Josh Marshall contends:

The situation on the Russia-Georgia border today is a undoubtedly a complicated situation. But it would be difficult for John McCain to give a credible response since his top foreign policy advisor, Randy Scheunemann, was until recently a paid lobbyist for the Georgian government.

So… having a staffer taking something of value from a foreign government makes it difficult for a lawmaker to make a credible response to events in that region?

So by that standard, wouldn’t it be tough for Obama to comment on Puerto Rican issues, as the co-director of his campaign in Puerto Rico is a Washington-based federal lobbyist for the government of Puerto Rico?

So by that standard, when Obama staffer David Katz accepted a hand-carved chess set and ornamental box, valued at $150, from Iraqi President Jalal Talibani on February 16, 2006, did it make it difficult for Obama to give a credible response to events in Iraq?

Or, by that standard, when Barack Obama accepted a 47 inch rug from Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan (neighbor of Georgia and Russia), that made it difficult for him to comment on the region?

(Both gifts were deposited with the Secretary of Senate to be transferred to the General Services Administration, and the justification for accepting the gifts is the standard, “non-acceptance would have caused embarrassment to donor and the U.S. government.”)

From an old article detailing donations from foreign to federal officials, from a familiar name in the Washington Post:

Since 1978, federal employees have been required to file reports with their agencies detailing gifts worth more than $305 received from foreign government sources. Employees are permitted to keep gifts worth less that that; gifts worth more are considered gifts to the agency, although the employee has the option of purchasing the item.

If Marshall really wants something to complain about, Georgian President Mikhil Saakashvili gave McCain an antique sword on August 26, 2006, and it is currently displayed in McCain’s office, according to the Federal Register.

This is the big scoop, Marshall! Forget Scheunemann! McCain is standing with a democracy and a U.S. ally against Putin and the Russian army not because of his aide’s former lobbying work, but because Saakashvili bribed him with a sword!