Mocking the prayers of the right-wing’s insiders, shills, and party hacks the John McCain influence peddling story is not going away. To the contrary, it picked up a lot of steam today as McCain’s defense (that he never spoke to Vicki Iseman’s clients) was exposed as an outright lie.
Newsweek is reporting that McCain testified in a deposition five years ago that he personally spoke with the CEO of Paxson Communications regarding Paxson’s business before the FCC. This flatly contradicts McCain’s denial yesterday that he’d had any contact with Paxson or his representatives regarding the matter. Here’s the Newsweek link: http://www.newsweek.com /…
McCain flatly denied yesterday that he’d been asked to write a letter to the FCC either by Paxson or his representatives. McCain’s campaign continues today to insist that McCain never spoke personally with Paxson or his lobbyists regarding this matter. But here’s McCain’s own testimony in a deposition in 2002:
Q: “Do you know were they got the information?”
McCain: “No. But I would add, I was contacted by Mr. Paxson on this issue.”
Q: “You were?”
McCain: “Yes.”
Q: “Can you tell us what you said and what he said about it?”
McCain: “That he 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.I said I would be glad to write a letter asking them to act. But I will not write a letter, I cannot write a letter asking them to approve or deny, because then that would be an interference in their activities. I think everybody is entitled to a decision. But I can’t ask for a favorable disposition for you.”
McCain recalled not only speaking with Paxton, but the actual dialog of the conversation.
As if that news is not bad enough – today the world also learned that Huckabee is far from out of the race for the nomination. Huckabee is now working to take the nomination on the convention floor from a seriously wounded McCain.
Mike Huckabee’s strategy: Deadlocked convention
In an interview with a San Antonio radio station this morning, Mike Huckabee essentially confirmed the suspicions of many analysts. He’s hanging on in the Republican presidential nomination fight hoping to keep John McCain from winning enough delegates to get the nomination on the first ballot at the Republican National Convention in September.Huckabee’s thinking: With no clear nominee, the conservative wing will move to him, and he might be able to snatch the nomination in a floor fight, he told station WOAI-AM (1200). But it will take an upset win in Texas on March 4 to do that, he said.
But how close is Huckabee? Is an upset possible? You be the judge: Polster link
Bottom Line: McCain is by no means a lock for his party’s nomination.