John McCain
Town Hall
Buena Vista, FL 06/05/08
TRANSCRIPT:
QUESTIONER: Because of who we are, newspaper editors and publishers, I'd like to open with a question about your relationship with the media. Early in the primary you were one of the only candidates who gave easy access to the press, and as a result American's saw you field, confidently field questions on a broad range of issues. And look what happened.
JOHN MCCAIN: Tell me what happened
QUESTIONER: You are where you are today! At the same time our friend Ward Bushe, who just left the editorship of the Arizona Republic, says in four plus years you had no dialogue, no relationship with the largest paper in Arizona. And that's concerning to us. So reflecting on your experience in the primary and the access you gave to the media, what did you learn about easy access for the media and how would that guide a McCain Presidency.
MCCAIN: Well sure, thank you. First of all I respectfully disagree with that characterization of my relationship with the Arizona Republic. Their correspondent who was permanently with me, a guy named Daniel Wicki, I see with a lot of frequency. Obviously in the last year and a half to two years that I've been traveling the country and campaigning I haven't had as much time with him but before my last re-election I was before the editorial board. I've met Sue Clark Jones, a former publisher, and I've had an excellent relationship. Frankly, and I'm sorry to draw this out, but I had a really rocky relationship with the Arizona Republic for a number of years and then that relationship improved dramatically, at least from my perspective. And I think if they're a person who covers me would tell you that he has great access to me, just as we try to provide to everyone in the media. Look I love being on the bus, I love being on the back of the bus, I invite all of you to come on. I enjoy the back and forth and sometimes I make mistakes. I understand that. Sometimes it's hard to have an hour-long conversation and not say something that could be quoted. But overall the benefit to that, in my view is at least, I think it's very important, not at least, that members of the media really know what I'm all about, what my philosophy is, what my overall opinion and views are. Something that you can't really get in any other kind of environment. So I will continue to try to give the media access. It's a little harder when you're not in a specific state like New Hampshire where you're just riding around on the bus all day. We fly from one state to another so it's a logistic problem we've had trouble working out. But again I'm sorry to hear that characterization of my relationship with the Arizona Republic cause I thought it was good. Not only with the Republic but with all the media in Arizona and I've tried to have press availability and meetings with them and I'll be glad to try to substantiate that for you. Thank you for the question.
LABEL: JM FL 6-5 (EW#13) SUGA - Clip D
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