The slime machine starts early this year

John at RightwingNews has all the details on the NYT smear story of McCain regarding a "relationship" with a former female lobbyist and reaction to it.

This story is old and was vetted in 2000 as well, and even in the NYT's article there is no evidence of any kind of romantic relationship. I'm wondering if the NYT covered the big rumor a few months back about John Edwards having an affair and that woman being pregnant? I didn't pay much attention to it. But there was a lot more "evidence" than anything in this story.

Frankly, I think the American people are sick of affair stories. Bill Clinton's long drawn out affair and lying just depleted us. We figure that anyone's indescretions could never be as bad as that whole thing was.

If reporters think that bringing up a sexual past for either candidate in the general election is going to do anything but disgust people, then they are fooling themselves. People are just sick of that kind of gossip.

Update: It looks like the NYT is doing no press to defend this story.

*note: I changed the time when the story came out. Not 20 yrs ago.