Hostilidades entre McCain y el New York Times

El New York Times rescató ayer una vieja historia que vinculaba a John McCain con una lobbyista llamada Vicki Iseman, que gestionaba los intereses de importantes clientes corporativos como Lowell W. Paxson. No es nada nuevo. Ya en diciembre pasado Matt Drudge destapó que McCain habría estado pidiendo al New York Times que no destapara el trato de favor ofrecido a los clientes representados por esta mujer hace ocho años. El Senador lo negó. El episodio podría suponer el final de las buenas relaciones del candidato con el diario neoyorquino. Algo que le puede venir bien con los votantes conservadores. La campaña de McCain ya prometido ir a la guerra contra el New York Times. McCain camp vows to 'go to war' with NYT

(...) John McCain’s campaign promised to “go to war” against the New York Times Wednesday night after the newspaper posted its long-awaited story on McCain's alleged relationship with a telecom lobbyist. Both McCain and the woman in question denied having a romantic relationship.

The story, word of which first leaked to the Drudge Report in December, relies on anonymous sources tied to McCain who said the lobbyist was warned to keep her distance to the senator in the run-up to his first presidential bid.

In the piece, McCain is quoted as telling Times editor Bill Keller that he never did anything unethical. Top McCain advisers, including his former Senate chief of staff Mark Salter, also say on the record that there was nothing inappropriate done legislatively.

McCain told reporters Wednesday night when asked about the story: "I haven't seen it yet, so I can't comment." But campaign aides had read it and spared no time in blasting the newspaper. "It is a shame that the New York Times has lowered its standards to engage in a hit and run smear campaign," said communications director Jill Hazelbaker, in a prepared statement sent about an hour after the Times posted their story online. "John McCain has a 24-year record of serving our country with honor and integrity. He has never violated the public trust, never done favors for special interests or lobbyists, and he will not allow a smear campaign to distract from the issues at stake in this election.(...)