McCain: “Everybody Knows it in America”
[Guest post by DRJ]
“Everybody knows” John Kerry and John McCain had a conversation about running together in 2004:
“Republican Sen. John McCain, showing a flash of the temper he is known for, repeatedly cut off a reporter Friday when asked whether he had spoken to Democratic Sen. John Kerry about being his vice president in 2004.
“Everybody knows that I had a private conversation. Everybody knows that, that I had a conversation,” McCain told the reporter. “And you know it, too. No. You know it, too. No. You do know. You do know.”
The reporter, Elisabeth Bumiller of The New York Times, was following up on a question McCain had answered at a campaign event Friday morning in Atlanta. Asked if he might consider Kerry as a running mate, since Kerry asked him in 2004, McCain said no.
Afterward, on a campaign flight, Bumiller said she looked in the Times’ archives and that McCain had denied talking with Kerry in a May 2004 story.
McCain interrupted, saying that everyone knew he had a private conversation, and he kept interrupting as she tried to follow up. McCain clearly was irate.
“I don’t know what you read or heard of, and I don’t know the circumstances,” McCain said. “Maybe in May of ’04 I hadn’t had a conversation.”
Did he recall the conversation? “I don’t know, but it’s well-known that I had the conversation. It’s absolutely well-known by everyone. So do you have a question on another issue?”
Asked again about the conversation, McCain said, “No. No. Because the issue is closed, as far as I’m concerned. Everybody knows it. Everybody knows it in America”
McCain’s handling of these questions means he will undoubtedly hear them many times in the future. I hope he comes up with some better answers – not to mention a calmer demeanor – before the next time.
In the meantime, Senator Hothead strikes again.
UPDATE: See the comments for a video link of McCain’s remarks with the reporter and a different opinion regarding McCain’s demeanor. It seems the New York Times may not be as objective as I assumed … and you know what they say about people who assume things.
— DRJ
My personal biggest problem with McCain, and of course, with most politicians, is that when faced with their own “truths” they avoid, twist, spin.
McCain should have simply answered the questions, because we all know he did, and say that he is a true liberal conservative Republican, and that Kerry talked to him. The Straight Talk Express could have been that, and it difuses the entire point the reporter was trying to make.
But, the Straight Talk Express must be running on liberal conservative Republican energy right now…
Fuel with no spark…
reff (bff229) — 3/7/2008 @ 1:25 pmActually, reff, he did answer the question. And I just saw footage of the exchange and he wasn’t particularly hostile. I didn’t see hothead, I saw “You’re wasting my time with this old news. Do you have another question about something relevant?”
Pablo (99243e) — 3/7/2008 @ 1:38 pmPablo,
Could it be the New York Times is spinning this to make John McCain look bad? Say it ain’t so …
DRJ (a431ca) — 3/7/2008 @ 1:42 pmI don’t know why McCain talking with Kerry about being VP is supposed to be such a “gotcha” moment. As I recall, McCain campaigned pretty vigorously for President Bush, so it isn’t as if there was some secret Kerry-McCain alliance to undermine the GOP in 2004.
JVW (85f15c) — 3/7/2008 @ 1:56 pmDon’t worry, Hillary appears determined to ensure a GOP victory in November no matter what McCain does.
Vergil (444e9b) — 3/7/2008 @ 1:56 pmI too saw the video. McCain was not a hot-head. He doesn’t tolerate fools and the reporter was being a fool. I don’t even think he was that testy either. You see want you want to see. If you don’t like McCain then he was a hot-head and rude. If you support him then you don’t. McCain was not my first choice, but I can and will support him.
lynndh (a20f74) — 3/7/2008 @ 2:05 pmI liked McCain the first time he ran. And I liked him even more when he rebuffed Kerry. I liked him coz even though he does reach across the isle a lot and does support “liberal” ideas, he knows who he is. He is a Republican. Kerry seemed confused about it and we all smiled when McCain set him straight.
EdWood (c2268a) — 3/7/2008 @ 2:17 pmDRJ,
But, but, but…they endorsed him! 😉
Pablo (99243e) — 3/7/2008 @ 3:08 pmHere’s a link to the video at Ann Althouse’s blog. She agrees with Pablo and others who think this is much ado about nothing.
