http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iGYifelleawjkUbLHiDoL6sGxzDA

White House contender McCain denies affair with female lobbyist 

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Republican White House contender John McCain denied Thursday ever having an extramarital affair with a Washington lobbyist following a New York Times report which he described as disappointing.



"Obviously I'm very disappointed in the article. It's not true," he said at a hastily arranged press conference in Toledo, Ohio with wife Cindy beside him, rebutting the suggestion of an affair eight years ago.



Asked directly if he had had a relationship with the lobbyist, Vicki Iseman, the Arizona senator said "no," and said they had been just "friends" who had last met "several months ago."



"Something like this is always distracting and very disappointing and I hope we can, by doing what we're doing here, put to rest the whole situation," McCain said.



"But hopefully we can get this thing resolved and behind us and move forward with the campaign. I'm confident that we will move forward... and I'm confident we will get the nomination."



McCain also denied that he had ever extended improper favors to companies represented by Iseman as chairman of the Senate commerce committee, after the Times ran a lengthy article about ethics over the course of his career.



"At no time have I ever done anything that would betray the public trust," said the senator, who is within reach of the Republican nomination for November's presidential election.



"Any observer will attest to the fact that I made those decisions on the basis of what I thought was in the best interest of the American citizen," he said.



The newspaper said Iseman had also denied a romantic entanglement, but that McCain's aides tried to block her access to the politician, fearing that his image as an ethics crusader might be sullied during his 2000 presidential bid.



The Times has been investigating the matter for months and finally ran the article, which was heavy with unnamed sources, on its website late Wednesday.



In response, a spokeswoman for McCain decried the respected newspaper's "gutter politics" and accused it of running a "smear campaign" against the Republican heir apparent.



Cindy McCain also rallied to her twice-married husband.



"Obviously, I'm very disappointed in the New York Times," she said.



"More importantly, my children and I not only trust my husband, but know that he would never do anything to not only disappoint our family, but more importantly, disappoint the people of America."

I did not have sexual relations with that woman  

I wonder who's behind the smear campaign, it seems like there have been a lot of negative McCain stories lately.

 Its the vast Left Wing Conspiracy

Hell, it could be coming from his own side. Blame Rush Limbaugh or Ann Coulter. they aren't exactly fans of his. It would be stupid of them, but those two and some others (not all republicans, just to save my ass there) aren't exactly bright.

Well remeber this is the guy who cheated on his first wife after she was badly injured in a traffic accident

 Hehe. Uh... from JFK on we've found out that politicians have affairs. They are all, in fact, human.

 Of course, but this is from a guy who thinks of himself as honorable, and honest, and who supposedly is against Lobbyists, this just proves that the "straight-talk express" has no wheels

 Yeah.  I'd be surprised if there wasn't a president who cheated on his wife.  Aside from Abe Licnoln, Roosevelt and the first George Bush.

Not because of there character... but because Lincoln was a manic depressive guy with low self esteem, Roosevelt because of how hard he took his first wives death and and George Bush 1 because of how scary Barbra Bush is.