The Washington Times
  • Subscribe
  • Times News Services
  • RSS
  • Mobile Headlines
  • e-edition
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • REGISTER
  • LOG IN
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • WELCOME
  • Your Profile
  • Log Out


  • Front Page Image
  • Classifieds
  • Autos
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Customer Service
  • Home
  • News
    • World
    • National
    • Politics
    • National Security
    • DC Area
    • Business
    • Entertainment
    • Technology
    • Investigations
    • Faith
    • Energy
    • Environment
    • Headlines
    • Citizen Journalism
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • NFL
    • NBA/WNBA
    • MLB
    • NHL
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Motorsports
    • Soccer
    • NCAA
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Other
  • Culture
    • Home & Living
    • Family & Kids
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Washington Visitors
    • Books
    • Military History
    • Life
    • Auto
    • TV Listings
    • Movie Listings
    • Death Notices
    • Entertainment
  • Themes
  • Communities
  • Shopping
    • Stores
    • Coupons
    • Daily Double
    • Promotion
    • How It Works
  • Videos
    • Two Guys
    • Birnbaum on Washington
    • Liz Glover
    • Amanda Carpenter
    • Morning Briefing
    • Documentaries
    • Joe Giganti
    • Video Game Minute
  • Podcasts
    • About Headlines
    • Audio and Radio
    • America's Morning News
  • TWT BLOGS: Latest
  • Staff blogs
  • Create a blog

McCain and Keating: 'Till death do us part'

By Stephen Dinan on Oct. 9, 2008 into Dinan

  • Subscribe

In 1986 John McCain wrote a political note — on official House of Representatives stationary — apologizing to Charles H. Keating Jr. for his campaign having listed his good friend and supporter as part of McCain's Senate campaign finance committee.

Keating responded with a handwritten note — addressed to "senator," seven months before McCain won his Senate seat — telling him not to sweat it, "I'm yours till death do us part."

The back-and-forth came when McCain was still in the House but seeking a Senate seat, and the year before he and a handful of other senators met with banking regulators on behalf of Keating.

McCain wrote: "As you know, I am deeply appreciative of your friendship and support over the years, and I would not want to do anything which would offend you. Please accept my apology, and be assured that there will be no future repetition of this kind."

Six days later Keating sent a handwritten note back assuring McCain he has done, and can do, no wrong.

"Don't be silly. You can call me anything, write anything or do anything. I'm yours till death do us part."

It's another window into the close ties between the two men, which continue to dog McCain in his current campaign.

McCain has acknowledged extensive ties to Keating, who through fundraisers helped funnel $166,000 in campaign contributions to McCain for his 1982 and 1984 House races and his 1986 Senate race. McCain and his family also vacationed with the Keatings, and later had to reimburse Keating for the flights, acknowledging he violated House rules by not disclosing them.

He was rebuked by the Senate Ethics Committee for the appearance of conflict of interest for attending the meetings with bank regulators.

 

— Stephen Dinan, national political correspondent, The Washington Times

  • Bookmark and Share
  • Comment

There are 3 Comments

Rbrta

Get over it. Why don't you turn your attention to current concerns like who in the he-- is Barack Obama? http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2008/01/obama-islam-and.html
Mark as offensive

retake_usa

McShame and Abuse of Power Palin are the same: We've seen the destructive power of words. Remember when right-wing elements of the Grand Old Party stoked anti-government paranoia with talk of black helicopters enforcing Washington regulations? The party's blind-eye assent to this ended on April 19, 1995, when Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols blew up Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people and injuring more than 800 others. According to a New York Times article that year: "Three specific events confirmed Mr. McVeigh's view of a runaway government out to take his guns: the Ruby Ridge raid (Aug. 22, 1992); Waco (April 19, 1993), and the passage of the Brady Bill in November 1993, mandating a five-day waiting period for the purchase of guns." Now, I'm not saying that it's wrong to ask questions about Obama's relationship, such as it was, with Bill Ayers. Or with Tony Rezko or with Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Just as it wouldn't be inappropriate to raise questions about McCain's association with G. Gordon Liddy, the convicted Watergate burglar whose colorful history includes telling listeners to his radio show in 1994 to shoot federal agents in the head. When McCain went on Liddy's radio show in November 2007, he told Liddy, "I'm proud of you, I'm proud of your family... It's always a pleasure for me to come on your program, Gordon, and congratulations on your continued success and adherence to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great." The candidates' associations with these people, and their responses to questions about them, give you a view into their judgment. But at a time of great economic uncertainty -- so uncertain that the smartest people in the world are scratching their heads about what to do -- whipping up anger rather than reaching for solutions is not what's needed. In his column today, Charles Krauthammer writes that Obama's character "remains highly suspect." And he ends by saying, "There is a difference between temperament and character." This past week, by ginning up an anger and resentment on the campaign trail that should leave all with a cold chill running through their bodies, McCain has shown neither presidential temperament nor character. The New York Daily News reported this week that a "top McCain strategist" said, "It's a dangerous road, but we have no choice. If we keep talking about the economic crisis, we're going to lose." If they keep doing what they're doing, they'll deserve to lose..... McCain & Palin are home grown terrorist like the KKK.
Mark as offensive

dnicolo1

ReTake USA How in the devil can you equate McCain and Palin to the KKK? What a crying shame. You had a good commentary going until you made that ridiculous comment....
Mark as offensive

Please login or register to post a comment

Advertising Links
TWT Store
  • e-edition
  • Print Edition
  • Weekly Washington Times
TWT Affiliates
  • Middle East Times
  • Golf
  • UPI
  • Arbor Ballroom
  • Washington Times Global
  • About TWT
  • Press Room
  • F.A.Q.
  • Work for TWT
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

All site contents © Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.