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→During Bush Presidency 2001–2008
===During Bush Presidency 2001–2008 ===
===During Bush Presidency 2001–2008 ===
Following McCain's loss in the 2000 Presidential primary and reports of dirty tricks in [[South Carolina]],<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/03/21/the_anatomy_of_a_smear_campaign/ The anatomy of a smear campaign], March 21, 2004, [[Boston Globe]]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20091221024959/http://www.palmettoscoop.com/2007/12/30/top-romney-advisor-tied-to-anonymous-attacks-of-previous-presidential-primary/ Top Romney advisor tied to anonymous attacks of previous presidential primary], December 30, 2007</ref> McCain began to disagree with President Bush on many issues, such as tax cuts, climate change, and gun legislation. After the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]], McCain wrote legislation that created the 9/11 Commission, while he and Democratic Senator Fritz Hollings co-sponsored the Aviation and Transportation Security Act that federalized airport security. In May 2005, McCain led the so-called "[[Gang of 14]]" in the Senate, which established a compromise that preserved the ability of senators to [[filibuster]] judicial nominees, but only in "extraordinary circumstances". McCain also co-sponsored comprehensive immigration reform (see below under political record for details). In addition to bipartisan work in the Senate, it was during this period that McCain was courted by the Senate Democrats, and considered switching parties.<ref>[http://thehill.com/homenews/news/11485-democrats-say-mccain-nearly-abandoned-gop http://thehill.com/homenews/news/11485-democrats-say-mccain-nearly-abandoned-gop]</ref>
Following McCain's loss in the 2000 Presidential primary and reports of dirty tricks in [[South Carolina]],<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/03/21/the_anatomy_of_a_smear_campaign/ The anatomy of a smear campaign], March 21, 2004, [[Boston Globe]]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20091221024959/http://www.palmettoscoop.com/2007/12/30/top-romney-advisor-tied-to-anonymous-attacks-of-previous-presidential-primary/ Top Romney advisor tied to anonymous attacks of previous presidential primary], December 30, 2007</ref> McCain began to disagree with President Bush on many issues, such as tax cuts, climate change, and gun legislation. After the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]], McCain wrote legislation that created the 9/11 Commission, while he and Democratic Senator Fritz Hollings co-sponsored the Aviation and Transportation Security Act that federalized airport security. In May 2005, McCain led the so-called "[[Gang of 14]]" in the Senate, which established a compromise that preserved the ability of senators to [[filibuster]] judicial nominees, but only in "extraordinary circumstances". McCain also co-sponsored comprehensive immigration reform (see below under political record for details). In addition to bipartisan work in the Senate, it was during this period that McCain was courted by the Senate Democrats, and considered switching parties.<ref>[http://thehill.com/homenews/news/11485-democrats-say-mccain-nearly-abandoned-gop http://thehill.com/homenews/news/11485-democrats-say-mccain-nearly-abandoned-gop]</ref>
In the mid-2000s McCain's campaign chairman Rick Davis connected with [[Russia]]n [[oligarch]] [[Oleg Deripaska]]. At the time, the Davis-Manafort firm was advising with pro-Russian political figures in [[Ukraine]] and also doing work in [[Montenegro]], another former Soviet satellite that Putin was trying to influence.
While Davis was building the political connections with the oligarch, he was handing off the commercial side of the relationship to [[Paul Manafort]], his longtime lobbying partner. Manafort came to work on the commercial side for Deripaska through Davis.
U.S intelligence raised concerns to McCain's staff about the Davis Manafort work. McCain’s office also was warned about possible Russian military connections to one of his policy advisers at the International Republican Institute (IRI), a think tank which McCain chairs. Clinton crony [[Cody Shearer]]'s twin sister, Kimber Shearer, was also associated with IRI at this time before her death. In 2005, McCain’s inner circle was encouraged to distance itself from the adviser, causing aides to scramble to separate Deripaska from McCain.
In 2006, Davis and Manafort arranged two meetings with McCain and Deripaska. The first occurred in January 2006 in [[Davos]], Switzerland.
Deripaska showed up by McCain a second time, during an official trip to [[Montenegro]], another place where the Davis-Manafort firm was offering advice. Deripaska and Davis joined McCain and other officials at a dinner hosted by the country’s government in August 2006, and some of the attendees went on to take a cruise aboard a yacht where drinks and pastry were served in honor of McCain’s 70th birthday.
Deripaska’s visa to travel to the United States had been blocked by the State Department because of concerns about his ties to Russian businesses and government. The U.S. embassy in Moscow monitored Deripaska’s business dealings during the time, reporting back to Washington they believed the oligarch was close to Putin.
{{Quotebox|“Deripaska enjoys a favorable relationship with President Putin -- he is a more or less permanent fixture on Putin's trips abroad, and he is widely acknowledged by our contacts to be among the 2-3 oligarchs Putin turns to on a regular basis,”}} one 2006 cable from the Moscow embassy to Washington declared.
The oligarch’s visa controversy dragged on for years and reached the highest levels of both governments. A February 2008 State Department cable released by WikiLeaks shows that Putin was so concerned about the matter that he had then-Russian Deputy Foreign Minister [[Sergey Kislyak]] lobby then U.S. Ambassador to Moscow William Burns to try win Deripaska’s entry to the United States. "Kislyak parried with a demand for more information on the U.S. refusal to issue Oleg Deripaska a visa. Ambassador said he had already provided our response,” the cable said. Putin eventually dispatched Kislyak to be his ambassador in Washington.
===2008 Presidential Campaign===
===2008 Presidential Campaign===