John McCain being in bed with lobbyists is not really news, even when he’s actually, you know, “in bed” with them. His notorious escapades as the “most culpable” of the Keating Five would certainly have left a less well connected politician spending more time with his family.

But this one goes way beyond schmoozing and playing the system. Johnathan Singer informs us that McCain tapped one of his lobbyist pals to run the GOP Convention this August, but let him go hours after Michael Isikoff’s Newsweek story disclosed that the guy was the CEO of a firm representing the Burma Military Junta — hired to whitewash their image with Washington insiders.

Singer then connects the dots with a Marc Ambinder note that a McCain Campaign regional manager was the stooge directly in charge of that Burmese (Myanmar) Junta account for the very same influence pedaling firm — and he’s still on the job.

Just calling John McCain a continuation of the Bush nightmare is giving him too much credit. This guy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the corporate kleptocracy. It doesn’t matter if McCain fires this lobbyist or distances himself from that one. He’s so swamped with them another would take take the place of an inconveniently notorious one in a heartbeat.

George Bush sold the American government to the highest (no)-bidder. A McCain administration would represent the new owners taking up residence.

[You can read more of Mark Adams’ work at his blog, Dispassionate Liberal.]