Hand-Tied By The Times.(Howard Fineman; Living Politics)(John McCain; The New York Times)

Publication: Newsweek

Publication Date: 03-MAR-08

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Byline: Howard Fineman

There is no easier TV "get" in Washington than Sen. John McCain. When Sunday talk-show bookers call, he always says yes--52 times to "Meet the Press" alone, a record for current officeholders. Last week, though, he was suddenly, categorically, unavailable. I asked his communications director, Jill Hazelbaker, whether her boss would be on. "Nope," she e-mailed, "Black doing Face." Translation: McCain's campaign would dispatch Charlie Black--lawyer, lobbyist, personal friend, top adviser--to appear on "Face the Nation." There, Good Soldier Black would presumably field permutations of the question raised by a...

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