McCain denies inappropriate relationship with lobbyist

Republican presidential hopeful John McCain denied on Thursday that he had a romantic relationship with a telecommunications lobbyist and insisted he showed no favouritism towards her clients while he was chairman of the U.S. Senate's commerce committee.

McCain, 71, held a news conference following a New York Times story quoting anonymous aides who said they had urged McCain to stay away from Vicki Iseman prior to his presidential campaign in 2000.

They had expressed concerns about his ties to the lobbyist because he chaired the commerce committee that oversaw the telecommunications industry.

The story alleges that McCain wrote letters and pushed legislation involving television station ownership that would have benefited Iseman's clients.

"I'm very disappointed in the article. It's not true," said McCain, as he stood beside his wife, Cindy.

The Arizona senator said Iseman, 40, is a friend.

"I've served this nation honourably for more than half a century," he said. "At no time have I ever done anything that would betray the public trust."

A main political theme from McCain has been his insistence that he does not accept political favours from lobbyists or do favours on their behalf.

The story did not offer evidence of a romantic relationship between the two and repeated that McCain and Iseman had both denied there was one.

Cindy McCain also spoke to reporters, offering support for her husband.

"My children and I not only trust my husband, but know that he would never do anything to not only disappoint our family, but disappoint the people of America. He's a man of great character," she said.

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, McCain's chief remaining rival for the Republican nomination, called McCain "a good, decent honourable man" and said he accepted McCain's response.

"I've campaigned now on the same stage or platform with John McCain for 14 months. I only know him to be a man of integrity," Huckabee said in Houston. "Today he denied any of that was true. I take him at his word. For me to get into it is completely immaterial."

McCain urged speedy decision

In 1999, McCain wrote letters to the Federal Communications Commission to make a decision regarding Paxson Communications, which wanted to buy a television station licence in Pittsburgh.

The company had employed Iseman as its lobbyist and McCain had received more than $20,000 in contributions from Paxson executives and lobbyists.

Paxson also lent McCain his company's jet at least four times in 1999 for campaign travel.

McCain did not urge the FCC commissioners to approve the proposal, but he asked for speedy consideration of the deal, which had been pending for two years.

McCain repeated Thursday that he was not telling the FCC how to make a decision, but to move forward and make a decision.

"I believe that was appropriate," he said.

But then-FCC Chairman William Kennard had complained that McCain's request "comes at a sensitive time in the deliberative process" and "could have procedural and substantive impacts on the commission's deliberations and, thus, on the due process rights of the parties."

McCain also defended using the company plane, saying it was an accepted practice at the time and that he has since supported a change in the rules.