 spot for career donations to McCain, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

"It raises the aura of special consideration for somebody because he is a member of the Senate," said Stanley Brand, a former House counsel for Democrats and an ethics lawyer who represents politicians in both parties.

McCain campaign spokesman Brian Rogers said that the senator is not a regulator and that Cindy McCain received no favors from Verizon or AT&T.


Uh-huh. Those personal ties WAPO reports, coincidental, and they relate to the Senator, not the heiress. It's hard to refute. Where do you start?

WAPO offers an online linked graphic, "Hidden Valley Wireless," which sounds like some local provider business name more than free personal favor (click to enlarge):



In closing, enjoy privilege John. It can be a two way street. The beer baroness got her way. For free. One of you is special.

People are going around saying the economy is in shambles - yet how can ordinary folks be getting on-ranch services of this kind - free of charge - if things are in shambles? Ms. McCain's ranch services are so reassuring to us all, or should be, and we can be thankful the two of them have made themselves exemplary this way.

Also, if our future IS in shambles, sitting on that committee and voicing a choice over a bunch of regulated firms might possibly make shambles less burdensome on AT&T and Verizon - but that's just guessing, mind you. Nobody's got a crystal ball nor is there paperwork yet revealed indicating a signed quid pro quo.



We learn something every day. I had thought that candidate gesturing habit was intended to refer to 9/11, the "War on Terror," and the Twin Towers [those formerly in NYC, not lesser ones at Ms. McCain's hobby ranch].


_______UPDATE______
Both McCain photos were downloaded from Google Images. In fairness, both Strib and WAPO carried mention of the Secret Service request for more communication capacity. However, the McCain request for service was made before McCain was the endorsed GOP candidate - or even the GOP frontrunner. "Early in 2007," is what WAPO reports. The Secret Service detailing to the two major party candidates does not, as I understand it, attach until late in the process - at least when each major party frontrunner is known, if not only after convention endorsements are secured. Some reader in a comment might clarify that question. The "Hidden Valley Wireless" WAPO page indicates there was a county permitting process, so records of filing dates, etc., exist in a third-party paper trail. I especially invite comments about the Strib's editing out the personal campaign and senate staff and fundraising detail from its reporting, something I view as less than responsible reporting of a situation ripe for speculation - where uncommitted swing voters might have appreciated the local paper giving more online detail. Comments about print versions of Strib and PiPress, and how they handle the complete dimensions of the situation would be helpful. I rely entirely on what's online and have no knowledge of print version coverage by the two metro dailies.