Lonestarnot's big scoop?? - Whistleblower on McCain's involvement in Cindy's drug scandal

[DCBob]

A whistleblower is coming forth against John and Cindy McCain, and the picture he is painting is not a pretty one. You've probably heard about Cindy McCain stealing prescription drugs from her charity in the 1990s. Today, Tom Gosinski, her former employee and a close friend of the McCain's, came out on the record about the entire sordid episode. And it appears that McCain used his Senate staff and resources to cover up Cindy's drug use, and potentially to prevent the Drug Enforcement Agency from investigating his wife's theft of illegal prescription drugs. John McCain certainly used his political connections to begin a campaign of intimidation against Gosinski, because at the time - this was after the Keating 5 scandal - another major scandal would have derailed his career. Gosinski stayed quiet out of fear until today; a recent fight with cancer has strengthened his resolve. As he told me today, if he can beat cancer, he can go on the record regarding how the McCain's do business. Gosinski was an employee of Cindy McCain who helped her run her charity, the American Voluntary Medical Team in the early to mid-1990s. At the time Gosinski worked for her, Cindy McCain was addicted to prescription painkillers, taking between 30-50 pills a day of Vicatem and/or Percocet. She had doctors writing out prescriptions in other peoples' names, including Gosinski. When Gosinski found one of the prescription slips, he got angry, and Cindy had him fired. This part of the story is just kind of sad, but not damning; Cindy McCain was a lonely and bored wife who turned to drugs in place of what was a loveless marriage full of fundraisers and in all likelihood, various infidelities.

Now, it begins to get dangerous and vicious after Gosinksi was fired. At first the McCain's said they'd help him find a job, but it became clear to Gosinksi that McCain was using his political connections to blackball him from another job in Republican politics in Arizona. So he sued the McCain's for wrongful termination, and went to the Drug Enforcement Agency to find out the legal repercussions of having prescriptions for painkillers written in his name. To retaliate, McCain then had his political ally, Rick Romley, open an extortion investigation against Gosinksi. In the course of that investigation, it was revealed that the DEA was circling around Cindy McCain and her charity. It's not clear what they were investigating her for, but it is clear she was bringing illegal prescription drugs around the world on a diplomatic passport secured for her by McCain's Senate office.

McCain's Senate staff and Senate resources were intimately involved in Cindy's work with the charity. John McCain procured her a diplomatic passport, which meant that her bags were not searched by customs, and Mark Salter and Torie Clarke were both coordinating with Gosinski on logistics for the trips abroad. The charity was supposed to conduct medical missions abroad, but Cindy was also stealing from the charity's supply of drugs for her own personal use. In August of 1994, the story was going to come out, and so John McCain came out with his side of the story. He claimed he didn't know that Cindy McCain was using drugs until 1994, a clear lie. Cindy McCain overdosed in 1991, and John McCain went to the hospital in Sedona and told the hospital staff not to make the information about Cindy public. Gosinski heard about the overdose in 1992, after he began work for Cindy McCain.

There are lots of unanswered questions, but the basic contours of the story are clear. John McCain used his position as a Senator to help his wife abuse illegal drugs and avoid being searched by customs, and somehow his wife managed to avoid any charges by the DEA or the state (which has mandatory minimums in cases like this) on drug charges despite ample evidence. Did the DEA or the state not file charges against her because of political pressure? Did they keep this on the Federal level to avoid mandatory minimums for Cindy McCain because of political pressure from McCain? Did John McCain and/or his Senate staff tamper with a criminal investigation of his wife and her conspiracy to fraudulently obtain illegal drugs?

Whether illegal or not, and an investigation by Congress should happen, this is clearly a massive and overreaching case of both corruption on a personal sordid level and an abuse of power. And you might be seeing Gosinski on mainstream media soon. We need an investigation into what happened here. What did McCain know about the investigation of his wife and did he use his power as a Senator to help her abuse drugs or avoid prosecution? When he was one of a hundred Senators, it was of minor importance. And now? Well it would be nice to know if the next President is engaged in behavior more characteristic of an influence peddling mob boss than an upright politician.

http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=8147
==========

Yes this could get ugly.

