McCain, Vicki Iseman and Keating

[RunInRed 16,487]

This is what is wrong with politics and it's happening on both sides. The attacks need to stop. If the NYT has any evidence to support these allegations then let's see them. If not, lets all work to move this country in a new direction by denouncing the politics of hate and personal destruction.

The Long Run

For McCain, Self-Confidence on Ethics Poses Its Own Risk

By JIM RUTENBERG, MARILYN W. THOMPSON, DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and STEPHEN LABATON

WASHINGTON — Early in Senator John McCain’s first run for the White House eight years ago, waves of anxiety swept through his small circle of advisers.

A female lobbyist had been turning up with him at fund-raisers, visiting his offices and accompanying him on a client’s corporate jet. Convinced the relationship had become romantic, some of his top advisers intervened to protect the candidate from himself — instructing staff members to block the woman’s access, privately warning her away and repeatedly confronting him, several people involved in the campaign said on the condition of anonymity.

When news organizations reported that Mr. McCain had written letters to government regulators on behalf of the lobbyist’s client, the former campaign associates said, some aides feared for a time that attention would fall on her involvement.

Mr. McCain, 71, and the lobbyist, Vicki Iseman, 40, both say they never had a romantic relationship. But to his advisers, even the appearance of a close bond with a lobbyist whose clients often had business before the Senate committee Mr. McCain led threatened the story of redemption and rectitude that defined his political identity.

It had been just a decade since an official favor for a friend with regulatory problems had nearly ended Mr. McCain’s political career by ensnaring him in the Keating Five scandal. In the years that followed, he reinvented himself as the scourge of special interests, a crusader for stricter ethics and campaign finance rules, a man of honor chastened by a brush with shame.

But the concerns about Mr. McCain’s relationship with Ms. Iseman underscored an enduring paradox of his post-Keating career. Even as he has vowed to hold himself to the highest ethical standards, his confidence in his own integrity has sometimes seemed to blind him to potentially embarrassing conflicts of interest...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/us/polit...APyrGV0LZIXx+pg

[BamaGrad03 0]

I wish you could have posted a longer article.

[RunInRed 16,487]

It is what it is.

[AURaptor 1,126]

It is what it is.

Yeah, a long winded hit piece and attempt by the Liberal NYT to discredit McCain. Seems the kooks on the LEFT don't want to leave anything to chance.

NYT

[RunInRed 16,487]

Seems heavy on innuendo to me. As I said, if the NYT has facts then they should come forward with them. If not, this is the type of garbage that needs to exit the political landscape.

[arnaldoabru 11]

The facts seem to be this.....McCain comes across as an independant crusador to remove corruptness from the political process,BUT has NO problem with helping his BIG money contributors with favors. Even when it is costing the tax payers Billions of dollars.

[RunInRed 16,487]

The facts seem to be this.....McCain comes across as an independant crusador to remove corruptness from the political process,BUT has NO problem with helping his BIG money contributors with favors. Even when it is costing the tax payers Billions of dollars.

HUH? We all must have missed that. Enlighten us all by adding some color to your commentary.

[arnaldoabru 11]

The majority of the article is not about the alleged"relationship"It is about his relationship with Keating,and clients that his lady friend represented,not disclosing trips on lobbyist jets,etc.... the very things he has vowed to save us from.

[arnaldoabru 11]

It is what it is.

Yeah, a long winded hit piece and attempt by the Liberal NYT to discredit McCain. Seems the kooks on the LEFT don't want to leave anything to chance.

NYT

You mean like the opposite of the AMERICAN THINKER.

[TexasTiger 13,026]

Long on innuendo, short on substance.

[LegalEagle 22]

It is great to live in a country where allegations of bad deeds by politicians may be aired openly. It is also great that the accused will have a national stage to address those allegations head on.

Too many times over the past years, a politician has been rightfully accused of misdeeds only to have his/her party to claim foul with disregard for the truth. If the allegations could only be aired if clear and convincing evidence was available, then those misdeeds would never be known.

Even when a politician directly refutes the allegations, sometimes he's lying. (Reference the blue dress)

I hope McCain was not doing anything wrong. I hope he convinces the voters of his innocence. If he was involved that needs to be known and considered.

[TitanTiger 20,511]

rir, I edited it to provide the link and shorten the portion of the article here. That thing was just too long.