My take is that this was a big fat red herring. A softball for McCain to hit into the stands. A couple of aides say anonymously that they kind of thought that maybe he was making eyes at Iseman. Big whoop. The right isn't going to tear it apart because there is nothing there. The left isn't going to tear it apart because they don't care. Suddenly, though, the story is not about whether a paid lobbyist had extraordinary access to a sitting senator, it is about whether or not he touched her butt.

I know that a few Gothamist commenters are arguing that her access didn't get anywhere, but I don't think we know that, for one thing, and that isn't the point, for another. He's not supposed to be pal-ing around with lobbyists. "his proposals for satellite distribution of local television programs fell short of her clients’ hopes" -- would they have fallen shorter if she hadn't had so many chances to explain why the status quo ought to status? Would he have moved earlier or more effectively if she hadn't been around?