Here's the vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5NV1PY2mMQ

[PCIntern]

1. WOW! Now the MSM has to do its 'work'

and it's 'hard work'.

[cui bono]

2. But they can't!

If they do McCain will write them an angry letter!!! :scared:

[EmilyAnne]

4. They're too busy talking about lipstick and mavericks.

[driver8]

45. Not only that, but he won't talk to them anymore!! n/t

[EmilyAnne]

3. It could be big. If I remember correctly, Gosinski had a kept a journal that detailed the day to

day drug induced breakdowns of Cindy McCain as well as the direct confrontations with John McCain when he began to threaten Gosinski's career. He never released the journal to the public. Maybe he's going to release it now?

On a side note, maybe Track Palin and Cindy McCain can get together and throw a few parties?

[Boz]

6. This was over in 1995. It s a red herring.

[EmilyAnne]

8. According to Raw Story, Gosinski is releasing his journal. Still could be a red herring, but I

don't see why Gosinski would go along with it. He was almost destroyed by the McCains.

[Boz]

His journals have been public 16 years, and he has made more money selling this story than he ever

Lost.

Many details have been released from his "journal" before and it was in the public record of his wrongful termination suit which was dismissed in 1995.

None of this is new, its just a NEWER audience.

In fact he use the same line 16 years ago as used on the guys he sold the story to this time only this time its cancer that gave him the courage.

From 1994:
Until now, Gosinski has not spoken on the record to the press. It has taken months of cajoling, Cindy McCain's public admission and the release of documents relating to the extortion investigation to convince him to open up.

By the way youll note the UNREALEASED jounals seem to be in this article too
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/1994-09-08/news/opiate-for-the-mrs/2

[EmilyAnne]

15. Interesting...I stand corrected. Thanks for the link. Now, I'm growing suspicious about the red

herring.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

22. I think this entirely consists of the guy trying to get some media exposure.

This is why I'm always a bit wary when a "whistleblower" of any stripe goes public on a partisan website, liberal or conservative. It indicates that the MSM wouldn't touch the story with a ten foot pole. There could be any number of reasons for this, some legitimate and some not, but one of the reasons is obviously that the whistleblower is full of shit. That doesn't mean that any whistleblower who goes public on a partisan website is full of shit, but my bullshit detector does start to twitch.

[leveymg]

74. Speaking of red herrings, has anyone ever asked John McCain how he manages HIS pain?

How DOES John manage HIS pain, anyway?

According to McCain's physician, the Senator takes nothing other than an occasional non-prescription Ibupofen. That would make him an extraordinarily undermedicated person for his age.

But, when you consider that he suffered permanent osteopathic damage to his arms, and that he rubs his hands to cope with chronic pain, one has to wonder.

What IS John McCain's pain management regiment, anyway? Has he never been prescribed analgesics? If not, that would be truly extraordinary. If he's refused medication, that is truly strange, and raises the question, what does this say about his psychological state?

Maybe Cindy isn't the only one masking a history of substance abuse?

How come there's no record that these question have never been asked or answered?

[druidity33]

28. he released excerpts...

and only to the Phoenix New Times. How is that releasing his journal?

He's been pretty silent for someone who's been "selling" his story to so many people... actually it seems like the last time he "talked" to anyone, it was in 1994.

:eyes:

Red Herring indeed.....

[Boz]

51. Um no its been reported and he has been interviewed evey election cycle since

[druidity33]

65. "it's been reported", huh? nt

[anigbrowl]

67. Here:

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/1994-09-08/news/opiate-for-the-mrs/
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2008/09/tom_gosinski_surfaces_to_retel.php

Even the journalists who broke the original story 16 years ago are responding with 'meh'. Thing is, did anyone think Cindy McCain got away with her misdeeds for any other reason BUT the fact that her husband was a senator? No. So if you think that's an injustice, you probably weren't going to vote McCain anyway.

[druidity33]

69. exactly what i said.

It was reported in 1994 and again recently.

I was responding to a poster that said Gosinski was a gold digger and talked about this every election cycle.

