The New York Times is reporting a story, an old story at that, about evidence of an intimate relationship he might of had 8 years ago with a female lobbyist,Vicki Iseman.

The liberal commentators are practically frothing over this story. Yet, both McCain and Iseman deny a relationship. I think that is this were a story about a Democrat (like, I don’t know, Bill Clinton, maybe?), if wouldn’t be an issue for the Times. Yet, that’s the lead of all the versions of this story I’ve seen, rather than what I’m about to expand upon.

The real issue for McCain is a possible ethics issue. Though McCain’s camp denies it, could a letter sent to the FCC in 1999 on behalf of one of Iseman’s client, the old Pax TV network, possibly show hypocrisy for McCain, an ardent opponent of special interests and cause a problem for him?

I don’t know the answer to this question. If it weren’t for a history of candidates trying to dig up an old scandal in an attempt to bring the other candidate down, I’d say no. Without reading the actual letters, which I need to see if I can find, it’s impossible for me to tell. Yet, any sense of hypocrisy could be problematic for him if either of his opponents try to drag it up.

Personally, I think it’s old news. What would be more relevant is any possible hypocritical actions since he wrote and got the McCain-Feingold Act passed in 2002, that banned soft money. If they couldn’t find anything since then, it’s probably not worth bringing it up, since people can change over time, and the McCain that might have been hypocritical in 1999 might not be the McCain of 2008.

More to come on this kind of thing, plus other good and bad moves by politicians and media alike.