Will Cindy’s Beer Biz Be A Liability for McCain?
This week’s issue of Newsweek features a profile of Cindy McCain, wife of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain. The account is positive, yet even-handed, and covers all the major points of Cindy McCain’s public life: her marriage to the Arizona senator — shortly after his divorce from his first wife, Carol; her previous addiction to painkillers; and her work on behalf of children and hospitals in developing countries. As the Newsweek story reports, if her husband wins the presidency, she will enjoy a platform to pursue the latter:
“„Cindy is McCain’s "best friend, best adviser and closest confidant," she says. As First Lady, she would not sit in on cabinet meetings. But the White House would give her a platform to advance causes, like special education, that are important to her. "My biggest goal is to hopefully inspire more people to get involved in their communities, to focus on, as my husband has said, causes greater than themselves."
However, a weekend story from The Los Angeles Times shows Cindy’s work could pose a potential problem for a McCain administration. Cindy is the chairman of, and owns a controlling interest, along with her children, in Hensley & Co., one of the nation’s largest beer distributors. According to the article, the company has opposed advocacy groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving and lobbied the federal government against regulations regarding "alcohol issues that involve public health and safety." From The Los Angeles Times story:
“„Hensley has run afoul of health advocacy groups that have tried to rein in appeals to young drinkers. For example, the company distributes caffeinated alcoholic drinks that public health groups say put young and underage consumers at risk by disguising the effects of intoxication.
“„The involvement of McCain’s family in federal regulatory issues could create a conflict of interest for a future McCain administration, according to advocacy groups and political analysts. McCain has recused himself for many years on alcohol issues in the Senate. As president, however, McCain would face far more difficulty distancing himself from an issue with such broad scope.
“„Cindy McCain holds the title of company chairwoman and controls about 68% of the privately held company stock with her children and the senator’s son, according to records at the Arizona Department of Liquor License and Control. Cindy and John McCain keep their finances separate, and he has no stake or role in Hensley.
“„In an interview in May, she said she knew "everything that is going on" and communicated with her executive team every day. She added that she did not need to be at headquarters to be in charge. So far, she has given no hint of what changes, if any, she envisions. "That’s very premature," she said.
The story notes that if Cindy does not sever her ties with Hensley, she will be the first sitting first lady to head a corporation engaged in lobbying the federal government.
“„The McCain campaign issued a statement Friday about the issue, saying that "any decisions going forward will be made when John McCain wins the election and takes office, and not before." Hensley executives declined to comment.
“„Political analysts said they were astounded that the presumptive Republican nominee had not already addressed the issue.
“„"You can’t run a beer company out of the White House," said Samuel L. Popkin, a political science professor at UC San Diego. "You can’t run any company from the White House. McCain is leaving a live hand grenade on the table, a major embarrassment."
So far, McCain’s ties to the alcohol industry have attracted little notice during this presidential campaign. However, the issue could pose a problem for his efforts to court religious conservatives, many of whom are teetotalers. The Times story, citing figures from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, reports more than one in three Americans abstains from alcohol.
If his wife doesn’t step down from her position at Hensley, it would also seem to set back McCain’s efforts to distance himself from lobbyists and posture himself as a reformer who will fight their influence in Washington. How he chooses to confront this issue could be a good indicator of how his administration will relate to special interests.
