MyDD :: Will the Coverup Catch McCain?

Will the Coverup Catch McCain?

by Jonathan Singer, Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 01:20:53 PM EST

Michael Isikoff is on the case, catching John McCain in an apparent lie.

A sworn deposition that Sen. John McCain gave in a lawsuit more than five years ago appears to contradict one part of a sweeping denial that his campaign issued this week to rebut a New York Times story about his ties to a Washington lobbyist.

McCain can't help but keep digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole, now admitting that his campaign is teeming with lobbyists.

Sen. John McCain said Friday that while lobbyists serve as close advisers to his presidential campaign, they are honorable and he is not influenced by corruption in the system.

Chris Cillizza, writing about McCain's press conference yesterday, hits the nail on the head in taking down McCain's defense that his actions were okay because he's always around lobbyists.

While that argument may be technically correct, it's a political loser -- especially in a change-oriented election like this one. Obama's political rise has been fueled, at least in part, by his denunciation of the pay-to-play culture in Washington and his promise to clean up Washington if elected president.

McCain, too, has railed against special interests throughout his political life. But, by trying to defuse the Iseman questions, the Arizona senator may well have created a long-term problem for himself.

McCain is stuck in an awfully difficult position. In his mind and in the minds of his campaign staff, the best way to cool off the media from the Vicki Iseman story was to play it off like as just one of the many, many, many, many interactions McCain has with lobbyists -- including those who run his campaign. Obviously, though, this is not a political winner. Little surprise, then, that McCain started lying to the press in order to forward his cover up. Tough times for team McCain.

Update [2008-2-22 13:48:19 by Jonathan Singer]: You want the depositions? You got 'em!

Tags: John McCain, Lobbyists, Coverup (all tags)

Permalink :: 24 Comments :: Post a Comment

Re: Will the Coverup Catch McCain? (none / 0)

The media can say all they want, but it's really up to the American people to decide if they care. I just don't have a lot of faith in them after letting Bush slide for as long as he did.

It would be absolute insanity if McCain won over either Hillary or Obama, but then again, I couldn't imagine we'd have 8 years of Bush.

With that being said, I think McCain should be a fairly easy target.

by Dari on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 01:25:43 PM EST

Re: Will the Coverup Catch McCain? (none / 0)

We're going to hang so much corruption on the doddering old war lover he'll wish he'd never left the Hanoi Hilton.

by ReillyDiefenbach on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 06:45:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Will the Coverup Catch McCain? (none / 0)

What's the big deal? McCain is just a friendly guy, it's no wonder that he has a lot of lobbyist friends. He's so friendly that he lets lobbyists share his bed, on occasion. When...they're cold.... Yeah.

by rfahey22 on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 01:26:37 PM EST

Re: Will the Coverup Catch McCain? (none / 0)

Unfortunately, the usual seems to be happening. The media are dropping the story rather then pursuing it. OTOH, if this was a Democratic candidate, it would be 24-7 of coverage. It would be the biggest thing since sliced bread.

Its not the general public that's at fault. They only know what's reported in the media. This is why Bush won & this will be a close race.

by carter1 on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 01:41:00 PM EST

Re: Will the Coverup Catch McCain? (none / 0)

I just honestly don't see how this story has anything to do with Obama, or Clinton for that matter.

John McCain is a corrupt jerk, and that should be the focus here

by Brynhoe on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 01:43:43 PM EST

Re: Will the Coverup Catch McCain? (none / 0)

Man, what's it like to smoke crack, seriously its like your mainlining hate, did you believe all the stuff about Hillary to Glad, that she murdered Vince Foster, and that she's sleeping with a lesbian Al Queda operative right now! Because seriously, maybe you should go back to Freerepublic with this stuff.

by Socraticsilence on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 01:52:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Will the Coverup Catch McCain? (none / 0)

You forgot to add, "I'm John McCain, and I approved this message," to the end of your post. I think you've got some FEC fines coming your way, John.

by rfahey22 on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 02:01:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Why I troll-rated you... (none / 0)

Let me quote the MyDD guidelines here...

Users who are excessively bashing the Democratic Party, or being Republican trolls, will be banned.

