It’s hard to appreciate just how cold New York is at the moment without being here. It’s very cold. Freezing in fact; to the point that I’m writing this with one hand while my other is clasped around a gigantic cup of coffee. Or at least that’s what my eyes tell me is happening. My fingers refute their claims.

Fortunately for my circulation, I’m only here until tomorrow and am spending most of the time doing admin ahead of the rest of the trip. The Pod hotel, with its free wireless, cute little desks and hot and cold running Fox News make working a positive joy. The big story on Fox today is John McCain and the allegation that he became ‘friendly’ with a female lobbyist back in 1999. Friendly to the point that ’senior aides’ had to warn him to end the ‘friendship’, lest tongues begin to wag. And wag they now are, following a front page article in today’s New York Times which reveals that McCain wrote various letters to the FCC on behalf of his ‘friend’ and her clients, in his role as Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee.

A bit of a minor scandal, you might think. Over to you Fox...

‘The New York Times is in the crosshairs after publishing a lengthy and critical profile of John McCain Thursday that suggests — but does not outright say — that McCain had a romantic relationship with a female lobbyist and did favors for her clients from his position as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee.

The New Republic published a long article Thursday afternoon on its Web site detailing the story behind the story and claiming, “What’s most remarkable about the article is that it appeared in the paper at all.”‘

Yeah - it’s the fucking Times that’s in the crosshairs. Like the Post was over Watergate and Dan Rather was over Bush’s military service record. That’s the problem with the Second Amendment - the Republicans have all the crosshairs.

Of course, the Times (because - again - they’re the fucking story) has issued a statement, in the form of this from Bill Keller...

‘On the substance, we think the story speaks for itself. On the timing, our policy is, we publish stories when they are ready. ‘Ready’ means the facts have been nailed down to our satisfaction, the subjects have all been given a full and fair chance to respond, and the reporting has been written up with all the proper context and caveats. This story was no exception. It was a long time in the works. It reached my desk late Tuesday afternoon. After a final edit and a routine check by our lawyers, we published it.‘

So not remarkable at all that they published it. And while Fox’s coverage is depressingly predictable, what about the New Republic? God knows that’s exactly the magazine that should be lecturing others about false stories. Those who live in Shattered Glass houses.

Is it worth mentioning that in 1972, the Nixon Whitehouse called the Washington Post’s coverage of the Watergate break-in ‘biased and misleading’? Possibly.

But, actually, probably not. This is no Watergate - and McCain is no Nixon. When Nixon fell, America replaced a crook with Gerald Ford; a dull and harmless man. If McCain falls, America replaces on the Republican ticket a womanising former POW (vote Face from the A-Team!) with a nut job Weightwatchers case study who denies evolution and who, when faced with a black person, feels the need to start talking about bling, or to enquire if anyone knows who let the dogs out.

If I were Roger Ailes at Fox News, that’s what I’d do: remind America that if McCain loses, the Huckabee has won.

And then I’d kill myself.

...

Right! The heat transference is complete. My coffee is cold, my hands are warm and I’m off to have an early dinner before heading over to a party for the 40th birthday of a guitar-thrashing Business Week journalist. And then it’s off to The Meadows tomorrow morning.

Viva that. And Viva Bill Keller.

Tomorrow... photos.