A New York Times reporter had a little mid-air altercation with Senator McCain and now we’re being treated to many pundits saying that his answers to the charges leveled (however spacious) weren’t convincing enough. Personally, I don’t understand why McCain is still letting the Gray Lady fly around with him after the bogus adultery stories they threw at him after it became obvious he would be the Republican nominee, but I guess they don’t call him the Maverick for nothing.
Elisabeth Bumiller of the New York Times asked, “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 testily replied, “Everybody knows that I had a private conversation. Everybody knows that. That I had a conversation. There’s no living American in Washington — that knows that, there’s no one.”
Bumiller: “Okay.”
McCain: “And you know it, too. 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?”
Bumiller: “Well can I ask you when the conversation was?”
McCain: “No. nope, because the issue is closed as far as I’m concerned. Everybody knows it. Everybody knows it in America.”
Bumiller: “Can you describe the conversation?”
McCain: “No, of course not. I don’t describe private conversations.”
Bumiller: “Okay. Can I ask you…”
McCain: “Why should I? Then there’s no such thing as a private conversation. Is there (inaudible) if you have a private conversation with someone, and then they come and tell you. I don’t know that that’s a private conversation. I think that’s a public conversation.”
Bumiller: “Okay. Can I ask you about your (pause) Why you’re so angry?”
McCain: “Pardon me?”
Bumiller: “Nevermind, nevermind.”
McCain: “I mean, it’s well known. Everybody knows. It’s been well chronicled a thousand times. John Kerry asked if I would consider being his running mate.”
Bumiller: “Okay.”
McCain: “And I said categorically no, under no circumstances. That’s very well known.”
I thought it was a nice takedown, and the video was even better. For those of you who think McCain came off bad, just remember that in the end she gained nothing substantive to use against him. He shut the would-be controversy down. She really didn’t know where to go with him after he hardlined her. All she had left was a little childish comment about how angry that McCain is. We’ll see that a lot this fall. John McCain, media darling, will be turned into the crazy old man who snaps at reporters.
There are a lot of people weighing in, take a looksee. Just remember that a feisty Maverick is better than a milquetoast moderate Maverick. FullosseousFlap | Patterico | Redstate | Sister Toldjah | Michelle Malkin | QandO | Hot Air | Stop The ACLU |
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