Why not? We've already had a president with a drinking problem and that hasn't really changed anything.

I would like to take this opportunity to announce my fondness for, ah, Duff Beer.

Of all the industries that various politicians can be and are beholden to... I do not view this as a serious problem, particularly given how open he has been about these ties and the lengths that he's taken to avoid direct conflicts of interest.

mrexcess: Of all the industries that various politicians can be and are beholden to... I do not view this as a serious problem

My thoughts exactly. "Oh no! John McCain is predisposed to lowering the drinking age!" is much better than "John McCain is throwing billions at no-bid contracts to companies that are charging $4,000 for a cup of coffee."

Consider for a moment the possibility that a McCain presidency would have the same effect on the price of alcohol that a Bush presidency had on the price of oil. Each having their own agenda, I bet we could expect nothing less.

FTA:

The alcohol lobby is one of the most influential in Washington. Although McCain has recused himself on alcohol issues, he has not refused the industry's money. Out of all candidates for all federal offices in 2008 - the White House, Senate, and House - McCain has received more alcohol industry money than all but two.

The top recipient was Senator Hillary Clinton of New York, with $210,750, followed by former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani with $186,725 and McCain with $152,725, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

Why am I not surprised?

nucal: The top recipient was Senator Hillary Clinton

Why am I not surprised?

Because she is the #1 recipient of lobbyist dollars in the United States Senate? Takes in quite a lot more money than the #2 recipient of lobbyist dollars. Shockingly enough, #2 is Sen. John McCain.

Oh, and while a vaguely interesting article, could anyone connected to the "Center for Science in the Public Interest", like the douche quoted in the article, please die in a fire?

So being directly involved with the company is an ethics issue.. I can understand that.

But taking money directly from their lobbyist to do things in their favour isn't?

Can someone explain how this works again?

Malbar: The only way he could raise the price of alcohol would be through increased taxation

Or he could insist on an even larger portion of ethanol in our gas supply, leading to increased grain prices.

"McCain, acknowledging the appearance of a conflict of interest, has recused himself from voting in Congress on alcohol-related matters ranging from the drinking age to the beer tax."

Good for him.

Who gives a shiat?

Lawnchair
Because she is the #1 recipient of lobbyist dollars in the United States Senate?

Yes she will! (...cozy up with Washington lobbyists like there's no tomorrow)

Ahh, the Republican that Democrats loved is discovering that they don't love him quite so much when he's in their way.

This actually makes me like McCain more.

/McCain-Busch 08
//G08ma

Well, hell. he now has my vote. get rid of the darn sunday laws.

I like John McCain's approach to taking on special interests. What better way is there to reign in lobbyists? Surround yourself with lobbyists, of course.

Isn't McCain's wife the heiress to a beer fortune or something? Sounds like something that Bob & Doug McKenzie would think up. "Wouldn't it be sweet to be married to a beer heiress, eh?"

When Kerry was running, were we supposed to be worried he would bow to the ketchup lobbyists and their plans to make every American put ketchup on their eggs in the morning. And you know, I get the idea Theresa Kerry would have MUCH rather been the heiress to a beer fortune. Then again, she would have drank her entire inheritance in a few weeks.

AkaDad: Surround yourself with lobbyists, of course.

Well, that way, you know where they are. They can't surprise you.

Not even a QUALITY beer company. A company whose flagship product is made by doing almost everything wrong.

They manage to get their beer into cans without botching it. That's about all the good I can say about them.

If there was a country that had vast deposits of alcohol that we could invade, I'd be for that.

/much more concerned about McCain being beholden to everyone Bush is beholden to
//plus Bush himself

Mugato: If there was a country that had vast deposits of alcohol that we could invade, I'd be for that.

/much more concerned about McCain being beholden to everyone Bush is beholden to
//plus Bush himself

Invade Ireland!

/hmmm, St. Patties day invation might be worth it...

TFA: "It would not be helpful to have a president from Anheuser-Busch," said George Hacker, director of the alcohol policies project at the Center for Science in the Public Interest

No, it would be much cooler to have a President from Schlitz or Stroh's.

dervish16108: I would like to take this opportunity to announce my fondness for, ah, Duff Beer.

I, too, would like to express my fondness for that particular beer.

Saborlas: Not even a QUALITY beer company. A company whose flagship product is made by doing almost everything wrong.

I listen to a lot of craft brewers, people making stuff considered "good beer".

To a person, they have nothing but the highest praise for the macro brewer process and quality control. They can do things that your average craft brewer can only dream about.

Do you know how hard it is to brew that stuff? Consistently? World-wide?

randomjsa: Ahh, the Republican that Democrats loved is discovering that they don't love him quite so much when he's in their way.

Democrats haven't liked him since he started fellating Bush and pandering to the krispy right.

I am for the drinking age being lowered. That being said, I don't want a President influenced by any lobbyist or company, regardless of whether I agree with that lobbyist or company's position.

And that being said, it looks like McCain's being pretty ethical about this one. The man plays the politics game, and yes, I disagree strongly with many of his positions, but he seems to conduct himself very ethically, at least from what I've seen. Few politicians are free from any company based bias at all, but at least McCain has, in the past, recognized those biases and avoided voting on them.

In John McCain's America, drunk driving will be mandatory. And drunk walking, sleeping, working, etc.