McCain's Ties With Female Lobbyist Revealed

This has already been a very unusual campaign for John McCain, full of ups and downs. When the campaign started months ago, he was the favorite to win the nomination. Then his campaign seemed to go off the tracks and it looked like he might not even make it to the primaries. But once the primaries started, he seemed to catch fire, and now he is the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party.

Now, just as it seemed that everything was coming up roses for McCain, the New York Times publishes a story that brings his judgement into question. The story involves the relationship between McCain and a 40 year-old lobbyist named Vicki Iseman (pictured above). It seems that members of McCain's staff were worried enough about the relationship that they felt the need to protect him from himself. Here is how the NY Times puts it:

"A female lobbyist had been turning up with him at fund-raisers, visiting his offices and accompanying him on a client’s corporate jet. Convinced the relationship had become romantic, some of his top advisers intervened to protect the candidate from himself — instructing staff members to block the woman’s access, privately warning her away and repeatedly confronting him, several people involved in the campaign said on the condition of anonymity.

When news organizations reported that Mr. McCain had written letters to government regulators on behalf of the lobbyist’s client, the former campaign associates said, some aides feared for a time that attention would fall on her involvement.

Mr. McCain, 71, and the lobbyist, Vicki Iseman, 40, both say they never had a romantic relationship. But to his advisers, even the appearance of a close bond with a lobbyist whose clients often had business before the Senate committee Mr. McCain led threatened the story of redemption and rectitude that defined his political identity."

Now I don't know whether this was a romantic relationship or unethical ties to a lobbyist or both, but it certainly doesn't look good. McCain has just recovered from have some questionable ties to the Keating scandal years ago. I would have thought he'd learned his lesson about putting himself in a position that has the perception of unethical conduct.

McCain may or may not be guilty of unethical behavior or sexual misconduct, but the incident does call his judgement into question. How is it that McCain could not see how the relationship in question could create the perception of misconduct on his part? His staff could see it. In fact, they were so worried that they felt it necessary to take action.

In a year when numerous Republicans have been outed for sexual impropriety, unethical conduct or criminal behavior, the Republican Party certainly did not need a tainted candidate. They needed a spotless candidate -- but they got John McCain.