1115.org

The world-famous anti-lobbyist presidential candidate John “Straight-shootin’” McCain has hired yet another lobbyist to work on a campaign already top-heavy with lobbyists:

John Green, a founding partner of what is now Ogilvy Government Relations, will soon take a leave of absence from that firm to work as a full-time liaison between McCain’s presidential campaign and Republicans in the House and the Senate, according to GOP aides on Capitol Hill and McCain surrogates downtown. Green, a Mississippi native, has strong ties in the Senate after his years of work for former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.), a vocal McCain supporter who left Congress late last year to set up his own lobbying shop.

Green is part of a small cadre of lobbyists who have met regularly to help build support for McCain on Capitol Hill. The group, which includes fellow Ogilvy partner Wayne Berman, has been helping the senator secure congressional endorsements in recent weeks to ensure he solidifies his status as the GOP front-runner.

That last paragraph really caught my attention. So there’s this bunch of lobbyists who — out of patriotic fervor, if not the goodness of their hearts — have been working hard for the McCain campaign on a volunteer basis? And after the election — whether McCain improbably becomes the next President or whether he just remains chairman of the powerful Senate Commerce Committee — they are certainly never going to represent clients who want a favor from President or Senator McCain?

And all of this is perfectly legal of course, not to mention perfectly ethical. If it wasn’t, St. John would never do it, would he? Or if he did, the ever vigilant media — which only pretends to be lulled into adulation by free barbecue at McCain’s rustic Arizona home — would be sure to let us know, wouldn’t they?

For that matter, John Green — like most of the lobbyists on McCain’s campaign staff — will never go back to being a full-time lobbyist after his stint as McCain’s full-time liaison to congressional Republicans. Or if he does, he will refuse all clients who might have business before John McCain, or who might benefit from John McCain’s influence.

Because that would be the honorable thing to do. And John Green is an honorable man, is he not? As is John McCain, surely?