McCain Camp Takes Issue With Times Coverage

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/23/us/politics/23times.html?ref=politics

A rather short article, this is not the first time a campaign has lashed out against the media for "unfair coverage." Boo-hoo. The NYT unearthed something that nobody had known before and a rather important discovery - that McCain’s campaign manager, Rick Davis, had been paid almost $2 million by Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac to head a group devoted to defend the mortgage giants against the imposition of stricter regulations.

Steve Schmidt, Senator McCain’s senior campaign adviser, criticized the Times by stating, “Whatever the New York Times once was, it is today not by any standard a journalistic organization...This is an organization that is completely, totally, 150 percent in the tank for the Democratic candidate, which is their prerogative to be.”

He concluded, “Everything that is read in The New York Times that attacks this campaign should be evaluated by the American people from that perspective.” This sentiment is exactly what all readers should keep in mind while reading the news, that despite the bias and personal narrative, readers should take in the information with a grain of salt.

McCain is Pounded, Even From Abroad

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7624143.stm

This article harps on McCain's unpopularity abroad by focusing on what Spain currently thinks of McCain. In an interview with the the Caracol Miami, a reporter asked Senator McCain four times if he would be willing to invite Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero to the White House. His lack of response and his avoidance of the question instigated the Spain media to think that McCain still has not forgiven Mr Zapatero for pulling Spanish troops out of Iraq when he became PM in 2004.

Showing uneasiness with the topic, McCain stated, "I would be willing to meet with those leaders who are our friends and who want to work with us in co-operative fashion," and soon after, ""All I can tell you is that I have a clear record of working with leaders in the hemisphere that are friends with us and standing up to those who are not. " But that was not what Spain focused on, instead, Spain was more concerned with what McCain didn't mention. El Semanal Digital, an online newspaper, was dismayed by the interview. "He did not even mention Zapatero's name."

Although Senator McCain is praised by the media for his maverick status and his congenial relationships with reporters, he isn't seen as fondly abroad, especially by Spain. But will his testy relationship with foreign countries affect the polls on November 4th? To a certain degree, this tightens his grasp on foreign policy but it will only be American citizens voting for their next President in 42 days.