New York Times defends decision not to run McCain's op-ed article

Tuesday 22nd July, 04:25 AM JST

WASHINGTON —

The New York Times defended its decision not to publish an op-ed article as submitted by Republican John McCain about the Iraq war on grounds it customarily reviews such pieces with the author.

McCain’s presidential campaign sent the newspaper the op-ed on Friday. In it, the Arizona senator describes how the buildup of U.S. forces in Iraq has helped curb violence. He also chides his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, for outlining his plan for Iraq before his current meetings with commanders and Iraqi leaders on the ground.

In an e-mail to the campaign on Friday, David Shipley, an op-ed editor at the newspaper, said he could not accept the piece in its current form, but would look at another version.

In the e-mail, released by the McCain campaign, Shipley wrote that McCain’s article would “have to lay out a clear plan for achieving victory—with troops levels, timetables and measures for compelling the Iraqis to cooperate. And it would need to describe the senator’s Afghanistan strategy, spelling out how it meshes with his Iraq plan.”

Commenting Monday on the Times’ request, McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said, “John McCain believes that victory in Iraq must be based on conditions on the ground, not arbitrary timetables. Unlike Barack Obama, that position will not change based on politics or the demands of The New York Times.”

In a written statement Monday, the Times explained its decision and left the door open to publishing his views.

“It is standard procedure on our op-ed page, and that of other newspapers, to go back and forth with an author on his or her submission. We look forward to publishing Sen McCain’s views in our paper just as we have in the past.”

The New York Times endorsed McCain in the Republican primaries, but he has had a testy relationship with the publication.

In February, McCain vigorously denied and denounced a report in the newspaper that suggested he had an improper relationship with a female lobbyist. His campaign referred to the article as a “smear campaign” and “gutter politics” in the midst of the presidential race.

McCain’s submission comes after the newspaper ran an op-ed written by Obama last Monday. The Illinois senator wrote that as president he would send at least two more combat brigades to Afghanistan and proposed a force increase of about 7,000 troops as part of his plan to pull combat troops out of Iraq and focus on al-Qaida in Afghanistan.

The newspaper said it has published at least seven of McCain’s op-ed pieces since 1996. “We take his views very seriously,” the statement said.

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Latest 15 of 138 Total Comments Show All

undecidedbout08 at 02:10 AM JST - 25th July

Now the term conservative is mostly associated with stupid. Liberal, with being right almost all the time.

Can you clarify? In what country is this the case? America has a 'conservative' president/leader. Conservative politicians have these last five years replaced 'liberal' leaders in France, Germany, Canada, Mexico and Italy, among other countries. They appear poised to win in Great Britain...
bibric at 02:37 AM JST - 25th July

We're living in the Neo-Cons. Empire, the US, Japan, South Korea...

New York Times is really excellent newspaper.

Different from Washington Post which many Japanese may like.
Betzee at 04:01 AM JST - 25th July

America has a 'conservative' president/leader.

By what standard is GWB a conservative? He's presided over a growing federal government not to mention record budget deficits both of which are anathema to traditional conservatives (now being elected in the countries you mention).

The Republican Party of today would likely be unrecognizable to Barry Goldwater, a fiscal conservative who challenged the emerging welfare state, who represented the same state McCain does. McCain's challenge is holding the very different groups now under the Republican umbrella together.
bibric at 04:21 AM JST - 25th July

Betzee McCain is called as "Socialist".

In my opinion, the division of Liberal and Conservative is based on views on several sectors: 1) welfare system-safety net, 2) market system, 3) target groups for the support, and 4) foreign policy.

Among several sectors, he looks quite overlapping with Liberals.

Yet, his clear distinction of political position is "Foreign Policy, stationing for 100year in Iraq", showing the emphasis on the military to expand their interest, political or economic, even cultural.

He has no intention to accept the different culture and different interests.

In particular, he does not have any idea of "Environmental Protection".

Finally, he is in a moderate conservative line. This is just my idea.

I hope to see a different idea.
zurcronium at 09:34 AM JST - 25th July

let me put this so that even a conservative can understand it.

Bush is the leader of the right wing conservative republican party He has failed at everything he has done with his party in lock step on every issue with only recently a few exceptions Only someone who is five beers short of a six-pack would support failure over and over again. Like McCain it seems.

Liberals on this board have been right over and over again on Iraq, the bush recession, global warming and on and on.

It really is quite simple.
WilliB at 09:50 AM JST - 25th July

The NYT Times is in the tank for Obama. Why should they publish the other parties`s opinion. The only that the is annoying about this is the dishonesty. Why do these democract activist editors make this ridiculous claim that the NYT is independent? That is truly insulting.
zurcronium at 10:55 AM JST - 25th July

When you are on a steady diet of Rush Limbuagh, Fox News, the Washington Timea and the WSJ editiorial page any idependent news is insulting to the intellegence of those readers.
USARonin at 05:23 PM JST - 25th July

-this comin' from a guy who's co-workers call 'the walkin' Daily Kos'.

Elliot
Nessie at 03:36 PM JST - 26th July

Rush is a great American in the sense that he's an example of how far you can go there if your bile outweighs your brains.
Nessie at 03:37 PM JST - 26th July

this comin' from a guy who's co-workers call 'the walkin' Daily Kos'.

A.k.a., "the Daily Cause I Said So, That's Why."
USARonin at 04:17 PM JST - 26th July

-Four days later and this is still of interest to anyone?

I'm lookin' for fresh meat on another thread.

Tommy
zurcronium at 09:50 PM JST - 27th July

once again another winger non-issue is laid out for what it is, worthless. But they never give up, as noted above, they just move on to the next non-issure hoping that it will confuse the weak minded. Another swift boating exercise.
Surge at 06:24 AM JST - 28th July

The New York Times left wing bias shows itself again for all to see. Heck, who cares, McCain will soon overtake Obama anyway, people wanta patriot, not an appeaser.
SezWho2 at 12:29 PM JST - 28th July

People don't know what they want. That's why fear usually plays better than hope.
Blue_Tiger at 09:31 PM JST - 28th July

The New York Times is in the tank for Obama.