McCain flip-flops on lobbyist story

[theredpen]

Paxon Communications got some really nice favors from Senator McCain — but did they ask for those favors? Well, apparently McCain talked to them — before he never talked to them.

Glenn Greenwald has the details http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/?last_story=/opinion/greenwald/2008/02/22/mccain/">here, but basically John McCain completely reversed himself on an important lobbying story.

In the wake of the much-discussed NYT article, McCain claims:

No representative of Paxson or Alcalde and Fay discussed with Senator McCain the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proceeding. . . . No representative of Paxson or Alcalde and Fay personally asked Senator McCain to send a letter to the FCC regarding this proceeding.

In sworn testimony McCain delivered during litigation over McCain-Fiengold, Newsweek discovered that he did speak with Paxon about this issue:

"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."

While McCain said "I don't recall" if he ever directly spoke to the firm's lobbyist about the issue -- an apparent reference to Iseman, though she is not named -- "I'm sure I spoke to (Paxson)."

Oops, the straight-talk express has derailed. Again.