McCain said he would never issue a critical signing statement. "If I disagree with a law that's passed, I'll veto it," he said. "I think if you disagree with a law, you have a constitutional right to veto that, authority to veto that."
In this blogger's opinion, McCain's opposition to the anti-waterboarding bill makes no sense -- and his call on Bush to veto the measure is the height of hypocrisy for a man who was tortured for five years while a prisoner of war in Vietnam and who has made opposition to torturing prisoners of war a personal crusade.
Suddenly, a New Ethics Scandal for 'Mr. Straight Talk'
Soon after the Times article about his relationship with Iseman appeared, McCain advisers challenged its accuracy and questioned the newspaper's motivation.
"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," campaign spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker said in a statement.
The campaign also said that "John McCain has a 24-year record of serving our country with honor and integrity" and that "there is nothing in [the Times] story to suggest that John McCain ever violated the principles that have guided his career."
Some McCain advisers were convinced in 2000 that his relationship with Iseman, a partner at the Washington-based lobbying firm Alcalde & Fay, had become romantic, the Times reported. The newspaper also said that Weaver wanted the senator to stay away from the lobbyist, who represented telecommunications companies with business before the Senate Commerce Committee that McCain led.
Iseman acknowledged meeting Weaver but denied a romantic relationship -- as did McCain -- and insisted she did not receive any special treatment from the senator's office, the Times reported.
One of McCain's senior advisers, Charlie Black, told CNN that the campaign first learned in October that the newspaper was working on a story about McCain's relationship with Iseman. By Thanksgiving, he said, there were "rumors all over town" that the Times was interviewing people.
Black said McCain's campaign and Senate staff spent "countless hours" providing information and documentation to the paper. He said that the information provided to the paper disputes suggestions McCain tried to use his influence to help Iseman's clients.
Conservative Broadcaster Paxson Contradicts McCain on Lobbying
In a related development, conservative broadcaster Lowell "Bud" Paxson on Friday contradicted statements from the McCain campaign that the senator did not meet with Paxson or his lobbyist before sending two controversial letters to the Federal Communications Commission on Paxson's behalf.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Paxson said he talked with McCain in his Washington office several weeks before the Arizona senator wrote the letters in 1999 to the FCC urging a rapid decision on Paxson's quest to acquire a Pittsburgh television station.
Paxson, an evangelical Christian who founded the family-oriented PAX Television Network in the mid-1980s (now ION Television), also recalled that his lobbyist -- Iseman -- likely attended the meeting in McCain's office and that Iseman helped arrange the meeting. "Was Vicki there? Probably," Paxson told the Post. "The woman was a professional. She was good. She could get us meetings."
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