What you get when you try to access Thomas Loeffler’s page on his firm’s web site

When John McCain’s national finance co-chair resigned over the senator’s newly-minted no-lobbyists policy, the wrong guy quit. It should have been McCain stepping down for making deals.

Among Loeffler’s clients is the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., the parent company of plane manufacturer Airbus. Northrop Grumman Corp. and EADS won a lucrative contract to provide air refueling tankers for the Air Force. McCain helped scuttle an earlier contract in 2004 that would have gone to a competitor, Boeing Co.

Loeffler’s firm also has lobbied for other foreign interests and foreign governments. Newsweek reported over the weekend that Loeffler’s firm was paid $15 million by Saudi Arabia. The news magazine also said Loeffler listed meeting McCain along with the Saudi ambassador to “discuss US-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia relations,” even though Loeffler told a reporter last month that he had not discussed his clients with McCain.

With this resignation, is McCain seriously trying to convince us that he was not influenced by lobbyists, and in any case, is now lobby-free?

McCain’s new policy prohibits any staffer on the campaign from being a registered lobbyist or foreign agent. Part-time volunteers for the campaigns, such as Loeffler, have to disclose whether they are registered lobbyists or lobbying on behalf of foreign entities.

Under the policy, dated May 15, such volunteer advisers cannot lobby McCain or his legislative staffs during the period they serve on the campaign.

Except for one little clause: lobbyists need only take a leave of absence from their day jobs in order to work on the McCain campaign. Once the campaign is over or they step down, it’s back to business as usual, if it ever really ceased.

So who is Thomas G. Loeffler? The short answer is, a piece of work. The longer answer shows a history of Texas and Bush connections that puts him in the center of the Bush inner circle.

From 1989 until 2001, Tom Loeffler served as [University of Texas] regent, serving the last few months as board chairman. He served twelve years as the state representative of the 21st district before running for and losing the 1986 gubernatorial race…

…in May 2001, he founded Loeffler, Jonas & Tuggey in San Antonio. He has represented the chemical powerhouse Monsanto…One of the biggest areas for Loeffler, Jonas & Tuggey is the herbal supplement trade groups and ephedrine industry. Metabolife International, the ephedrine industry leader, report 28 contracts worth between $870,000 and $1.3 lobbying in Texas alone. Loeffler, Jonas & Tuggey have been some of the most active ephedrine lobbyists…

On October 20, 1998, William “Reyn” Archer held a task force meeting to discuss stricter standards of the drug. On the same day, Loeffler donated $25,000 to then-Governor [George W.] Bush. The task force eventually loosened its rules, and eight deaths have [been] linked to the drug…

As a congressman, Loeffler was the top of five members of Congress who received illegal donations from Vernon Savings & Loan. The S&L was eventually bailed out by $1.3 billion in taxpayers money. Loeffler also tried to set up a meeting with then-US Secretary of Treasury James Baker III to discuss the S&L paying off the debt accumulated from his failed 1986 gubernatorial race.

Loeffler has also used his two law firms to donate to Bush and [Gov.] Rick Perry. Loeffler himself is number ten on Bush’s career patron list by moving $495,424 to Bush’s campaigns. During Bush’s gubernatorial campaigns, Loeffler and Arter & Hadden gave Bush a combined $210,700; $141,000 came from Loeffler himself.

And John McCain thinks that by simply having this guy go into “inactive” status, he can wipe away all the slime-by-association? Tell your friends.