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Breaking news on Countdown today, The New York Times is reporting that top advisers from Senator John McCain's 2000 presidential campaign allege that they were convinced he was having a romantic relationship with Vicki Iseman, a telecom lobbyist, and that they had to "intervene to protect McCain from himself."

This story, which was actually covered by Matt Drudge on December 20, 2007, while denied by both McCain and Iseman, it's the last thing the unpopular candidate, who is trying to court the conservative base of his party, wants to hear. This alleged scandal raises major doubts about McCain's ethics and also leaves him open to attacks from both Democratic and Republican candidates. Could this be the reason Mike Huckabee is still hanging around and Mitt Romney merely suspended his campaign instead of ending it altogether?

Jane Hamsher says: No jokes about "lobbyists" and "pork."

John Amato: So much for the Straight Talk Express. Oh, and isn't there a little problem about McCain's "ethics" now? You know, giving favors to lobbyists and all....Chuch Todd on MSNBC said that it seems like the NY Times didn't print all they had.

Bob Bennett is calling McCain, the last honest man on H&C. There is a rumor that The New Republic was working on the story and that prompted them to run it now...This should get really interesting...