Breaking: McCain hits up Russian envoy for a loan

[Perky]

From the Russian newswire RIA-Novosti:
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20081020/117842524.html

Russia's permanent mission to the UN has received a letter from U.S. Republican presidential candidate John McCain asking for financial support of his election campaign, the mission said in a statement on Monday.

"We have received a letter from Senator John McCain with a request for a financial donation to his presidential election campaign. In this respect we have to reiterate that neither Russia's permanent mission to the UN nor the Russian government or its officials finance political activities in foreign countries," the statement said.

According to Ruslan Bakhtin, press secretary of the Russian mission, the letter dated September 29 and signed by McCain, was addressed to Vitaly Churkin, Russia's envoy to the UN, and arrived on October 16.

The ambassador's title was not included in the letter, and was not clear why the letter had taken over two weeks to arrive.

Enclosed was a request for a donation of up to $5,000 to McCain's election campaign to be returned with a check or permission to withdraw the money from the donor's credit card until October 24

[fascisthunter]

1. wow...how stupid and desperate of him

is this true?

[roguevalley]

30. humiliating and stupid. they were on the side of Georgia, remember?

[TwilightGardener]

2. Um...isn't that sort of...not legal?

[Dr. Death]

3. Couldn't they just ask Putin the next time he's in Alaska?

:shrug:

[Sweet Freedom]

19. Didn't have to...

Palin just looked out her front door and saw Vitaly Churkin mouth the word "No".

[Bread and Circus]

4. Wait what? McCain is asking for campaign money from the Russians?

Is that even legal?

[Curtland1015]

5. I'm taking this story with a giant chunk of salt...

...but IF it's true, it's hilariously wrong.

[kwolf68]

8. Yea me too

This seems so absurd I can't actually believe even McLame would be this idiotic. I would probably LMAO so hard I'd faint if found to be true and if the idiot media actually picked up on it.

[msanthrope]

6. Gotta be a set up--Mccain's campaign will whine

that the Obama campaign perpetrated this hoax.....

Have they got a pdf of the letter????

[Tinksrival]

7. Weird

That is just bazaar....

[sufrommich]

9. If the American press can substantiate this ,it would really

be a story. Until they do, the McCain campaign will either deny it or hint that the Russians must want Obama to win and are helping him out. I hope it's true,I'd like to see the McCain try to spin that.

[Schulzz]

10. This campaign is ridiculous. Speechless. nt

[onenote]

11. My guess is that it was a direct mailing effort that wasn't fully vetted

Direct mail efforts often end up going out to all sorts of inappropriate names and addresses. Depends on where they bought the mailing list and if any effort was made to check the list. I don't get the impression that this was a unique letter sent just to the mission.

[Debi]

14. What??? the McCain campaing not fully vet something?

Where would you get THAT impression? :wow:

[ellacott]

12. This can't be real

Please tell me this is satire. If this is true it is pretty sad. Why would he ask the Russians when he wanted to invade their country a few months ago.

[KayLaw]

31. It's true.

I did a Google search and it's an AP story with quotes from the McCain camp. They're claiming it was a mistake.

[quantass]

13. k&r

[City Lights]

15. If this is true, they should release the letter to the media so we can see it

for ourselves.

[no_hypocrisy]

16. Yeah, right. After the "We are all Georgians" comment.

Legal or not. What would you do if you were Russia?

[KansasVoter]

17. This is a joke!!! Not real!

[Barack_America]

18. Can't be true.

Non-citizens can't donate to Presidential campaigns.

[Perky]

21. My bigger qestion is the request for $5k. well over the legal limit

that to me is more imporant than the mailing list error....

[Barack_America]

22. Some of that money can go to the RNC...

So that didn't raise flags to me as much as the donation request to non-citizens.

What's the story behind this? A joke?

[high density]

34. They are fundraising now for the RNC

Which has a $28,500 limit.

Read the disclaimer at the bottom here: http://www.mccainpalinvictory2008.com/

[Perky]

41. Can the RNC take money from foriegn nationals?

I assume that they can. Now ofcourse they are going to flip this into Pro-McCain advertising,

[CakeGrrl]

20. Probably a McCain campaign PsyOp to get Obama supporters to throw dirt n/t

[Willo]

23. We're all Georgians but can you spare a five? nt

[gmoney]

24. Now THAT sounds Un-American and/or illegal

Perhaps McCain should be investigated, eh? :evil laugh:

[ErinBerin84]

25. Politico has it now too

and claim that Bahktin confirmed it to politico ...I would still like to see if this is true though before jumping to conclusions...just so unbelievable. Yet, the McCain campaign has shocked me before.

[Arkansas Granny]

26. I have a hard time believing this.

[intheflow]

27. Socialist commie-lover!

:silly:

[MadMaddie]

28. Isn't this illegal?

[Turn CO Blue]

29. I bet a McCain staffer got the idea watching "Burn After Reading"

These guys are about as organized as the Keystone Cops

Okay, so they're willing to publicly chastise and saber-rattle a little against Russia on behalf of Georgia, but still a few weeks later ask Russia's envoy for donations.

McCain-Palin: Staggering Hypocrisy First with Hate-talk for Dessert!

[Bucky]

32. McCain is being controlled by foriegn financial interests?! Worse: he's seeking their control!

Hfff, how can you even trust a man with a foreign sounding name like "McCain"?

[olegramps]

39. Actually his name is an old biblical name:

It is from the very first generation of mankind. McCain means son of Cain. Very appropriate. He is was also know by his classmates as McNasty.

[gordianot]

33. If true either McCain or someone on his staff has lost their minds.

I cannot conceive of a stranger campaign.

[Alpharetta]

35. It doesn't sound like a personal appeal for a loan

According to Ruslan Bakhtin, press secretary of the Russian mission, the letter dated September 29 and signed by McCain, was addressed to Vitaly Churkin, Russia's envoy to the UN, and arrived on October 16.

The ambassador's title was not included in the letter, and was not clear why the letter had taken over two weeks to arrive.

Enclosed was a request for a donation of up to $5,000

That doesn't sound like a loan-for-favors kind of thing. Doesn't compare to Reagan's pre-election shenanigans promising missiles for hostages to Iran.

[ErinBerin84]

37. yup...more great vetting from the McCain camp, heh.

[1corona4u]

36. This is outrageous!!! Really, it is.

[iamthebandfanman]

38. wont believe it until theres another source. n/t

[Perky]

40. Ben Smith/Politico has cofirmation form the Russian Envoy