Got a link from somewhere between then and now?

Oh yeah and your 2 links are from the same source.

This is big news. You know why? Because 99% of the electorate has never heard about it...

:shrug:

[ClayZ]

12. Not while thousands rot in JAIL for the same crime!

Who the hell do these people think they are.

[symbolman]

44. SO FUCKING WHAT?

You have taken it upon yourself to QUASH every single thread about this.. what the fuck is the problem?

It's OLD news to YOU? SO FUCKING WHAT?

Some of us haven't heard it, and I'll be MOST of America hasn't.. I know *I* haven't.

So WHY are you trashing a Possible attack on McCain, potentially one of MANY that MAY take him down?

You are NOT the Media, or the Public. So let US hear about it, without stating, as you have in other threads that it's NOT a story as some kind of FACT, when it's nothing more than your opinion.

Jesus Christ, who made you the Thought Sheriff?

[Boz]

52. All I have posted is the truth, we like to try to keep that on our side.

Otherwise we are just them, and since they can go pound salt for their lies, so can the people that would lie to get Obama elected

[Monk06]

5. Like Troopergate it will not go anywhere in the time remainig. After Nov 5 all will be forgotten.

[EmilyAnne]

7. Gosinski is releasing copies of his journal according to Raw Story!! n/t

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

10. You mean these journals?

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/1994-09-08/news/opiate-for-the-mrs/2

[EmilyAnne]

13. Wow- thank you! I really had no idea they were out. Just read something on HuffPo that made it

sound like they were sealed.

Damn, you guys are right. This could be a red herring.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

9. This story is fourteen years old.

I'd hardly call that "breaking."

[Unsane]

11. lame

[WeDidIt]

14. Disgruntled Former Employee

Case closed.

Non-story.

[bigscott]

16. what a disappointment

this has been all over DU as "game changing" - what a joke

[shaniqua6392]

20. I got all excited for nothing.

This will never work. It looks like scraping the bottom of the barrel to come up with something against McCain. I am so bummed.

[Boz]

17. He even lost the wrongful termination suit in 1995

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

21. His "lawsuit"

...appears to simply consist of hiring a lawyer and demanding $250,000 from the McCains.

[Boz]

27. He demanded the money before the suit, the suit happened after Cindy McCain outted herself on the

Drugs, he kept his mouth shut for 3 years, demanded 250,000 for continued silence and gave a teaser to a newspaper for leverage. and here we are today with some hanging there hopes it will turn into something big.

[lonestarnot]

55. And you can't apparently read!

[flamingdem]

64. Agree. Non-story. Distraction. Only question is why is it being pushed here

and what else might it serve to distract from ... we'll know sooner or later.

[JuniperLea]

66. Bullshit

This has only begun to surface. This is about McCain abusing power.

[everything-bolt-up]

18. lets keep talking!

we need to blog about this - and hard!

[everything-bolt-up]

19. forget it - red herring indeed. damn.

[Blue Gardener]

23. Old story or not

A lot of voters haven't heard the details.

[nc4bo]

24. hmmm. Me thinks, this could get a bit interesting. nt

[PCIntern]

25. I for one hadn't heard the details b/c why on Earth would I give a

crap about McCain when this came out the first time?

Meanwhile, I would promote the hell out of this story if I were a 527 and force MSM to run with it and to understand that the cover-up of this crime is indicative of what McCain does under the guise of that BS smile and faux hail-fellow-well-met nonsense.

I say, we beat it to death...better than 2 bags of 'thrown-away' flags...

[unfrigginreal]

26. Wait! This isn't about Lipstick?

Waste of time.

:sarcasm:

[JSK]

29. Any attack on poor little Cindy

(and that's how it would be painted) will just be labeled more "sexism." Another disappointment.

[jakem]

30. is this seriously what we have been fluffed for 3 days for?

:eyes:

[TornadoTN]

42. I think all of us here who fell for it are having "Buyers Remorse"

I fell for it to a certain extent and I'm feeling like a tool for having put any stock into this story.

