Burma's ruling military junta has come under intense scrutiny in the
past week, after Cyclone Nargis ravaged the country and killed tens of
thousands of people.
First the government refused outside aid, then they went ahead with a
dubious referendum, then, after deciding to take some aid ****pments
after all, they were "quickly relabeled to say that the goods had been
donated courtesy of the junta," according to Time magazine.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1739066,00.html
Even Laura Bush slammed the junta last week at a rare press conference
(before moving on to more im****tant matters.)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/05/laura-bush-discusses-jenn_n_100219.html
Indeed, Burma's dictator****p is "widely criticized as one of the
world's most oppressive and corrupt regimes," according to Dan
Froomkin of the Wa****ngton Post.
http://www.wa****ngtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2008/05/06/BL2008050601369.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns
So what does this have to do with John McCain?
Last week we learned that the McCain campaign has selected Doug
Goodyear to manage this year's Republican National Convention.
Goodyear is described as a "veteran operative and Arizonan" by
Newsweek, who was picked for his "management experience and
expertise." http://www.newsweek.com/id/136321
Oh yes, and I should probably also mention that Goodyear is "CEO of
DCI Group, a consulting firm that earned $3 million last year lobbying
for ExxonMobil, General Motors and other clients."
So what?
Well it turns out that not only is Doug Goodyear a veteran GOP
operative, expert manager, and fatcat oil industry lobbyist...
Potentially more problematic:
the firm was paid $348,000 in 2002 to represent Burma's military
junta, which had been strongly condemned by the State Department for
its human-rights record and remains in power today.
Justice Department lobbying records show DCI pushed to "begin a
dialogue of political reconciliation" with the regime.
It also led a PR campaign to burnish the junta's image, drafting
releases praising Burma's efforts to curb the drug trade and
denouncing "falsehoods" by the Bush administration that the regime
engaged in rape and other abuses."
Yikes.
So does the man who John McCain handpicked to run this year's
Republican National Convention have anything to say about his
association with the Burmese junta?
"It was our only foreign representation, it was for a short tenure,
and it was six years ago," Goodyear told NEWSWEEK.
With an explanation that good, I'm surprised Goodyear felt the need to
quit.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080510/ap_on_el_pr/gop_convention_resignation_1
By EarlG
Democratic Underground
http://www.democraticunderground.com/
Harry
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