McCain denies altercation
Posted: Wednesday, July 02, 2008 3:53 PM by Domenico Montanaro
From NBC/NJ’s Adam Aigner-Treworgy
CARTAGENA, Colombia -- After touring a local Naval hospital, a shipping port and taking a ride on a drug interdiction fast boat, McCain took questions before lunch this morning and responded to a story recently recounted by Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi about an altercation between the presumptive GOP nominee and an associate of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega in the 1980's.
"Twenty-one years ago?" McCain answered with surprise, taking breaks between his sentences so a translator could help local journalists understand his remarks. "I think that information…it's just -- it's simply not true.
“Let me remind you, Sen. Dole and then Sen. Mitchell appointed two senators, Sen. Dodd and me, to be the co-chairs of the Central America Observer Group. This special group was appointed because of all of the issues that surrounded Central America at that time. I made many, many trips and had many, many meetings with the Sandinistas and with other legions -- leaders in Central America. There is nothing ever -- I must say I did not admire the Sandinistas very much. There was never anything of that nature, and so it just didn't happen."
The story was first reported on the Sun Herald's website yesterday and was quickly picked up by the wires. Cochran has been vocal in his concerns about McCain's bid for the presidency, saying earlier this year that McCain's reputed hot-headedness should cause voters concern as they pick their candidate.
McCain's trip to Colombia was defended by one of his traveling companions Sen. Joseph Lieberman during his introductory remarks.
"Sen. McCain made the decision to come to Colombia, and it was a good decision because this has been a very constructive and encouraging visit," Lieberman said, also with a translator. "Because what we have found here is a government -- led by President Uribe -- that is at war with the drug cartels, the terrorists, the paramilitary groups to take back the country on behalf of the people of Colombia, and he is succeeding."
