Drudge: NY Times Rejected McCain Op/Ed
In response to Sen. Barack Obama's piece on his Iraq strategy in The New York Times opinion page last week, Sen. John McCain responded with an op/ed of his own -- which was rejected, according to The Drudge Report. The gist: Drudge reports that David Shipley, op-ed page editor of The Times -- who, Drudge points out, is a former Clinton administration official -- says the piece was turned down because McCain did not explain how he would define victory in Iraq. From Drudge:
Shipley, who is on vacation this week, explained his decision not to run the editorial.
'The Obama piece worked for me because it offered new information (it appeared before his speech); while Senator Obama discussed Senator McCain, he also went into detail about his own plans.'
Shipley continues: 'It would be terrific to have an article from Senator McCain that mirrors Senator Obama's piece. To that end, the article would have to articulate, in concrete terms, how Senator McCain defines victory in Iraq.'
Shipley reportedly told McCain that he would welcome another draft. According to Drudge, a "top McCain source claims the paper simply does not agree with the senator's Iraq policy, and wants him to change it, not 're-work the draft.' The Washington Post reports the McCain campaign is not interested in resubmitting the piece:
McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said the Times's response "reveals where they're coming from" and that the article will not be resubmitted. The Republican candidate's position on Iraq, Rogers said, "will not change based on politics or the demands of The New York Times."
It is true that -- unlike Obama's article -- McCain's piece, which Drudge published as submitted, doesn't offer new information or, for that matter, anything about McCain's Iraq policy. It is basically a long version of one of the many anti-Obama statements the campaign emails to reporters daily (and to be fair, the Obama campaign also inundates reporters with negative emails about McCain.)
It will never hurt the McCain camp with the GOP's conservative base to level bias charges against the hated New York Times, but I don't think they are warranted in this case. The Times has every right to prevent its pages from becoming yet another forum for inter-campaign sniping. If McCain wants his articles to be printed in the paper of record, he should offer a bit more substance. But, the article may have done more for the campaign without being published than it ever could have if it was.
Comments:
Posted 07/21/2008 05:32pm with
Dear American Citizens and the Press
As a concerned citizen, I consider it is my duty to bring following message to you all.
“We the citizens of the United States of America have the ultimate responsibility to elect the ” Right Candidate” to lead our nation, out of our huge present and future internal and external challenges as well as opportunities. This is to prevent depression and isolation in-spite of being the only superpower in the world morally, democratically, economically, and militarily.
We need to consider the “critical qualities and characteristics” of our presumptive presidential nominees at the time we vote.
In my personal and professional opinion the critical considerations are as under:
1. Calm, cool, and collected ” temper ” [ Presidential Temperament ].
2. Sound and sustained “Judgment and Caliber”.
3. “Thought-fullness and togetherness” of purpose and positions.
4. Minimum “ex-poser and exploitation” around “Washington and Washington insiders”.
5. Renewed ” Vigor and Vision ” for our Greatgrand Nation.
6. Foreign policy based on ” American Values, Virtuous, Vastness”.
Stay informed, stay involved, and stay engaged. Do not allow some partisan media, pundits, pollsters, and perpetual political opinion makers effect your vote in the wrong direction.
Don’t be effected and duped by “Psychological Terrorism” that is afflicted upon you all the time.
Long live U.S.A and its diverse but democratic people.
Col. A.M. Khajawall [Ret] MD., ABFM., ABDA.
Chief Consultant: World Wide Porfessional Consultants[WWPC]
Colonel, USAR/MC Combat Stress Control[Ret], Disabled American Veteran and Freedom team.
Consultant Psychiatrist: CA State, Medical Board of California, and Los Angeles Mental Health Department
Address: 7642 Eaglehelm Court Las Vegas NV 89123
Posted 07/21/2008 07:09pm with
This “op-ed” which was a vicious smear of Obama, was never meant to get published. It will spread virally throughout the wingnuttery which is what McCain’s writers wanted. It will have much more impact and be more useful than a full page ad in the Sunday Times.
There are few votes for Krusty at the NYT but lots of wary voters to bring into the fold throughout the right wing.