Thank You, Sherrod Brown: Senate Democrat Puts Keating Scandal on the Table against McCain

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For months I've been waiting for some leading Democrat to bring up John McCain's biggest scandal to date: his role in the Keating savings and loan scandal of the 1980s. McCain and four other Senators - known collectively as the "Keating Five" - were accused in 1989 of improperly aiding Arizona banker Charles Keating in efforts to hamper regulatory intrusions on the industry's risky investment practices. McCain, who had received over $100,000 in campaign contributions from Keating, was officially rebuked only for "poor judgment," though his true culpability in the matter may run much deeper than the official charge suggests. At the very least, McCain's history in this matter casts doubt on his claims to be a "maverick reformer," though it is a card that Democrats including Barack Obama have thus far been shy about bringing into play. Yesterday, however, Democratic silence on the Keating scandal was broken by Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio:

"It is not so much [McCain's] economic proposals but his economic record.... His main adviser is Phil Gramm -- he was his mentor in the Senate -- and you just tie it all together. Of course John McCain supported the oil industry, he has oil lobbyists working for him. Of course John McCain supported these trade agreements, he has got Wall Street people working for him... It is all wrapped up together. John McCain is a creature of these interest groups in Washington. He is no maverick and, from the Keating Five on, his ethics have been questionable. He's not a maverick and Barack has got to just keep hammering on that."

Back in May, Obama himself said that the Keating scandal was indeed not off limits, but has since said little or nothing directly about it. Speaking yesterday on the sad state of the US economy, Obama did refer to the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s, but without directly referring to McCain or Keating. I hope Sherrod Brown's comments will serve to loosen lips a little and bring the topic into fuller and more open conversation. McCain deserves it.