http://youdecide08.foxnews.com/2008/02/23/report-mccains-recollection-of-1999-meetings-disputed-by-key-figure/

2 Key Figures Have Differing Recollection of 1999 Talks With McCain Over FCC Matter

Saturday, February 23, 2008

New reports are further muddying the picture of what exactly happened in 1999 surrounding John McCain’s request to speed up a Federal Communications Commission decision on a deal involving a Pittsburgh TV station, a matter that is central to new questions over McCain’s relationship with lobbyists and special interests.

But a separate report, by The Associated Press, says that another Paxson Communications official disputes Bud Paxson’s account, and said he believes McCain’s account that the two never met in person.

That is absurd. The point is whether or not McCain did anyone a favor, there is no indication that he did. Whether he sent someone a letter telling them to get off their asses and make a decsion is not the point.

BTW, Captains Quarters has an interesting post up about Obama hanging out with former terrorists/cop killers. We can play this silly little game all day.

excerpt:

McCain attorney Robert S. Bennett played down the contradiction between the campaign’s written answer and Paxson’s recollection.

“We understood that he [McCain] did not speak directly with him [Paxson]. Now it appears he did speak to him. What is the difference?” Bennett said. “McCain has never denied that Paxson asked for assistance from his office. It doesn’t seem relevant whether the request got to him through Paxson or the staff. His letters to the FCC concerning the matter urged the commission to make up its mind. He did not ask the FCC to approve or deny the application. It’s not that big a deal.”

McCain himself in a deposition in 2002 acknowledged talking to Paxson about the Pittsburgh sale. Asked what Paxson said in the conversation, McCain said that Paxson “had applied to purchase this station and that he wanted to purchase it. And that there had been a numerous year delay with the FCC reaching a decision. And he wanted their approval very bad for purposes of his business.”

The deposition was taken in litigation over the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law filed by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). The contradiction in the deposition was first reported by Newsweek yesterday afternoon.

“I said I would be glad to write a letter asking them to act,” McCain testified, recounting the conversation with Paxson. “But I cannot write a letter asking them to approve or deny, because then that would be an interference in their activities.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/22/AR2008022202634_pf.html

Senator John Warner of Virginia, the ranking Republican and former chairman of the Armed Services Committee who has endorsed Senator John McCain, wrote to Mr. Obama on Friday seeking more details. Senator Warner wants to find out of the story is true -– and, if so, who might be responsible for any lapses. He said that he will also raise the issue with Army Secretary Peter Geren and Army Chief of Staff William Casey when they testify next week before his committee.

“There are specific military regulations governing the use by U.S. forces of weapons other than of U.S. manufacture, and, likewise, regulations covering the deployment into combat zones of military units at manning levels below optimum level,” said Mr. Warner.
To establish accountability within the military chain of command, Mr. Warner is asking Mr. Obama to provide more facts about the incident cited in the debate -– the dates, the unit involved and the name of the captain……

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/warner-to-obama-bring-me-your-captain/

excerpt:

It is a rare occurrence when a letter of this nature must be sent to the president of a news organization, but the gravity of this situation warrants nothing less…

…A story on Friday Feb. 15, by AP journalist Richard Lardner, “Vehicle Delay Blamed for Marines’ Deaths,” micharacterized the nature of a paper written by a civilian employee of the Marine Corps regarding the procurement of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. The fact is the paper contained the personal views and opinions of the employee…..

A subsequent AP article, “Biden, Bond Seek Probe of Vehicle Delay,” was posted Feb. 19, and included the following statement: “The Associated Press first reported Friday that hundreds of U.S. Marines have been killed or injured by roadside bombs in Iraq because Marine Corps officials refused the request of the commanders.” This statement was presented as fact and not attributed to the author of the paper, as representing his personal views. It is an especially egregious statement without the proper attribution.

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2008/02/did-delays-cost.html

“On Wednesday night the Times published a story suggesting that McCain might have done legislative favors for the clients of the lobbyist, Vicki Iseman, who worked for the firm of Alcalde & Fay. One example it cited were two letters McCain wrote in late 1999 demanding that the Federal Communications Commission act on a long-stalled bid by one of Iseman’s clients, Florida-based Paxson Communications, to purchase a Pittsburgh television station.

Just hours after the Times’s story was posted, the McCain campaign issued a point-by-point response that depicted the letters as routine correspondence handled by his staff–and insisted that McCain had never even spoken with anybody from Paxson or Alcalde & Fay about the matter. “No representative of Paxson or Alcalde & Fay personally asked Senator McCain to send a letter to the FCC,” the campaign said in a statement e-mailed to reporters.

But that flat claim seems to be contradicted by an impeccable source: McCain himself. “I was contacted by Mr. Paxson on this issue,” McCain said in the Sept. 25, 2002, deposition obtained by NEWSWEEK. “He wanted their approval very bad for purposes of his business. I believe that Mr. Paxson had a legitimate complaint.”

So, the point is that McCain is either lying now when he denied having been asked to send the FCC letter or he was lying in his 2002 deposition when he said the opposite.

I’ll have to admit that I originally thought this story would go nowhere because the initial focus was on the infidelity/sex aspect. Who cares about that. But the aspect that relates to McCain’s ties to lobbiest, along with the Washington Post article about all the lobbiest in senior positions of his campaign and his problem with the FEC over the terms of his $5 million campaign, could create a real problem for someone who claims to be the champion of ethics.

Left by Soothsayer on February 22nd, 2008

YEAH!!!!

The return of the Anti-American/Pro-Jihadi Leftist Nutbag Traitor!

I’ve MISSED you Moonbat!

I haven’t had anyone to embarrass, make fun of, put down, and generally show their exposed ass to the world!

Welcome back Buffoon, this is going to be fun, AGAIN!

Can “THECENTERISABUNGHOLE” be far behind???

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

What are you talking about? The Congress has been threatening to cut off funding for the military for years now. Who do you think the military is?What exactly do you think those funds are paying for?

BTW, your post made no sense. Although calling a war hero and military man old coot does show your disregard for the military and the men who serve in it.

Hundreds of U.S. Marines have been killed or injured by roadside bombs in Iraq because Marine Corps bureaucrats refused an urgent request in 2005 from battlefield commanders for blast-resistant vehicles, an internal military study concludes.

. . .

. . . John Sidney McCain III aka Crazy Old Cootâ„¢ gets caught lying:

First, the Cootâ„¢ assures the public he had never even spoken with anybody from Paxson or Alcalde & Fay a regulatory matter . . .

shortly after giving voice to the lie, Johnny gets something caught in the wringer when a 2002 deposition McCAin gave under oath included:

“I was contacted by Mr. Paxson on this issue,” …

“…where did you get information of that sort, Senator McCain?”
McCain replied: “I was briefed by my staff.”

“Do you know were they got the information?”

“No,” McCain replied. “But I would add, I was contacted by Mr. Paxson on this issue.”

“You were?”

“Yes.”

So – is he lying now or was he lying then??? Generally, McCain can be sadi to be lying if his lips are moving . . .