Brooks Covers the McCain Beat

by Reihan

Little-known fact: David Brooks began his career in journalism at Chicago's City News Bureau, where he pounded the pavement on the crime beat. In today's column, he unravels the rivalries and wounded egos that threaten to bring down the McCain campaign shoe-leather-style. And he also notes McCain's Hart-like vulnerability.

At his press conference Thursday, McCain went all-in. He didn’t just say he didn’t remember a meeting about Iseman. He said there was no meeting. If it turns out that there is evidence of an affair and a meeting, then his presidential hopes will be over. If no evidence surfaces, his campaign will go on and it will be clear that there were members of his old inner circle consumed by viciousness and mendaciousness.

Remember when Gary Hart dared the press to find evidence of his, ahem, "Monkey Business"? Well, they did. The bluster and bravado that I like and admire in McCain, and that my lefty friends can't stand, might indeed be the end of him.

Brooks's column reminded me, oddly enough, of Sam Anderson's brilliant investigative feature on The Splasher. It's awesome.