South Portland, MAINE–
After a very unflattering article in the New York Times in February alleging an inappropriate relationship with a female lobbyist (which the camp completely denied), the McCain camp is in another argument with the Gray Lady. The presumptive Republican nominee wrote a response to Barack Obama’s Op-Ed on his Iraq policy published on July 14th. But, the McCain camp says the New York Times will not print the response as is. According to e-mails provided by the McCain campaign between them and the New York Times’ op-ed editor, David Shipley, the editor says he is “eager to publish the Senator on the Op-Ed page,” but that he is not “able to accept this piece as currently written” and he would be “pleased” to “look at another draft.”

In the unpublished Op-Ed, McCain goes after his rival for not supporting the troop surge in Iraq, “The success of the surge has not changed Senator Obama’s determination to pull out all of our combat troops. All that has changed is his rationale,” McCain then goes after Obama’s ‘Plan for Iraq,’ which the New York Times published, “ It consisted of the same old proposal to pull all of our troops out within 16 months. In 2007 he wanted to withdraw because he thought the war was lost. If we had taken his advice, it would have been.”

McCain also hits Obama on his plan to withdraw the majority of troops from Iraq within 16-months, “But I have also said that any draw-downs must be based on a realistic assessment of conditions on the ground, not on an artificial timetable crafted for domestic political reasons. This is the crux of my disagreement with Senator Obama.”

The Arizona Republican says Obama never speaks about winning the war, but only of ending it and says that he will continue to improve conditions in Iraq and also Afghanistan, “ A triumph for the terrorists would be a disaster for us. That is something I will not allow to happen as president. Instead I will continue implementing a proven counterinsurgency strategy not only in Iraq but also in Afghanistan with the goal of creating stable, secure, self-sustaining democratic allies.”

In the e-mail exchange, Shipley said that Obama’s Op-Ed “offered new information” because it previewed the presumptive Democratic nominee’s speech on Iraq. He added that “it would be terrific to have an article from Senator McCain that mirrors Senator Obama’s piece,” explaining that the Op-Ed would articulate how McCain “defines victory in Iraq” with a plan “for achieving victory– with troops levels, timetables and measures for compelling the Iraqis to cooperate. And it would need to describe the Senator’s Afghanistan strategy, spelling out how it meshes with his Iraq plan.”

The McCain campaign sees this as media bias and the New York Times favoring the Democratic candidate, “John McCain believes that victory in Iraq must be based on conditions on the ground, not arbitrary timetables,” Spokesperson Tucker Bounds said in an e-mailed statement, “Unlike Barack Obama, that position will not change based on politics or the demands of the New York Times.”

McCain is against setting timetables for troop withdrawals, but did say today that if conditions continue to improve in Iraq he sees troops coming home within the next two years.

McCain Communications Director Jill Hazelbaker was on Fox News and blasted the newspaper, “ We have elections in this country, not coronations and it is unfortunate that the New York Times wouldn’t let their readers hear from John McCain and make their own judgment.”

The New York Times responded pointing out that they have published at least seven previous McCain Op-Eds and that they endorsed him in the primaries, “ It is standard procedure on our Op-Ed page, and that of other newspapers, to go back and forth with an author on his or her submission. We look forward to publishing Senator McCain’s views in our paper just as we have in the past,” spokesperson Catherine Mathis said in an e-mailed statement, “We have published at least seven Op-Ed pieces by Senator McCain since 1996. The New York Times endorsed Senator McCain as the Republican candidate in the presidential primaries. We take his views very seriously.”

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New Orleans, LA — A press availability aboard Sen. John McCain’s plane got extremely heated Friday when a reporter attempted to ask the presumptive Republican nominee about his 2004 conversation about becoming Sen. John Kerry’s running mate.

Before New York Times reporter Elisabeth Bumiller was able to complete her question about whether Kerry had directly contacted McCain about being his running mate, McCain interrupted her and took issue with the topic.

“Everybody knows that I had a private conversation. Everybody knows that. That I had a conversation. There’s no living American in Washington that (doesn’t) know that, there’s no one,” McCain said during a flight from Atlanta to New Orleans. “And you know it too. You know it. No, you know it. You know it. So I don’t even know why you ask.”

The question was spurred by McCain’s comments during an Atlanta town hall meeting Friday morning where he responded to a question about whether he would consider Kerry as a vice president given that the Massachusetts Democrat had made those overtures in 2004. McCain quickly dismissed the question, noting that he and Kerry had major policy differences in 2004 and still do, so there was no chance he would ever consider former Democratic presidential nominee for his number 2.

“So when I was approached, when we had that conversation back in 2004, I mean that’s why I never even considered such a thing,” McCain said at the town hall meeting.

While the fact that the Kerry campaign had contacted McCain about a VP slot is well documented, Bumiller said she could not find a previous account of a direct conversation ever taking place, and queried McCain about the nature of that conversation. She immediately struck a nerve, as McCain repeatedly refused to further discuss the topic at one point asking Bumiller, “so do you have a question on another issue?”

