The media has at least brought up (thanks to a DNC press release touting it, I'd wager) the relationship between John McCain and Randy Scheunemann.  The most thorough reporting I have found on the subject comes from the TPMMuckraker Blog (excerpted here):

(L)et's take a look at what Scheuneman was actually doing in that role -- which helped earn his firm nearly $900,000 since 2004. Lobbying for a foreign government is a vaguely defined task that involves cultivating contacts, trying to shape perception and influence key decisions. For Georgia, the goal was clear -- to get on track for NATO membership and secure western backing against Russian influence and aggression.

Schuenemann's dual role of paid foreign agent (as recently as March) and key adviser to a presidential candidate is unusual, especially since McCain has not indicated that Scheunemann will recuse himself from Georgia issues.

That conflict of interest is underscored by McCain's aggressive effort to influence the situation in Georgia over the past week. McCain appears to be conducting his own foriegn policy independent of the White House. The candidate is sending Sens. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to travel to Georgia, though it is not clear how their visit will comport with the State Department's own efforts to manage the situation.

"John McCain is heavily politicizing this process. That is weird when one of the participants in the process is a guy who has taken $900,000 from the Georgia government," said Steve Clemons, director of the foreign policy program at the New America Foundation. "It stinks."

As a paid foreign agent, Scheunemann and his lobbying firm, Orion Strategies, filed disclosure reports with the Department of Justice, which offer some insight into the process of exercising influence in Washington.

[...]

In addition to peddling his access to Washington power brokers to Georgia officials, Scheunemann also appears to have peddled his access to Georgia officials to energy investors. Scheunemann worked with Stephen Payne, the Houston-based energy consultant who was caught on video offering access to top Bush Administration officials in exchange for big donations to the future George W. Bush library fund. One of Payne's groups touts Scheuneman's ties with Georgia as a way to forge deals with the Georgia state-run oil company.

Scheunemann has tried to distance himself from Georgia as McCain's campaign has geared up this year. He de-registered as a foreign agent in March. But he still owns his firm. And that firm signed a new $200,000 contract with Georgia on the same day McCain called Saakashvili and then issued a public statement in support of Georgia. A McCain aide denied there was any connection.

"For a country like Georgia, what they are trying to do essentially is get meetings, to get noticed, to further their goals. What Randy Scheunemann was essentially trying to do is build relationships between key decision makers in the White House and in Congress, to sell the notion that this is a vital democracy," said Clemons of the New America Foundation.

"What Randy Scheunemann achieved was an effort to kind of put Georgia and the ideological meaning of hugging this young democracy over the geostrategic reality of managing vital American interests," Clemons said.

TPMMuckraker

The way that McCain has reacted to this is at best that of a ruthless and desperate vulture circling a nearly-dead antelope and at worst as someone who possibly had a hand in orchestrating the whole affair.

At 9 a.m. on Aug. 11, McCain's campaign put out an urgent call for reporters to come to a hotel conference room for a statement.

"World history is often made in remote obscure countries," McCain said. "It is being made in Georgia today. It's the responsibility of the leading nations of the world to ensure history continues to be a record of humanity's progress toward respecting the values and security of free people."

When a reporter yelled a question, the McCain of the past would have jumped in with an answer.

But this time, McCain simply said: "This is the total of my recommendations for right now."

And so it went throughout a tightly controlled week.

McCain, who used to be known for veering off into whatever topic crossed his mind, stayed disciplined instead. It seemed like all Georgia all of the time, even if the setting didn't appear quite right.

At a rally in York, Pa., his Straight Talk Express bus wowed the audience by pulling onto the arena floor to drop off the candidate.

McCain threw in some jokes: "You know, Harry Truman once said if you want a friend in Washington, go out and buy a dog." But then he quickly told the crowd it was time to get serious.

"As you know, over the past several days we've seen that international aggression is, tragically, not a thing of the past," McCain told the audience. "We thought we put a lot of that behind us at the end of the 20th century. But now it's rearing its ugly head in the 21st ... [in] the small of nation of Georgia."

Everywhere he went, McCain stressed his knowledge of Georgia. He's been there, he said - and he knows President Mikhail Saakashvili well. In fact, McCain told the crowd in Pennsylvania that he had just been on the phone with the Georgian leader.

"And he wanted me to say thank you to you," McCain said. "To give you his heartfelt thanks for the support of the American people for this tiny little democracy, far away from the United States of America."

As McCain pounded his message home, questions started to pop up. McCain's top foreign policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann, it turns out, was a lobbyist working for the nation of Georgia until this year. He's one reason McCain has had that contact with the Georgians, including Saakashvili, over the past several years.

Scheunemann briefed reporters on the plight of Georgia on McCain's campaign plane. Reporters were even given maps showing red lines that represented Russian military operations.

[...]

McCain said he did not think that the politics of the presidential race should intrude on America's response to the Russian invasion. But he quickly added that he hopes voters will judge how he and Obama each responded to the situation in Georgia, when they choose the next commander in chief.

NPR's 'All Thing's Considered'

If that's not enough, read what Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said in a letter published in the Washington Post:

This war threatens not only Georgia but security and liberty around the world. If the international community fails to take a resolute stand, it will have sounded the death knell for the spread of freedom and democracy everywhere.

[...]

I have staked my country's fate on the West's rhetoric about democracy and liberty. As Georgians come under attack, we must ask: If the West is not with us, who is it with? If the line is not drawn now, when will it be drawn? We cannot allow Georgia to become the first victim of a new world order as imagined by Moscow.

