Vicki Iseman...

[Lief 🗽]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/us/politics/21mccain.html?hp

I guess this is why Huckabee is still in the race.

[Keystone Phil]

It'll go away within a few days. Both McCaind and Iseman deny it.

[Lief 🗽]

CNN and MSNBC are both making a big deal about the story at the moment, interrupting what was going on to read the story.

[TheresNoMoney]

McCain's free pass from the media may be coming to an end.

[8 out of 11 is not deserved]

stink bomb...but it doesn't smell like it will go away quickly

[Verily]

It'll go away within a few days. Both McCaind and Iseman deny it.

Of course they do. It would be damaging to their own careers. That doesn't make it true, but it says nothing to make it false.

Meh. Doesn't bother me anyway even if it were true.

[Angel of Death]

I'm not particularly a judge of these sort of things, but from the looks of that picture she should seriously lay off the Botox.

[Keystone Phil]

It'll go away within a few days. Both McCaind and Iseman deny it.

Of course they do. It would be damaging to their own careers. That doesn't make it true, but it says nothing to make it false.

I'm not saying that makes it untrue. I'm saying that as long as the person he apparently had "inappropriate contact with" is denying it, it won't be a major factor.

[Verily]

It'll go away within a few days. Both McCaind and Iseman deny it.

Of course they do. It would be damaging to their own careers. That doesn't make it true, but it says nothing to make it false.

I'm not saying that makes it untrue. I'm saying that as long as the person he apparently had "inappropriate contact with" is denying it, it won't be a major factor.

Depends whether there are others who corroborate the story. If there are, it doesn't matter if McCain and Iseman deny it.

[8 out of 11 is not deserved]

The issue isn't sex.  It's the implication that he was helping a lobbyist get business for personal favors.  It's influence peddling where the danger is

[Sam Spade]

I'm trying to figure out - why release it now?  Seems to me a month ago or a few months in the future would have been wiser to get full impact.  Right now, it's liable to get overshadowed a bit.  But who knows, maybe I'm wrong.

[Keystone Phil]

The issue isn't sex.  It's the implication that he was helping a lobbyist get business for personal favors.  It's influence peddling where the danger is

"They [advisors] were convinced that the relationship had become romantic."

I'm trying to figure out - why release it now?  Seems to me a month ago or a few months in the future would have been wiser to get full impact.  Right now, it's liable to get overshadowed a bit.  But who knows, maybe I'm wrong.

Exactly what I thought.

[Keystone Phil]

"Protect him [McCain] from himself."

That's the worst part of it.

[True Democrat]

It'll go away within a few days. Both McCaind and Iseman deny it.

I agree.  I really don't think that either Clinton or Obama will jump on this bandwagon (especially Clinton. . .)

[8 out of 11 is not deserved]

Nope...you all wrong.  This is about trying to seriously damage McCain reputation on managing relationships with lobbyists and not being  clean politician.  The sex is the icing, the cake is influence peddling.  The left wing news media will run hard on influence peddling

[Sensei]

if this is true, too bad it didn't come out right before the GE

[Rococo4]

McCain's free pass from the media may be coming to an end.

was there ever a doubt this would happen once he became the nominee?

[Sam Spade]

After re-reading the story, I don't see much here, unless there's some people who will actually talk.  The invisible connection between influence peddling and sex suggested in the article is quite good writing, however.

I still don't get the timing - after all, there's a debate tomorrow that will overshadow this - unless a question will be asked about it at the debate (that's the only thing I can think of)

Much as in the Michelle Obama thingy, I'm curious to see how the McCain camp reacts, you know for general election reaction, if anything.

[Stranger in a strange land]

if this is true, too bad it didn't come out right before the GE

there's time for it to snowball...plus it tarnishes his image, which could have a big effect in the long term, even if it is false.

[Speed of Sound]

Meh, this one wont last, not even into the weekend. It seems weak, though valid. We'll see, but it hardly seems worth the time to even discuss.

[Sam Spade]

Another possibility, which Chuck Todd pointed out just a few minutes ago, that I failed to take into consideration, is that Republican hatred of the NY Times will cause the opposite of the desired result - in other words, more unity around McCain.  Of course, the opposite of that may occur - hard to tell.

This is one of those times when listening to talk radio might be informative, just to see what type of spin they take, because I suspect that may have some effect with the broader Republican electorate.

Wait and see, wait and see... 

[Iosif is a COTHO]

To be honest, it seems like a non-story. Some people are getting too worked up about it.

[exopolitician]

To be honest, it seems like a non-story. Some people are getting too worked up about it.

The media is screaming "deja vu" referring back to just before the Lewinsky scandal exploded.

even if this isnt a nonstory...the media blowing it up so much is going to hurt McCain and it just opens a goldmine of opportunites for the Democrats to jump on.

[หมูเด้ง]

Nope...you all wrong.  This is about trying to seriously damage McCain reputation on managing relationships with lobbyists and not being  clean politician.  The sex is the icing, the cake is influence peddling.  The left wing news media will run hard on influence peddling

Left wing media ? Go into your double-wide and fry something if you believe that.

[Reluctant Republican]

Another possibility, which Chuck Todd pointed out just a few minutes ago, that I failed to take into consideration, is that Republican hatred of the NY Times will cause the opposite of the desired result - in other words, more unity around McCain.  Of course, the opposite of that may occur - hard to tell.

This is one of those times when listening to talk radio might be informative, just to see what type of spin they take, because I suspect that may have some effect with the broader Republican electorate.

Wait and see, wait and see... 

Well, Hannity at least who usually attacks McCain was really defending him from what I heard tonight. Hannity seemed to think it was just a dirty smear. I think your right and this may actually help McCain with Conservatives.  I also don’t think this story has many legs, and expect it to disappear within a week or so. We’ll see though.