NY Times settles libel suit with lobbyist
One year ago, the New York Times published a front-page story suggesting that Sen. John McCain had had an affair with a Washington lobbyist, Vicki Iseman. It was the type of bombshell revelation that has derailed many a US presidential campaign, or political career in recent years. But in McCain¹s case it failed to detonate: he denied that the relationship was improper, and the rest of the media declined to press the issue. Today, the Times announced that the libel suit brought against the paper by Iseman has been settled, but with some very unusual terms. The lobbyist and her lawyers have been given space on the website to publish a statement, which the paper has rebutted. There¹s also a joint statement, and not one, but two notes to readers, in which the Times refuses to back away from the piece. The moral? John McCain lost, and nobody cares anymore.