Scandal within scandal: Did the 'Times' withhold a story on McCain's alleged ethical lapses?

Thursday, February 21, 2008 | 10:26 AM

By William Rabbe

Almost exactly 4 years after similar claims were made against then Presidential Nominee John Kerry, allegations of infidelity and favoritism have surfaced on the campaign trail, linking likely Republican Nominee John McCain to DC lobbyist Vicki Iseman.

Part of this strange brew is the question of whether or not the New York Times deliberately withheld the story until after the Senator had secured the nomination. Would he have won New Hampshire if it had it been broken earlier? The piece was going to be released December, but was withheld amid talks between the Times and the campaign. There's obviously no convenient time for a scandalous allegation to break.

While the facts are expected to surface, right now the proof ain't in the pudding -- the story itself implies much, but few details are actually provided -- putting the New York Times on the spot with the McCain camp hitting back hard, and turning this potential scandal into a referendum on the paper's reputation. Remember Rathergate?

But with the discussion already shifting to an analysis of the rationale of the NYT's release, let's keep an eye on the ball. Whether or not the allegations are true, one thing is certain: the press is already having a field day and will poke, prod and pry their way to the bottom of this, so stay tuned. Both sides will have to answer tough questions. How the campaign handles itself in the coming days is a crucial test.

Waiting on the sidelines, Mike Huckabee seems to have the most to gain if this comes to a boil, but as Gov. Rick Perry observed on Fox News, McCain's already got the nomination locked up.

For avid politicos -- fill in the blanks after Mark Halperin's follow-up questions.