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John McCain's story about the letters he wrote to the Federal Communications Commission in 1999 continues to fall apart -- fast.  Now the favor-seeker and campaign contributor  who owned the company on whose behalf McCain first said he didn't write the letters -- the fellow McCain then said he didn't meet with? -- says, hold up, Straight Talk, yes we did.

Broadcaster Lowell "Bud" Paxson yesterday contradicted statements from Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign that the senator did not meet with Paxson or his lobbyist before sending two controversial letters to the Federal Communications Commission on Paxson's behalf.

Probably just a brief casual meeting at a party or Capitol Hill watering hole, though, right? Nothing St John could be expected to remember.

Paxson said he talked with McCain in his Washington office several weeks before the Arizona Republican wrote the letters in 1999 to the FCC urging a rapid decision on Paxson's quest to acquire a Pittsburgh television station.

Well, how will we ever sort this out? I wonder if there was anyone else at the meeting, someone who might have facilitated the get-together between Bud Paxson and Senator Straight Talk?

Paxson also recalled that his lobbyist, Vicki Iseman, likely attended the meeting in McCain's office and that Iseman helped arrange the meeting. "Was Vicki there? Probably," Paxson said in an interview with The Washington Post yesterday. "The woman was a professional. She was good. She could get us meetings." 

Probably, though, the letter that Paxson wanted written came up obliquely and wasn't mentioned specifically by either party, wouldn't you imagine? That's the way these things are done in DeeCee -- on the double-hush, on the queue-tee, on the down-low -- without actually describing the exact favor being requested, right?

But Paxson said yesterday, "I remember going there to meet with him." He recalled that he told McCain: "You're head of the Commerce Committee. The FCC is not doing its job. I would love for you to write a letter."

But I doubt St Straight Talk replied, "Sure, my friend. I would love to write a letter -- or two! And I would love for you to give me another ride on your shiny private plane. I would also love for you to contribute thousands more dollars to my presidential campaign, my friend. And I would also love for your lobbyist to fly back from Florida on your shiny private plane with me."

No, these things just don't happen that way. Do they?

{photoshop by watertiger}

Update:  

A former Paxson Communications president said Saturday he never met with John McCain about the Arizona senator writing letters to the Federal Communications Commission regarding the regulatory delay of a Pittsburgh TV station sale.

Dean Goodman, who was in charge of the company's lobbying efforts in 1999, told The Associated Press he also doubts that chief executive Lowell W. "Bud" Paxson met with McCain over the issue, and said he doesn't recall such a meeting.

[snip]

"I never met with or discussed this with Senator McCain," Goodman said. "I don't recall Bud meeting with McCain. It would be extremely rare that there would be a meeting that I didn't attend, and I can tell you that I didn't have a meeting with McCain on this issue."

"Whether Bud discussed it with him or not, via some other mechanism, I can't rule it out," Goodman added. But, he said, "I don't think there was a meeting."

And the McCain 2008 campaign issues a statement that includes the phrase "does not recall directly discussing:"

Jill Hazelbaker, a McCain campaign spokeswoman, said Saturday in a statement, "Senator McCain does not recall directly discussing the issue with Mr. Paxson or any representative of Paxson."

The campaign said his 1999 Senate schedule does not show any meetings between McCain and Paxson or any of Paxson's representatives on this issue. The campaign said the schedule shows no meetings with Paxson that year, but shows one meeting in 1998 and one in 2000, months before and after the letters were sent.