McCain Breaks Out Jedi Mind Tricks; Hypnotizes Media

So, I sat down and watched McCain's presser on MSNBC.

He's "disappointed" in the New York Times for running such an explosive story relying only on un-named sources.

Cindy McCain -- whose post-op death mask of a face looks like it will crack if she tries to smile -- was "very disappointed" in the Times.

I didn't count, but it felt like St. John complained about how the Times piece only used anonymous sources about 8 times.

Then the conference ended and MSNBC's team of professional bloviators took over. Joe Scarborough thought that the Times had some 'splainin to do -- how could they have run such a piece with only un-named sources?

I honestly thought Pat Buchanan's head was going to explode on live TV, or at least that he was about to burst a blood vessel. 'How dare they run this tripe based on nothing more than anonymous -- and no doubt "disgruntled" -- former staffers!' he shouted (I'm paraphrasing).

Chris Mathews, who was defending the Times, said that Pat had a good point. 'We'll find out more about why this story was released when it was and in the way it was,' he said. Damn their anonymous sourcing!

Throughout much of this gab-fest, the network ran Chyrons along the bottom of the screen that read something like, 'Explosive NY Times story relied on anonymous sources.'

Here's an excerpt from the Times story:

Separately, a top McCain aide met with Ms. Iseman at Union Station in Washington to ask her to stay away from the senator. John Weaver, a former top strategist and now an informal campaign adviser, said in an e-mail message that he arranged the meeting after "a discussion among the campaign leadership" about her.

"Our political messaging during that time period centered around taking on the special interests and placing the nation's interests before either personal or special interest," Mr. Weaver continued. "Ms. Iseman's involvement in the campaign, it was felt by us, could undermine that effort."

Mr. Weaver added that the brief conversation was only about "her conduct and what she allegedly had told people, which made its way back to us." He declined to elaborate.

The heart of the Times (and Washington Post) story is that staffers became concerned that McCain, the Patron Saint of Straight-Shooterdom, was overly cozy with a lobbying hottie -- a lobbyist whose clients had business before a committee McCain chaired -- and warned her off of the Senator's campaign. That comes from a named source, John Weaver, who says he was personally present at a meeting with Iseman, and personally warned her off. The details of who said what are in dispute, but Iseman herself confirmed that the meeting took place. That's two named sources who were present. Yet McCain says again and again that there were only anonymous sources, and the good reporters at MSNBC get a major case of the vapors.

OBI-WAN KENOBI: You don't need to see his identification.

STORM TROOPER: We don't need to see his identification.

OBI-WAN KENOBI: These are not the droids you're looking for.

STORM TROOPER: These are not the droids we're looking for.

OBI-WAN KENOBI: He can go about his business.

STORM TROOPER: You can go about your business.

OBI-WAN KENOBI: (to Luke) Move along.

STORM TROOPER: Move along. Move along.

That's not to say there aren't legitimate criticisms to be made -- the timing is a story unto itself -- The New Republic was working on a piece about the Times holding their article -- and the sexual affair aspect was based on two independent un-named sources, although they "spoke independently of each other and provided details that were corroborated by others." And I'm no longer of a mind to defend the Times from right-wing smears -- not after their breathless WMD reporting and hiring of über-hack Bill Kristol. But, really, the mindless repetition of McCain's talking point about the piece only using un-named sources is remarkable. Clearly, McCain -- and his surrogates -- are trying to make this a media story about the Times, and the fact that the pundits are so willing to comply says a lot about how silly our discourse is.