McCain Lashes Out At Times Reporter

Sen. John McCain had better get used to lots of questions about 2004 and whether he was ever close to accepting John Kerry's offer to be vice president...

Today, he got angry at New York Times reporter Elisabeth Bumiller, according to CBS News's Dante Higgins:

“Everybody knows that I had a private conversation. Everybody knows that. That I had a conversation,” McCain said. “And you know it too. You know it. You know it. So I don’t even know why you asked.”

Bumiller went on to say she read it in the New York Times and McCain charged back. “I don’t know what you read or may heard of, I don’t know the circumstances. Maybe in May of ‘04 I hadn’t had the conversation,” he said.

“I don’t know, but it’s well-known that I had the conversation. It is absolutely well-known by everyone. So do you have a question on another issue?”

Bumiller pushed to get more on the conversation by asking McCain if he could describe the conversation. “No, of course not. I don’t describe private conversations,” he said.

The reporter tried again “Okay. Can I ask you,” she said before she was cut off again. “Why should I? Then there’s no such thing as a private conversation,” McCain said.

Bumiller then asked him, “Why are you so angry?”

“Pardon me?” he asked.