McCain’s GOP rivals tried to use the Kerry overture against him during the primary in an attempt to paint McCain as a liberal–with the Mitt Romney campaign going so far as to create a Kerry-McCain header for press releases.

Here is the exchange from the plane:
Elisabeth Bumiller: Senator can I ask you about Senator Kerry. I just went back and looked at our story, the Times story, and you told Sheryl Stolberg that you had never had a conversation with Kerry about being, about Vice President -

McCain: Everybody knows that I had a private conversation. Everybody knows that. That I had a conversation. There’s no living American in Washington -

Bumiller: OK.

McCain: - that knows that, there’s no one.

Bumiller: OK.

McCain: And you know it too. You know it. No, you know it. You know it. So I don’t even know why you ask.

Bumiller: Well I ask because I just read-

McCain: You do know it. You do know it.

Bumiller: Because I just read in the Times in May of ‘04 you said.

McCain: I don’t know what you may have read or heard of, I don’t know the circumstances. Maybe in May of 04 I hadn’t had the conversation -

Bumiller: But do you recall the conversation?

McCain: I don’t know, but it’s well known that I had the conversation. It is absolutely well known by everyone. So do you have a question on another issue? (SEE MORE AFTER JUMP)

(more…)

Dallas, TX — Sen. John McCain says he is confident that he is eligible for the White House despite questions about whether his birth in the Panama Canal Zone disqualifies him from office.

“I have absolutely no concern about that. An American born in a territory of the United States, whose father is serving in the military, (that) could not be eligible for the Presidency of the United States is certainly not something our founding fathers envisioned,” McCain said aboard his plane today, noting that 1964 GOP nominee Barry Goldwater was born in Arizona while it was still a territory.

The U.S. Constitution says a president must be a “natural born citizen.” In 1936, McCain was born at a naval installation in the Panama Canal Zone–which was then governed by the U.S.

According the NY Times, the campaign has former Solicitor General Ted Olson researching the subject just in case it becomes in issue in the general election.

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Indianapolis, IN — One day after his campaign led a full frontal assault on the New York Times, Sen. John McCain said Friday that he is “moving on” and will no longer answer questions about his relationship with a Washington lobbyist.

“I don’t have any more comment about this issue. I had a press conference yesterday morning and I answered every question,” McCain said at a press conference following a town hall meeting in the Hoosier State. “I am moving on. I am talking about the issues and challenges of America and the big issues that Americans are concerned about. I addressed the issue. I addressed every question that was addressed to me. And I do not intend to discuss it further.”

Despite the fact that his campaign aggressively deployed surrogates Thursday who attacked the Times and sent an fundraising e-mail to supporters rebuking the paper as part of the “liberal attack machine,” McCain said his campaign is essentially declaring a cease fire.

“My campaign is not doing that anymore,” McCain said. “The fact is I won’t discuss (the issue) any more.”

McCain also confronted further ethics concerns that a number of his senior campaign advisers previously worked as lobbyists.

“The right to represent interests or groups of Americans is a constitutional right…I am proud of the record of many of my advisers,” he said. “These people have honorable records, they’re honorable people and I am proud to have them as part of my team.”

(more…)

Wayne, MI — While the McCain campaign is aggressively confronting the New York Times about the piece they are calling sleazy and tabloid, don’t expect any legal action any time soon.

Senior Adviser Steve Schmidt told reporters aboard the McCain campaign plane today that suing the Times for libel is “not an actual recourse we have.”

“We are very disappointed. (The story) was deeply unfair,” Schmidt said, but added that taking the Times to court is “not a feasible thing to do. It’s not a winnable case….being a public figure and all that.”

“The allegations and malicious innuendo reported by the New York Times yesterday are completely and utterly false.  Alcalde & Fay’s relationship with Senator McCain has been professional, appropriate and consistent with his legislative, jurisdictional and constituent duties.  The story is based upon the fantasies of a disgruntled former campaign employee and is without foundation or merit.  Ms. Iseman is a hard working professional whose 18 year career has been exemplary and she has our full support.  It is beneath the dignity of a quality newspaper to participate in such a campaign of character assassination.”

The Republican National Committee follows the McCain campaign’s lead and sent out a fundraising email to supporters Thursday asking for cash to to “fight back against the mainstream media’s clear liberal bias.” Though there is no mention of McCain himself since Mike Huckabee is still in the race so the RNC has to remain neutral.

Email below:

Dear Friend,

The New York Times has proven once again that the liberal mainstream media will do whatever it takes to put Senator Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama in the White House.

From the beginning of Campaign 2008, liberal media pundits have fawned over the Democrat presidential candidates while ignoring their lack of substance on the issues. You can be certain that as the campaign heats up they will continue to mislead voters with their anti-Republican agenda.

Republicans must fight back against the mainstream media’s clear liberal bias — and we need your help to do it.