This was sold as "EARTH SHATTERING" but this shit has been out for years - by the same guy who supposedly has "never released" this. Sure, it screams corruption but this thing has no legs in the context of this election.

[Virginia Dare]

50. It screams of Rathergate...

the GOOP got some traction out of making Princess Barracuda into a victim of the vicious "left wing blogs and media", and they're trying to seal the deal now. We need to tread carefully from here on out.

[Ganja Ninja]

31. Well if this is the story then I'm not that impressed.

While it's not a flattering image we're not going to win an election with a story that's over a decade old.

[screembloodymurder]

32. It's nothing.

Too complicated, too old, it's about his wife and how he protected her. This is a positive for McCain. Now if they can prove the affairs ...

[Kablooie]

33. Lipstick! Pigs! - No. Drugs. Illegal Drugs! Abuse of Power and drugs. - Uh. NO! ... Lipstick! Pigs!

[Vinca]

34. No offense, but . . . yawn.

This is a zero cycle news story. MSM is bought and paid for and they won't cover this.

[PCIntern]

35. They'll cover it if you make them cover it...

this is a losing mentality...this stuff CAN resonate. Imagine if it were the leading story on 3 networks because of the public outrage at rich people's allowed drug abuse. COME ON.

[Vinca]

36. Well, I guess I'm just cynical. I email MSM on a daily basis about issues . . .

and not a whole lot happens. The sorry fact is, Cindy's drug escapades have been common knowledge for years on end and no one has shown the slightest bit of interest in covering it. This person saying McBush covered it up amounts to "he said, he said." If this ends up being a game changer, I'll eat the heavy pottery coffee cup sitting next to me on the desk.

[Window]

37. K/R.

:kick:

[gratefultobelib]

38. This is a joke, right? This is what I've been glued to my computer for?

[Virginia Dare]

39. This is ridiculous, lots of people guessed that it had something to do with Cindy..

and the OP deliberately said no, John McCain only and strung them along.

Back on ignore.

[TornadoTN]

43. Ah yes, I forgot about that aspect of it

So has anyone seen the OP? Do we have an explanation or indication as to what happened and whether this is the "huge story" giddy happy little dance?

[cags]

46. Maybe she grounded herself from DU for a bit. I'd be embarassed if I was her

[lonestarnot]

56. She hasn't and she's not!

:wow:

[Nye Bevan]

40. Definitely *not* worth a "little giddy dance little giddy dance"

so I hope this is *not* the "big scoop". Everyone knows that Cindy McCain stole from a charity to feed her drug addiction. Not much new here.

[alcibiades_mystery]

41. Pfffffffffttttttttttttttttttt

That's the sound of a long stinky fart that clears the giddy happy dancefloor.

[Hugabear]

47. What's the big fucking deal

Signed,

Rush Limbaugh

[KansDem]

53. "She had doctors writing out prescriptions in other peoples' names"

Rush's modus operandi...

Rush Limbaugh Detained With Viagra
Held At Airport After Drug Lacked Prescription; Could See Deal In Prior Case Collapse

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., June 27, 2006

(CBS/AP) Rush Limbaugh could see a deal with prosecutors in a long-running prescription fraud case collapse after authorities found a bottle of Viagra in his bag at Palm Beach International Airport. The prescription was not in his name.

Limbaugh was detained for more than three hours Monday at the airport after returning from a vacation in the Dominican Republic. Customs officials found the Viagra in his luggage but his name was not on the prescription, said Paul Miller, a spokesman for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

Miller said the alleged violation could be a second-degree misdemeanor. The sheriff's office was investigating and will soon turn the case over to the state attorney's office, which had no immediate comment Tuesday.

Under the deal reached last month with prosecutors, Limbaugh was not to be arrested for any infraction for 18 months in exchange for authorities deferring a charge of "doctor shopping." Prosecutors had alleged the conservative talk-show host illegally deceived multiple physicians to receive overlapping painkiller prescriptions.

CBS

[Shine]

48. I'm not convinced this will do ANY damage. A story from the mid-90's?!

puh-lease..... :eyes:


Sadly, I doubt this will carry much water.