DRJ (a431ca) — 3/7/2008 @ 3:48 pmMcCain’s handling of these questions means he will undoubtedly hear them many times in the future.
To be sure, if not the press, he’ll certainly hear about it from the Obama/Clinton campaign.
He didn’t appear to be “hotheaded” to me; but he was definitely irritated by Bumiller who, let’s be honest, was a bit disingenuous with her “I was going through the Times archives and just learned…” line.
My guess (I can’t know for certainty) is that she knew about the McCain/Kerry meeting.
SteveMG (bb8d62) — 3/7/2008 @ 3:54 pmSenator McCain, please take the following in the spirit it is meant:
“Fuck you, Senator.”
Scott Jacobs (d3a6ec) — 3/7/2008 @ 4:13 pmNYTimes: “McCain clearly was irate.”
Me: I don’t know. I watched the video, and he didn’t look irate to me. Mildly irritated, sure, and obstinate in his refusal to fall into the obvious trap. But irate? No.
Shocker, stop the presses! I’ve got a difference of opinion with the NYT…!
Robin Munn (cc08f2) — 3/7/2008 @ 4:21 pmThe Times seems to have a knack for reporting non-issues about McCain.
1. He met with a lobbyist with whom he didn’t have an affair and didn’t do any special work for.
2. He was born in The Canal Zone, and therefore might not be qualified to be President, only that conclusion was wrong.
3. He talked with John Kerry about possibly changing parties, but didn’t change parties.
Can there be any less substance to these stories?
Steverino (2c9e20) — 3/7/2008 @ 5:25 pmI’m not a fan of McCain – in large part because of his personality. That said, the NYT is full of it here.
SPQR (26be8b) — 3/7/2008 @ 5:59 pmThe NY Times would piss on your head and try to tell you it was raining, and that the rain was some Republican’s fault.
JD (626b4c) — 3/7/2008 @ 6:08 pmI agree that in the video he was controlled, and calm. My point in the first post here is that instead of just answering the question, saying “yes I talked with Kerry and yes we talked about the VP spot, and I turned it down flat” (which I think is what he did, based upon my memory of what happened) then that question would be moot, and the issue killed on the spot. Instead, it will come up again, as will so many other things of similar veins, and he’ll have to deal with them all..
And, eventually, he’ll snap….and we’ll have our “Howard Dean” moment….
And guarantee a Democratic president…
reff (59b2ad) — 3/7/2008 @ 7:45 pmreff – I hope you are wrong. She almost seemed embarassed to ask why he was so angry. It was just off, not that it was not an appropriate question, just that it so clearly did not match with what was unfolding in front of her. It is like she expected him to get pissed, and that would be the perfect question when he was pissed. When he didn’t, she didn’t know what to do, so she just charged in headfirst and asked it anyway.
JD (626b4c) — 3/7/2008 @ 8:04 pmBumiller is a typical NYT reporter, in other words a Democratic Party activist who gets paid to ask Republicans if they have stopped beating their spouses and ask Democrats how their puppy is doing. The Times is about as reliable as Pravda.
Ken Hahn (7742d5) — 3/7/2008 @ 11:35 pmNow, four years later, he can admit that a conversation occurred. But at the time, it was a courtesy to John Kerry and to John Edwards to NOT tell the world that Edwards was only second choice (at best.)
Every single one of these conversations about the VP slot includes wording very similar to ‘IF I offered, would you accept?’ A formal offer can’t be made until weeks of background checks and other due diligence is completed. Starting the conversation is a long, long way from an actual offer. And it sounds like McCain stopped the conversation at the beginning.
Mike S (d3f5fd) — 3/8/2008 @ 4:37 amHow quickly the NEW YORK SLIMES forgets that BILL CLINTON was a DARFT DODGER
krazy kagu (06a9a4) — 3/9/2008 @ 1:13 pmThe New York Times is the journalistic equivalent to the National Inquirer! I wouldn’t let my dog piss on that rag!
Ed O'Shea (56a0a8) — 3/9/2008 @ 1:13 pm