Please make an urgent secure online contribution of $1,000, $500, $100, $50, or $25 to help the RNC get our responsible message of lower taxes, a strong national defense, and limited government past the liberal media filter and directly to the voters.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Best Wishes,

Robert M. “Mike” Duncan
Chairman, Republican National Committee

In an email to supporters Thursday, McCain campaign Manager Rick Davis rips the New York Times story alleging impropriety with a lobbyist as “disgusting” and “sleazy.”

Titled, “Here We Go,” the email asks potential donors for cash to fight the “liberal establishment and their allies at the New York Times.” Writes Davis, “We’ll never match the reach of a front-page New York Times article, but with your immediate help today, we’ll be able to respond and defend our nominee from the liberal attack machine.”

McCain’s fundraising lags way behind that of Democratic frontrunner Sen. Barack Obama, who out-raised him almost 3:1 in January.

THE EMAIL

Dear ###,

Well, here we go. We could expect attacks were coming; as soon as John McCain appeared to be locking up the Republican nomination, the liberal establishment and their allies at the New York Times have gone on the attack. Today’s front-page New York Times story is particularly disgusting - an un-sourced hit-and-run smear campaign designed to distract from the issues at stake in this election. With John McCain leading a number of general-election polls against Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the New York Times knew the time to attack was now, and they did. We will not allow their scurrilous attack against a great American hero to stand.

The New York Times — the newspaper that gave MoveOn.org a sweetheart deal to run advertisements attacking General Petraeus — has shown once again that it cannot exercise good journalistic judgment when it comes to dealing with a conservative Republican. We better get ready for more of the Democrats’ attacks over the coming months as the Democrats pick their nominee, MoveOn.org starts spending their unlimited soft money, and the liberal media tosses standards aside in an attempt to stop our momentum. We need your help to counteract the liberal establishment and fight back against the New York Times by making an immediate contribution today.

John McCain has a 24-year record of serving our country with honor and integrity. He has led the charge to limit the money and influence of the special interests in politics and stomp out corruption. His life and his record prove just how preposterous the smear by the New York Times really is.

Objective observers are viewing this article exactly as they should - as a sleazy smear attack from a liberal newspaper against the conservative Republican frontrunner. Sean Hannity said, after reading the article three times, “It was so full of innuendo and so lacking of fact, and so involved in smear, I came to the conclusion that the goal here was to bring up a 20-year-old scandal.” Washington attorney Bob Bennett, who was the Democrat counsel during the Keating investigation, said, “This is a real hit job.” Joe Scarborough called the allegations “outrageous.” Even pundit Alan Colmes — not known for his conservative leanings — concludes “this is a non-story.”

Yet, it is there, right on the front page of the New York Times. It is now dominating the cable news coverage. We can only expect these sorts of baseless attacks to continue as we move into the general election cycle. We are going to need your help today, and your continued help in the future to have the resources to respond. We’ll never match the reach of a front-page New York Times article, but with your immediate help today, we’ll be able to respond and defend our nominee from the liberal attack machine.

Sincerely,

Rick Davis

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Toledo, OH — Sen. John McCain rebuked a New York Times report that he had an inappropriate relationship and did favors for a telecom lobbyist.

“I’m very disappointed in the article. And it’s not true,” McCain said during a 15-minute press conference, describing lobbyist Vicki Iseman as just a friend. “As it’s been pointed out, I’ve served this nation honorably for more than a half a century…at no time have I ever done anything that would betray the public trust.” (Video above)

His wife Cindy, who stood beside the Senator during the press conference, also came to her husband’s defense.

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“I’m very disappointed in the New York Times. And more importantly, my children and i not only trust my husband, but know that he would never do anything to not only disappoint our family but disappoint the people of America,” she said. “He’s a man of great character.”

For more details….

Toledo, OH — The McCain campaign is pushing back HARD on the New York Times for finally running the long-awaited article–which we first learned about in December--alleging that Sen. McCain had an improper business and personal relationship with female lobbyist, Vicki Iseman.

Both McCain and Iseman deny a romantic relationship and the campaign says there is no evidence that McCain gave the lobbyist or her clients preferential treatment on Capitol Hill.

Campaign Communications Director Jill Hazelbaker released a written statement tonight: “It is a shame that the New York Times has lowered its standards to engage in a hit and run smear campaign. 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. Americans are sick and tired of this kind of gutter politics, and there is nothing in this story to suggest that John McCain has ever violated the principles that have guided his career.”

Senior McCain campaign officials call the New York Times story (which contains a lot of innuendo) an “outrage” and are accusing the paper of a deliberate smear prompted by pressure from the New Republic (TNR) magazine–which was planning on running a critical story about the Times’ decision to originally bow to campaign pressure and withhold the article late last year. McCain campaign officials say they received phone calls from TNR two weeks ago asking for comment on the potential article.

Asked about the article upon arriving in Toledo, OH tonight–McCain personally had little to say on the story: “I haven’t seen it yet, so I can’t comment.” His first press conference is scheduled for 9am Thursday morning.