.....but I'd LOVE to be proven wrong. :D

[jberryhill]

49. Cue the "Betty Ford" Courageous Struggle With Addiction Music

"A story of one woman's courageous struggle with substance abuse, the loving steadfast husband who saw her through it, and the political vipers who sought to use this private tragedy and triumph for political gain."

Puh-lease.

[flamingdem]

63. BINGO. They walk on this one with "sympathy" thrown in

I don't see it being front page news after all this time.

[lonestarnot]

54. K & R!

Waiting and watching!

[DCBob]

72. Hey Lonestarnot -- this has been one hot topic today!

Not sure where this is headed but we certainly should not ignore it. I am sure there is a scandal here -- the problem is extracting it without looking like turds.

[GardeningGal]

57. I knew of her drug abuse but did not know of McCain's enabling

of her. And then using his Senate position to get her a diplomatic passport and keep it in federal court rather than state court. Certainly brings to mind abuse of power at the very least. I know Cindy has been questioned about this, but has John's involvement been questioned? If he has, I haven't seen it.

[Cleita]

58. This caught my eye and this might be a bigger nail in McCain's coffin.

"This part of the story is just kind of sad, but not damning; Cindy McCain was a lonely and bored wife who turned to drugs in place of what was a loveless marriage full of fundraisers and in all likelihood, VARIOUS INFIDELITIES."

If the infidelities are true, I don't think it would take long for a tabloid like "The National Enquirer" with bags full of cash to come up with some first person accounts and even pictures. Also Cindy seems to have the air of a battered wife around her. Maybe some of the ex-employees lips could be loosened for any violent episodes that they have witnessed while working at some of the seven properties. People have a habit of forgetting the hired help are there when having their domestic spats.

Ordinarily, I'm not into dredging into this kind of dirt, but a man who will do this to his wife can't be trusted to run our country.

[marlakay]

60. what i don't get since she is rich is why she didn't dump his ass

she could live anywhere, meet a nice guy...she almost seems drawn to being a victim even though she should be able to buy herself protection from any man, even a senator.

at first i thought well maybe she just wants power to be first lady. but now I truly think she fears mccain...why?

I wonder if he told her that if she ever tried to leave him he would tell her secrets...or get her thrown in jail...even if not true she might believe it.

[Cleita]

61. Probably a lack of self-esteem.

Usually battered women are made to feel like nothing by their parents so they seem to go through life looking for partners who abuse them because they think they can't do any better. I've seen it happen in friends of mine, pretty girls who could have any number of nice guys and yet seem to end up with controlling goons who degrade them somehow even if it's not physical.

[David Zephyr]

59. Unless the corporate media works the story, it will go nowhere.

We live among an under-educated populace doped up on religion, entertainment and the glory of war.

Don't expect much from a story this old, this complex unless the corporate media works it.

The story doesn't have "lipstick".

[flamingdem]

62. OLD OLD OLD OLD OLD OLD OLD OLD OLD OLD OLD story

too complex and dirty for Obama to make use of -- since there are so many promoting this story on DU ... I have to think a better story is about to surface.

Time will tell.

[glancingthefuture]

68. Wonder if McCain will pick up the sympathy vote cause of

so many dissing his wife--a person who has had addiction problems--which so many Americans have experience with.

Just wondering

[GoldenOldie]

70. Americans don't know the whole story

DEA officials have been muzzeled and Agents working this case and been ordered to be silent under threat of dismisal. For those that thinking this is a non-issue, they overlook that this is another major failure of corruption within our Justice System. If you are powerful enough, you get to break the laws and in fact prosper. Justice Department Heads are attempting to keep the lid on the full disclosure in hopes that We the People consider it "OLD NEWS."

[Raine]

71. Interesting nt

[trudyco]

73. So McCain aided and abetted his wife's addiction, even

illegally helping her (what's the statue of limitation?) and covered his enabling up. Doesn't sound like he tried to help her.

Why does John hate Cindy so? Why didn't she divorce him?

It smacks of a politician more interested in his job than his loved one. Sounds like Palin.
Eww. They are soul mates.