John McCain’s ties to gambling interests have been getting a bit more attention these days – look at these recent reports by The Associated Press and CBS News. Now, that relationship is the subject of a new ad by Campaign Money Watch – more details about the ad will be posted here later today, but feel free to watch it right now.

In other news, the Associated Press’ Justin Pritchard and Garance Burke reported this weekend that McCain’s VP pick, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, presided over a “flawed bidding process” for a massive pipeline project that “narrowed the field to a company with ties to her administration.” The story notes that “leader of Palin’s pipeline team had been a partner at a lobbying firm where she worked on behalf of a TransCanada subsidiary. Also, that woman’s former business partner at the lobbying firm was TransCanada’s lead private lobbyist on the pipeline deal.”

Also in the news today are reports of two GOP fundraisers who once played a crucial role but have seen their influence minimized. The first is President Bush – The Washington Post notes that the unpopular incumbent has been relegated to relatively small events for congressional fundraising committees and hasn’t attended many events for specific candidates, most notably McCain.

The other Republican fundraiser down on his luck these days is McCain bundler Harold C. Simmons, who was behind 2004’s infamous Swift Boat ads. His efforts this year to tie Barack Obama to William Ayers haven’t had much impact, The New York Times notes, largely because Democrats were simply better prepared, but also because independent groups have seen their influence decline this election.

Sarah Palin’s understated yet sharp fashion sense has won some attention since John McCain tapped her to be his vice presidential running mate. But it turns out that signature Palin look is courtesy of the Republican National Committee, which, as Politico’s Jeanne Cummings reports, has shelled out $150,000 to dress and accessorize not only Gov. Palin, but her family as well.

As Cummings writes, “The cash expenditures immediately raised questions among campaign finance experts about their legality under the Federal Election Commission’s long-standing advisory opinions on using campaign cash to purchase items for personal use.”

Meanwhile, it looks like the RNC’s main fundraising go-to guy, President Bush, is losing some of his potency. Politico’s Ryan Grim reports that Bush has pulled in “$40 million less than he raised last cycle and $4 million less than Barack Obama raised last month.”

Barack Obama’s $150 million September continues to attract coverage. Today, The Washington Post’s Matthew Mosk and Sarah Cohen point out that only a quarter of the $600 million Obama has raised actually came from people who have donated less than $200 – a reflection of the fact that big money is still essential for anyone seeking high elected office.

Finally, two editorial today – in the Philadelphia Inquirer and The Washington Post – both signal that Obama’s haul confirms that it’s time to fix the public financing system, and that it’s up to the next president to lead the way.

The Republican National Committee made the news over the weekend by demanding a Federal Election Commission audit of Barack Obama’s political donations, citing concerns that the Democratic nominee was illegally accepting money from foreign nationals, the Wall Street Journal and others reported.

The Journal’s take notes that Republicans “didn’t provide evidence of widespread foreign contributions” and that any audit, if approved would take place after election day, two facts that have led to questions over the motives behind the RNC’s action.

John McCain’s VP pick, Sarah Palin, is facing an interesting week. The “Troopergate” report is scheduled for release on Oct. 10, and, according to the Anchorage Daily News’ Wesley Loy, seven state employees are set to honor subpoenas and testify in the legislative investigation. She’s also being sued by a Republican activist over two personal e-mail accounts, The Washington Post’s Matthew Mosk reports. Amid all that, she still managed to attend a California fundraiser on Sunday.

Agence France Presse notes that, even as lobbyists become a “whipping boy” on the campaign trail during the economic crisis, they’ve also come to be more relied upon than ever. But the story ends on an optimistic note for those worried lobbyists will roll back any regulations put into place: “”There is such an enormous popular reaction to what has happened that it will be more difficult than usual for lobbyists to turn back and craft legislation.”

No wonder President Bush was so eager to sign the bailout bill – turns out, according to The Associated Press, that he left for a fundraiser only 28 minutes after signing the legislation.

USA Today reports on Hillary Rodham Clinton as a fundraising draw for Barack Obama. She’s reportedly raised more than $8 million for her former rival for the Democratic nomination.

Speaking of Obama’s fundraising, Newsday turns up a good example of why a ban on lobbyist contributions may be well intentioned, but is prone to loopholes.

We’re in a bit of a news lull between Barack Obama’s acceptance speech and John McCain’s VP announcement, so no roundup today. But here’s one news item we thought worth mentioning:

The Politico’s Jonathan Martin notes that the McCain campaign is making the transition to post-convention fundraising – and George W. Bush will be a big part of it. As soon as McCain accepts the GOP nomination, he won’t be able to raise funds anymore, instead relying on $84 million in public financing. But the RNC and state parties still can, which is where Bush comes in.

The current president will do his work on friendly turf – Oklahoma and Texas. And McCain won’t be in attendance.

With John McCain at home in Arizona (reportedly making the final decision on his VP candidate) and most media attention focused on the final day of the Democratic National Convention, it’s a relatively quiet news day – at least in terms of lobbyists and fundraising. But there are a few news stories that merit attention.

Time Magazine’s Joe Klein writes about “What Bush Taught McCain,” and it isn’t pretty. It includes this key passage: “But McCain has proved a selective maverick, surrounded by special-interest lobbyists who shape his foreign and fiscal policies. In fact, I suspect that this year’s McCain is closer to the real thing than the noble 2000 version.”

National Journal goes into detail about the posh treatment afforded bundlers at the DNC this week, including access to Obama after his acceptance speech. USA Today has a report in a similar vein.

Finally, the UK’s Daily Telegraph gives lobbyists a chance to defend themselves. One, speaking of Obama’s plans to limit the influence of lobbyists in his administration, says that without lobbyists, he’d be left with “academics and virgins” shaping policy.

What do you want to see us talking about here? Tell us at [email protected].

We kick off the day with two news stories that show the staying power of two people John McCain may rather not have around: former Sen. Phil Gramm and President Bush.

The Associated Press’ Deb Reichmann finds that Bush has netted nearly $1 billion for the GOP (including himself), showing he’s still a prolific fundraiser despite his low approval ratings. This year alone, he’s helped the party pull in $70 million. Of course, Bush’s effectivness as a fundraiser for John McCain ends once McCain accepts the GOP nomination – but his ability to raise money for the Republican National Committee will continue until election day.

And, yes, Phil Gramm, he of the “nation of whiners” comment, shared the stage with McCain at an event in Aspen on Thursday, according to The Washington Post’s Michael D. Shear. Perhaps the allure of Gramm’s fundraising connections was just too much for McCain to resist?

In one of the day’s more thought-provoking articles, CQ’s David Nather asks a question that’s been on our minds for awhile, too: Why has McCain, “the man who claims to be the enemy of powerful lobbyists and special interests…surrounded himself with lobbyists and former lobbyists on his campaign team”? The answer: McCain is OK with special interests as long as they’re also his interests. (Though, really, that’s true for any politician. The real question is whether those lobbyists are helping define what McCain’s interests are.)

Keep an eye on which sports teams McCain is rooting for: Sports team owners have given the candidate $3.2 million, compared to only $615,000 given to Barack Obama, The Politico’s Kenneth P. Vogel and Matthew Lindsey report.

However, Obama is doing quite well in getting donations from employees of securities, mortgage and drug companies, Bloomberg’s Jonathan D. Salant writes, beating McCain by $3 million – a reversal from 2004, when Bush held a significant edge over John Kerry. The explanation? Concerns over the Iraq war that trump economic self-interest and serious questions about McCain.

Finally, something to keep in mind when the conventions kick off about 10 days from now: special interests are footing the bill, as USA Today’s Fredreka Schouten notes.