Noted Democratic attorney Robert Bennett, who represents Senator McCain, calls the Times' "non story" a "hatchet job."
Bennett offers the following points to back up his assertion that the Times article is a "hatchet job:"
- The New York Times was provided with approximately a dozen instances in which Senator McCain took positions adverse to Iseman's clients. The Times didn't even refer to those instances.
- There is no evidence that Senator McCain breached the public trust.
- There is no evidence the senator took any position that is contrary to his long-held beliefs.
Asked about rumors that the Times printed the allegations today because the New Republic was preparing an article about the Times delaying this story, Bennett replied that a lot of newspaper people would rather be wrong than be scooped:
I believe the reason this story came out to day was because the New York Times did not want to be scooped.
Bennett also served as the Democratic counsel to the Senate Ethic Committee in the 1980s, when the committee investigated the savings and loan scandal. Bennett said that "after investigating McCain for a year and a half, looking under every rock, I concluded that this was an honest, honest man and recommended to the Senate that he be exonerated."
Watch the following video of Matt Lauer's interview with Bob Bennett:
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