John McCain and Vicki Iseman: Will the Allegations Shake the Confidence of the Republican Right?

John McCain. Naval Officer and pilot. Shot down over North Viet Nam. Held as a POW for over 5 years. Awarded the Purple Heart, Silver Star, Legion of Merit and the Distinguished Flying Cross. This man has my vote. Military hero. A man's man. A real throwback to an era where men where men.

Back in 1987, McCain got caught in the Keating Five scandal. His involvement was judged by his peers as being one of just one of "poor judgment." In the Keating case, McCain was trying to run regulatory interference for personal friend and S&L head, Charles Keating. McCain's friend and editorial page editor of The Arizona Republic, William P. Cheshire said of McCain during the heat of the Keating Five Scandal, "He is essentially an honorable person, but he can be imprudent."

Where does that leave my thoughts now? Jumps in bed with four other Senators, all who were censured, to defend a man who was running a scam which cost depositors and investors in his Savings & Loan tens of millions of dollars and ran up a bill to the taxpayers of $3.4 million. Imprudent in defense of a friend can be OK in my book. I have defended friends myself. Men who made mistakes that could have ended their careers. Defense of them could have cost me mine. I went to bat for them out of friendship and got not quite burned, but a little singed more than once. I can have an understanding of McCain's motives.

McCain then spent some years on campaign finance reform. Along with Russ Feingold, a Democrat from Wisconsin, McCain pushed for legislation that would prohibit lobbyist from giving gifts to Members of Congress and to require members to reimburse owners of corporate jets at charter rates for any flights. Not exactly a hot button issue with me or many other voters, but the bipartisanship that McCain showed in this legislative fight, working with six Republican and seven Democratic Senators makes me think of Ronald Regan, a President known for his consensus building in order to get the job done. A good quality to have in order to be an effective Chief Executive.

Then along comes Vicki Iseman. In an article in the New York Times, McCain had some type of relationship with female Lobbyist Vicki Iseman. Iseman, who represents telecommunication interests for the firm Alcalde & Fay, has been seen with McCain at various fundraising and campaign events around the time of McCain's Presidential run in 2000. The Times quoted, anonymously except for John Weaver, a former top stagiest for the Senator at the time, staffers concerns over the perception that McCain's friendship with Vicki Iseman could lead to trouble. The McCain campaign denies any impropriety in the relationship.

For myself, a man who was once described a being to the right of Barry Goldwater, my support of McCain hasn't been shaken by this allegation of a relationship with Vicki Iseman. Reading the New York Times article, all I can see is hints, nothing concrete. It is the time in campaigns when things, true or untrue, come out of the woodwork.

Sources:

Jim Rutenburger, Marylin W. Thomas, David D. Kirkpatrick, Stephan Labaton, "For McCain, Self Confidence On Ethics Poses Its Own Risks" New York Times

Glenn Kessler, "McCain Reports 'Not True' Washington Post.com

Jonathan E. Kaplan, "Feingold's bill would bring lobby-reform fight to the Senate" TheHill.com