The rhetoric's getting a little thick in here but I still feel the urge to click my campaign finance reformer heels together in glee that the issue of lobbyist influence is getting top billing as an issue in the presidential campaign. Sure, since the Beltway was paved candidates have been campaigning on their distance outside of it, but this discussion is getting at a real question: just who is shaping the message and campaign of our next President?

John McCain's presidential campaign has dismissed five staff for their lobbying ties after news broke that several staff had lobbied on behalf of foreign dictators and corporate interests and McCain's campaign manager instituted a new conflict of interest policy. Tom Loeffler, McCain's national finance co-chair, became the highest profile person to go when he resigned Sunday.

The past client lists of the some of the lobbyists working for Senator John McCain's presidential campaign have been getting some attention. Here's another, courtesy of the Wall Street Journal.

This weekend, word leaked that Doug Goodyear, the man hired by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) to run the GOP convention this summer, had represented the brutal military regime in Myanmar.

One down, over 100 more to go.

There's a thornbush, I'm pretty sure it's the acacia, from which it is impossible to extricate yourself quickly or smoothly. Once you get swallowed by it it's slow, torturous work to get yourself out -- kind of analogous to escaping the snare of lobbyist contributions if you're politician. This article in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle chastises for giving in to the siren song of lobbyist money (can the acacia bush produce a siren song?

Today's Politico notes the trend among stalwart Republican lobbyists and ex-legislators of giving an increasing amount of money to Democrats as the "price of doing business" with a Democrat-controlled Congress. Among those writing checks across the aisle is lobbyist and ex-Rep. Bob Livingston (R-LA), for whom apparent contradiction is the order of day: according to the article his big clients include Northrup Grumman and the Girl Scouts. Now there's a merit badge opportunity.

United Press International has a short piece up on the close relationship between lobbyist Charlie Black and Sen. John McCain. The relationship, which helped solidify McCain's conservative credentials has cast doubt on just how committed McCain is to fighting special interest influence in Washington. Can you claim credentials as an independent with these kinds of insiders shaping your campaign?

Lots of coverage on our efforts yesterday to deliver our letter and all 9,000+ accompanying signatures to Sen. John McCain asking for his support for full public financing for all federal campaigns for office.

Seems Republican lobbyists are closing ranks around Sen. John McCain, hosting an exclusive, high-dollar fundraiser (full article only available to Roll Call subscribers) for him in Washington, DC tomorrow night -- the venue is the Willard Hotel which is a block from the White House and which, rumor has it, was the birthplace of the term "lobbyist." Got your $2,300 ready?

Gosh. It's hard being a lobbyist these days. No more expensing steak dinners for Senators, dropping boxes of Godiva off for staffers, or putting half the House Finance Committee on a Gulfstream bound for a Aruba and a dubious "fact-finding mission." Some candidates are even wary of taking their money. How can they work under these conditions?! Perhaps they can dry their tears of privation on the sharp green edges of the 2.9 billion dollars they made this year.