ARTICLE: "McCain Adviser Had Russian Ties," by Glenn R. Simpson, Wall Street Journal, 8 September 2008, p. A16.

McCain's top foreign policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann's lobbyist ties to Georgia are tailor-made for Putin's propaganda. But now that we know uber-strategist Charlie Black has had similar ties to Russian entities in the past, the circle is nicely squared.

Frankly, all this anti-lobbyist rhetoric sells well in an election year, but it's mostly overwrought. In this complex world, foreign nations will seek influence in the most important capital in the world—plain and simple. I didn't like the sense that McCain's camp had only Georgian ties. More realistic and comforting to know both camps find some ears they can bend, because if McCain wins, that's the real-world dynamics he'll face.