Does this not read like the words of a scorned woman?  It's almost as if Saakashvili had a reason to expect a greater response from the West.  Given that much of our military is off in the Middle East what-EVER could have given him the idea that we had Georgia's back?

During all of this, doesn't it seem that McCain - merely a candidate for president - is acting like a president?  And no, I don't mean acting presidential, but I mean essentially dictating foreign policy when he does not as of yet hve the authority to do so?

He even uttered words designed to mimic that of President John Kennedy who was also dealing with the European Bloc and a real Cold War when he famously said, "Today We Are All Georgians" (YouTube link).

My favorite response that I found to this statement comes from OpEdNews, and it really addresses all of the points I wonder if the mainstream media and Democrats will ever really explore:

John McCain has attempted to make me, along with all Americans, party to human rights abuse.  His declaration of our Georgian citizenship involves us with a foreign government accused by human rights groups of abuse towards their citizens in recent years, one which has now involved our country in a most questionable war.  No, thank you Mr. McCain.  I am an American citizen.  I am the decider when it comes to which causes I embrace.  In order to accept your claim of my Georgian citizenship, I require explanation as to your recent actions.

Even before Russia had crossed the border into Georgia, you immediately declared there would be consequences and they would be grave.  Why did you attempt to inflame the situation before the President of the United States had even spoken with us?  When did you receive the authority to decide the course of action by the United States against any country and who granted this authority? If not given, why did you assume said authority?  Why have you remained the main spokesperson for the United States, a politician running for president, rather than our actual Commander in Chief?  You, sir, are simply entitled to an opinion, nothing more.

Before you volunteer my loyalty, I want a full discussion with you and the American media regarding Georgia's massacre of possibly 2000 South Ossetia civilians resulting in a full scale military reaction by Russia.  I want you both to help us understand these events so every American can decide for themselves if they even want to be citizens of  Georgia.  I want this information before you, or the adminstration you support, make any more far reaching decisions as to our country's course of action against one of the world's super powers. 

I need you to explain why the people of Ossetia do not deserve independence yet we have American troops dying in Iraq and Afghanistan supposedly to support freedom there.  I want to know if it is true you presented a bill to the Senate to deny them this freedom.  I want you to tell me why oil is always the bottom line.

I would appreciate a full explanation as to what part, if any, your campaign's top foreign policy advisor, Randy Scheunemann, played in any of these events.  Why did Mr. Scheunemann accept a $200,000 from Georgia on April 17th for a grand total of $800,000 while in the employ of your campaign.  What did you discuss with Saakashvili during the approximately 50 meetings that Scheunemann arranged for you?

In recent years, the Bush administration and Israel, with your support, has been arming, training and providing financing for the Georgian military knowing full well Saakashvili stated he would order a strike on both Abkhazia and South Ossetia.  Since this would cause a direct confrontation with Russia, why did you encourage this young and inexperienced government in their disastrous military adventure?  What efforts, if any, on Mr. Scheunemann's part contributed to this massive military build up which has been charged to the United States credit card to be paid by the American taxpayers? 

You have fought for years to exclude Russia from the G-8 rather than build bridges of cooperation.  You prefer threats rather than direct communication.  The current policy of isolation towards Russia completely hindered our intelligence services to the point we had no idea Russia was even moving into Georgia full force shortly after the attack on Ossetia.   Now, Mr. McCain, you desire an even more isolated Russia and the creation of a situation where our foreign policy decisions would be based on best guess and even less intelligence.  Why?

There are many questions that need to be answered, John.  Some by you and many more by the American media as to the events that led up to the invasion of Georgia, including full on the ground televised coverage in both Georgia and Ossetia to determine the facts in this situation before we Americans can accept your claim of our Georgian citizenship. 

What wide scale military action on the part of Ossetia prompted or justified the killing of civilians in the middle of the night by Georgia?  Were the U.S. military stationed in Georgia involved?  Has Blackwater been part of these training programs or involved in any way? 

Why did Saakashvili, the darling homegrown protege of the RNC and the George Bush administration, who helped to place him in power, feel so confident American would leap to their defense after the Ossetia attack.  Why did he assume the world was ready or willing to take on Russia?  Why did he even think the United States could help with our over stretched and depleted military?  Who gave Saakashvili these assurances?  Could it be that it was not only Dick Cheney and Condoleeza Rice but you and your campaign advisor, Randy Scheunemann, as well?  We need answers.

One further question about you and your Georgian lobbyist:  Why do you consider the American public foolish enough to believe that your long term, old style, cold war hatred and fear of Russia and Mr. Scheunemann's monetary ties to Georgia do not influence your foreign policy views in this matter?

Do you want us to believe President Saakashvili would kick the toe of King Kong without prior assurance of military support by a super power?  Or do you prefer we acknowledge he is simply stupid and naive?  Would Georgia endanger their acceptance on the world stage by triggering a possible world war without the full backing by the United States?

It's all just a bit too pat, John, a bit too convenient, a bit too timely, a bit too odd and a tad too much. 

This Ossetia massacre demands a complete look and full disclosure as to the role you and the Bush administration have played in these events.  We need more than a  plagiarized script from Wikipedia from you in order to believe you are on top of this situation.  Before you unilaterally declare the citizens of the United States to be Georgians, you need to answer to us first.

OpEdNews