Damned Liberal Media, Printing Facts Again

Your paper has repeatedly attempted to insinuate impropriety on the part of Senator McCain where none exists — and it reveals that your publication is desperately willing to gamble away what little credibility it still has.

That was campaign spokesman Tucker "Out of" Bounds, asked to comment on a story that the New York Times was assembling. You'll love the irony (projection?) in that last sentence -- the story is now available, and will appear on page 1 of the print edition of the Sunday Times. It's a long investigative piece headlined, "McCain and Team Have Many Ties to Gambling Industry."

Man, you want to talk delicious? This story has it all. It's got McCain going after Jack Abramoff as a convenient target to burnish his Maverick^TM image, while:

... interviews and records show that lobbyists and political operatives in Mr. McCain’s inner circle played a behind-the-scenes role in bringing Mr. Abramoff’s misdeeds to Mr. McCain’s attention — and then cashed in on the resulting investigation.

It's got McCain flip-flopping, again for image-burnishing purposes, changing in 2005 from a politician who had taken bundles of cash from the Indians for years, and then suddenly declaring Indian casinos "as one of three national issues that were 'out of control.'" (Sound familiar?)

It's got suggestions about why McCain and Joe Lieberman are such great pals -- Connecticut casinos. It's got stories about McCain's own gambling habits, how he was treated by casino owners in Vegas, his numerous connections to lobbyists in the gaming industry, and the favors he did for them. It's even got copies of emails and letters between some of the players.

Enough out of me. Go read and enjoy.

(h/t: graz)