The Washington Post examines Rick Davis' vital role in Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign, and his history with the Senator which they describe as a "relationship [. . .] typical of the symbiotic ties that have come to define the culture of the nation's capital" -- in short, Davis sacrificed in the short term for his candidate, and could stand to make millions in the long term off his relationship with McCain atop the millions the relationship has already yielded.

Public Campaign Action Fund's David Donnelly has articles in the Huffington Post and the Minneapolis Star Tribune discussing John McCain's lobbyist woes, an the reignited controversy over McCain's involvement in the awarding of a lucrative Air Force contract to European-owned Airbus over Boeing.

Experts will tell you that it would be years before American consumers would seen any benefit from the proposed offshore oil drilling President Bush is attempting to push through Congress. So why is Senator John McCain (R) pushing the idea on the campaign trail as a solution to rising gas prices? ThinkProgress speculates on McCain's change of heart -- and the money he's taking in from the oil and gas industry.

As Senators Barack Obama and John McCain head out on the fundraising trail as their parties presumptive nominees for President, the Washington Post wonders how the two, who have each exerted considerable effort to frame themselves as reformers out to change the way campaigns are financed, go about navigating the big money game in their race for the White House.

Did the lobbyists on staff with Senator John McCain's presidential campaign combine with some well-placed campaign contributions to convince the Senator to back Airbus for a lucrative Pentagon contract over U.S.-based Boeing?  Public Campaign Action Fund's Campaign Money Watch project has released a new ad calling attention to McCain's decision, and asking the Senator to rid his staff of lobbyists once and for all.  

Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain are in something of a pitched battle to demonstrate how little lobbyists influence their campaigns.  While McCain struggles with the high number of lobbyists working on behalf of his campaign, and a new conflict of interest policy that has led to a handful of firings, Obama is addressing the money side of the equation by telling the DNC to refuse contributions from federal lobbyists and PACs, as his campaign has done.