Media Discover McCain's Temper

Tuesday, February 19, 2008 4:38 PM

By: Ronald Kessler

Now that John McCain is the presumptive Republican nominee for president, the mainstream media’s honeymoon with the maverick Republican senator may be over. One story that has suddenly found favor is on McCain’s temper.

Reporters who cover McCain have long been aware of his sometimes explosive outbursts, but until now, that’s been a secret they have kept to themselves.

In this column, I first discussed McCain’s temper in July 2006. Yet it was not until the week of Super Tuesday, when it became clear that McCain would be the Republican nominee that The Washington Post, Newsweek, The Associated Press, and finally The New York Times suddenly burst forth with stories on McCain’s temper and off-color remarks.

The Times’ story said that in talking with reporters, McCain has referred to Brooke Buchanan, his own spokeswoman, as “Pat Buchanan’s illegitimate daughter.â€