I wonder what the lunatics shouting "terrorist!" at Palin rallies would make of this

You'd think that John McCain would have become sensitive to the issue of how his campaign is lousy with lobbyists. But you'd be wrong:

William Timmons, the Washington lobbyist who John McCain has named to head his presidential transition team, aided an influence effort on behalf of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to ease international sanctions against his regime.

The two lobbyists who Timmons worked closely with over a five year period on the lobbying campaign later either pleaded guilty to or were convicted of federal criminal charges that they had acted as unregistered agents of Saddam Hussein's government.

During the same period beginning in 1992, Timmons worked closely with the two lobbyists, Samir Vincent and Tongsun Park, on a previously unreported prospective deal with the Iraqis in which they hoped to be awarded a contract to purchase and resell Iraqi oil. Timmons, Vincent, and Park stood to share at least $45 million if the business deal went through.

Timmons' activities occurred in the years following the first Gulf War, when Washington considered Iraq to be a rogue enemy state and a sponsor of terrorism. His dealings on behalf of the deceased Iraqi leader stand in stark contrast to the views his current employer held at the time.

John McCain strongly supported the 1991 military action against Iraq, and as recently as Sunday described Saddam Hussein as a one-time menace to the region who had "stated categorically that he would acquire weapons of mass destruction, and he would use them wherever he could."

Timmons declined to comment for this story. An office manager who works for him said that he has made it his practice during his public career to never speak to the press. Timmons previously told investigators that he did not know that either Vincent or Park were acting as unregistered agents of Iraq. He also insisted that he did not fully understand just how closely the two men were tied to Saddam's regime while they collaborated.

But testimony and records made public during Park's criminal trial, as well as other information uncovered during a United Nations investigation, suggest just the opposite. Virtually everything Timmons did while working on the lobbying campaign was within days conveyed by Vincent to either one or both of Saddam Hussein's top aides, Tariq Aziz and Nizar Hamdoon. Vincent also testified that he almost always relayed input from the Iraqi aides back to Timmons.

Continuing to point out the breathtaking depth of John McCain's hypocrisy does sort of feel like piling on at this point -- exposing the depths of corruption of those with whom John McCain surrounds himself while he himself claims to be clean as a whistle. But polls, schmolls -- there are nineteen days until the election, and anything can happen, especially when the voting apparatus still stinks. But old Bush buddy Bob Schieffer is moderating tonight's debate (which alas I will miss and have to watch on the DVR because I have a 7 AM conference call tomorrow morning and have to leave the house by 6:15 AM, but if you're looking for debate chat, PJ is hosting one again, as is Hoffmania) and while I don't expect Schieffer to be quite the McCain shill that Tom Brokaw is, this is the corporate media's last real chance to tip this race in John McCain's favor. Because I'm quite certain that Sumner Redstone, who said point-blank in 2004 that Bush was better for business (still think that way?) is going to want his Sunday morning guy to do what he can for John McCain. And don't forget, Schieffer is the pearl-clutcher who had to lie down on a fainting couch when Wesley Clark dared to opine that being shot down isn't a qualification for the presidency.