Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has close ties with the alcohol industry, including a wife whose serves as chair of her family's Anheuser-Busch distributorship and a son who serves as the company's chief financial officer.

McCain himself also once worked as the head publicist for the Arizona-based distributor, Hensley & Co., the Boston Globe reported March 9.

McCain has routinely recused himself from votes in Congress related to alcohol issues, but would not have that option as president. Some advocates also worry that federal regulators will be less than vigorous in policing the alcohol industry given McCain's industry ties. "It would not be helpful to have a president from Anheuser-Busch," said George Hacker, director of the alcohol policies project at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

The family business has helped enrich John and Cindy McCain, who have a reported $44 million in net assets, making the Arizona Republican the ninth-richest member of Congress. McCain has received $152,725 in campaign contributions from the alcohol industry, although that still trails the $210,750 accepted by Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton, who also is running for president. Anheuser-Busch alone donated $15,200 to McCain.

By contrast with his lack of involvement with alcohol issues, McCain has been very active on smoking prevention, including legislation to crack down on the industry and underage use of tobacco.

In his autobiography, McCain details heavy drinking in his youth as well as the drinking problems of his father, the late Admiral John S. McCain Jr. "My father returned from the war with a great appetite for drink, which he overindulged until the very last years of his life . . . drinking changed his personality in unattractive ways," wrote McCain. "When he was drunk, I did not recognize him."

If elected president, McCain could face votes on the alcohol industry's attempt to cut the federal beer tax in half, reducing the legal drinking age from 21 to 18, and giving states more latitude on drunk-driving laws. McCain has recently stated that he supported the age-21 law.