Users who are bashing or attacking any other user on the site, including authors of diaries and frontpage postings, will be banned. Candidates and politicians are fair game (but that doesn't mean you can use inflammatory language against candidates).

by telephasic on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 02:05:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Will the Coverup Catch McCain? (none / 0)

The question in my mine has always been: Why would anyone vote Republican? After these last 7-1/2 yrs of lies, corruption, perversions, sexual misadventures and the like it seem to me that someone that would has to be rather intoxicated on kool aid. The Republicans are exactly the opposite of what they say, act and do as politicians. They have done nothing for the common good and I will be glad to assist in their departure from Washington.

by fillphil on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 01:56:35 PM EST

Re: why would anyone vote Republican? (2.00 / 1)

I'll tell you why- because people like Frank Rich and Maureen Dowd destroyed the most viable candidates -Al Gore, John Kerry and Hillary Clinton. The media enjoys tearing down our most competent so we end up with either a damaged candidate or one that is not prepared to become President. The media needs a bit of a reality check- and so do the American people-I know reality sucks but we do need a grown up in the White House-One with global credentials and dare I say-experience.

Experience Counts-Hillary 08!

by ExperienceCounts on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 02:08:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: why would anyone vote Republican? (none / 0)

I disagree with your judgment and, contrary to you, I also have some polls that actually support my view.

Barack Obama is more electable. You may need to do a reality-check soon, because your "experienced" candidate is losing. I hope you will come over it.

by marcotom on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 02:30:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: why would anyone vote Republican? (2.00 / 1)

If you think that Obama's campaign is not also teaming with lobbyists then you are living in a dream world.

by americanincanada on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 02:59:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: why would anyone vote Republican? (none / 0)

not nearly to the extent of Ms. "Lobbyists are people too" as well you know.

by ReillyDiefenbach on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 06:48:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: why would anyone vote Republican? (none / 0)

I disagree with your judgment and, contrary to you, I can point to some polls that actually support my view.

Barack Obama is more electable. You may need to do a reality-check soon, because your "experienced" candidate is losing. I hope you will come over it.

by marcotom on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 02:31:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: why would anyone vote Republican? (none / 0)

By that logic would you support a third term for Bush? I.e., a McCain presidency? They're both experienced, after all.

by rfahey22 on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 02:36:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Will the Coverup Catch McCain? (none / 0)

He can have them. The cozier he gets with them, the more radioactive he becomes to independents and wayward Democrats.

by rfahey22 on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 02:00:41 PM EST

Re: Will the Coverup Catch McCain? (none / 0)

What favors did he give this woman when he was committee chair. That's the scandal. That's what'll bury him.

Also, has anyone begun digging up what happened with his first wife?

by obamania on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 02:06:14 PM EST

Re: Will the Coverup Catch McCain? (none / 0)

Wrong article. Besides, we're talking about the substance of McCain's lobbyist connections, not the messenger.

by rfahey22 on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 02:48:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Will the Coverup Catch McCain? (none / 0)

This does matter..
I remember the early "hair" hit on Edwards. It stayed and played.
McCain trying to be different no ear marks etc..his own man crap etc...
The spin of lefty media at fault will not be enough.
Rush and Annie C. will kinda play along and say "it is a hit piece, but"
and you know Huck is going to be the fox with the torch tied to it's tail running around in the remaining Primaries.

"If you want to end war and stuff, you gotta sing loud"...Arlo Guthrie

by nogo war on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 02:42:00 PM EST

i think this will be powerful (2.00 / 1)

The best part is that he denied it so strongly. Now it's going to be a drip drip drip type of story. The journalists are going to try and catch every little inconsistency - and from initial appearances, it looks like there are some major ones.

by highgrade on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 04:04:14 PM EST

Re: i think this will be powerful (none / 0)

Bingo! This is exactly the dynamic that I think will develop--an ongoing game of hide and seek between McCain and the press. Thanks to McCain's blanket denials the gauntlet has been thrown down, even if he didn't mean to do so, just as surely as when Hart defied the press to catch him cheating.

The Cost of Energy: Higher than you think

by Lou Grinzo on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 05:41:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: i think this will be powerful (none / 0)

This is just initial gift from a cornucopia of legal and illegal McCain corruption that we shall play like the mighty Cavaille-Coll at St Sulpice right up to the end of October.

by ReillyDiefenbach on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 07:02:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: i think this will be powerful (none / 0)

What other McCain corruptions are there? Other than the Keating 5 , I mean.

by dMarx on Sat Feb 23, 2008 at 02:01:41 AM EST
[ Parent ]

so far (none / 0)

we already have him making statements inconsistent with sworn testimony.

by highgrade on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 07:58:25 PM EST

You are not logged in.

In order to post a comment, you must be logged in. If you have a member account, please log in to comment.

If not, you can make an account right here. It's quick and free.