In the days after the New York Times published its non-blockbuster on John McCain and lobbyists, other news outlets followed-up, most of them focusing on one question: Did John McCain do special favors for Lowell “Bud” Paxson? To answer it, reporters largely focused on Paxson’s efforts to obtain a television station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and any role McCain might have played. The most damaging claim came from the Washington Post, which reported that McCain sent a letter to the FCC on Paxson’s behalf one day after flying to a fundraiser in Florida on a jet owned by Paxson’s lobbyists. It’s the kind of elbow-rubbing that is sure to come up again in the general election, especially as his opponent seeks to tarnish his image as a reformer. The reality, as the Post reporters pointed out, is far less damning. The letter from McCain didn’t go nearly as far as Paxson’s lobbyists had wanted. They sought a letter urging the FCC to side with Paxson. Instead, McCain lamented the bureaucratic slow crawl on the issue and urged a decision — any decision — be made quickly. All of this misses the point, suggests Forbes telecommunications writer Scott Woolley. He writes:
Any story that can make the intricacies of telecommunications regulation comprehensible and interesting is a journalistic achievement. This one does both. Read the whole thing.
