Frog Leg - Good looking out on the Brooks piece. I usually avoid him because his logic to reach his points often strains credulity, but he seems right on the money today in describing the inner workings of a dysfunctional campaign.

Here's the hypothetical call from Charles Black to a potential or continuing client:

Black: Good morning.

Client: Hi Chuck. Nice to hear from you. Whatcha doing?

Black: Just checking in from the campaign bus.

(Client's head explodes.)

Notwithstanding the cranium danger, this is a lobbyist making business calls from inside the campaign of the presumptive Republican nominee for president. Jesus H. Christ on a rubber crutch, how is this not a breach of ethics? Or at the very least a bus-sized hole in the facade of a man who claims complete independence from special interests?

Sure, maybe there's no connection in McCain's mind between a volunteer/lobbyist, but the connection exists in capital letters for the recipient of the phone call.

McCain should quit now. Just this is enough to flatten all eight wheels on the Straight Talk Express, the greasiness enough to peel the lettering right off the side.

It's like hiding the lobbyists right under your nose.

this is a lobbyist making business calls from inside the campaign of the presumptive Republican nominee for president. Jesus H. Christ on a rubber crutch, how is this not a breach of ethics?

(Client's head explodes.)

You really think that? Charlie Black is one of those shadowy bastards who, without ever facing the voters, pulls a lot of strings around Washington. (Similar: Ed Rogers.)

If you can afford to talk to Charlie Black, you're not going to be fazed by where he's taking your call.

Well, it's a matter of degree. There's a difference between a guy who says, "I'll just make a call to Flyboy for you," and a guy who says, "Hang on," and hands the phone to Flyboy himself.

No?

I wonder if this Iseman story will damage McCain in the same way that dog-walking gate destroyed Rudy.

In dog-walking-gate, the initial allegations of impropriety weren't nearly as bad as first though.

In Iseman-gate, the allegations are probably true, but un-provable.

Dog-walking-gate destroyed Rudy by shining a bright spotlight on a related fact, the fact that Rudy had a mistress while he was major. This was something that America at large didn't know.

In McCain's case, the shining spotlight could show voters something they don't know. How McCain's upper campaign staff is almost entirely comprised of the very same lobbyists he claims to despise.

Worse yet for McCain. Not only are these lobbyists working for him, many are working for free. Americans will certainly question the motivations of these people, and the ethics of a man who is willing to let lobbyists give him free labor.

And then it gets worse again. Because some are running their lobbying business out of the Straight Talk Express bus.

That last point will make this a truly huge story. If it gets bad enough, McCain may be forced to let go all his lobbyists. The highest price he'll pay will be to his credibility. talker.

All because of a scandal that didn't amount to much, the underbelly of the worm is exposed.

Give McCain a break. It's called the "Straight Talk Express". He never said who he was straight talking to.

McCain's New Scandal: Savings and Moan.