Vicki Iseman Misses Chance to Rebut Story

The top Google result for the name Vicki Iseman is currently her biography page on Alcalde & Fay, the lobbying firm she serves as a partner. The page was erased today but can be viewed on Huffington Post.

Alcalde & Fay has issued a statement denouncing the New York Times story suggesting an inappropriate and possibly romantic relationship between Iseman and Sen. John McCain during his 2000 presidential campaign:

The allegations and malicious innuendo reported by the New York Times yesterday are completely and utterly false. Alcalde & Fay's relationship with Senator McCain has been professional, appropriate and consistent with his legislative, jurisdictional and constituent duties. The story is based upon the fantasies of a disgruntled former campaign employee and is without foundation or merit. Ms. Iseman is a hard working professional whose 18 year career has been exemplary and she has our full support. It is beneath the dignity of a quality newspaper to participate in such a campaign of character assassination.

If the firm or Iseman really wants to get that response out while it still matters, her bio page should be redirected to the statement or a more detailed response. Thousands of people are hitting Google for information on Iseman, and the first place they're likely to go is her page on the company site. Companies miss the boat by hiding or deleting web pages during a media firestorm, rather than using the traffic to their advantage.

Journalism · Politics · 2008/02/21 · 5 COMMENTS · Link

Comments

But Rodgers, Alcalde and Fay are lobbyists for the Telecommunications Industry. Knowing anything about the Internet would violate the terms of their contracts.

#1 · Ray Baxter · 2008/02/21

Sorry, Alcalde and Fay aren't just lobbyists, they are also communications specialists.

Communications experts at Capitoline Communications, Alcalde & Fay's public affairs division, are at the ready to help raise your voice above the din and have it heard by those who matter. Working through print, broadcast and Internet outlets, arranging press conferences or events, managing satellite tours and speaking opportunities, the communications staff will develop strategies, craft your messages and explore every public relations option to have your position heard by those making public policy decisions.

Draw your own conclusions about what a great job they do.

#2 · Ray Baxter · 2008/02/21

Wow. That's some bad Internet specialization.

#3 · Rogers Cadenhead · 2008/02/21

I hate to break it to you folks, but while lobbying firms like to get a certain amount of publicity in the right context, they usually HATE having "famous" lobbyists. Something like this is often the end of a lobbying career, since their targets will no longer want to be seen with "that woman" (for example).

It's even worse when it's a really stupid story like the current one. The whole NYT story is "well, we had this old rumor, and went to a couple of anonymous disgruntled ex-employees, and while they explicitly said that McCain was NOT known to have had an affair with this woman, they claim they said he should make an effort to not be seen with her. Oh, yeah - and we knew about this for a while, but decided to wait until AFTER McCain pretty much locked down the GOP nominations so we'd have a bigger non-story to report. And now that the shit's hit the fan, we're going to pretend the story was REALLY about McCain in general, and lie about this being the whole reason for the piece. Yeah, we know it's deceitful, and pretty much every press outlet with a shred of integrity is calling foul on this one, but we're the New York Times, and we can do what we want and expect no backlash, you peasants."

#4 · cirby · 2008/02/24

This is just unreal!

ALL of you know very well that this 'story' is a stalking horse for when the Times vilifies Obama for his sexual conduct, in the past ... and still be formally correct in providing "equal treatment" to both candidates! They want Hillary as the candidate for the Left -- watch!

The Times could care less about the future of those they demonize and defame, politically ... so the 'conservative' lobbyist's welfare is like dreck to their racist preference for white liberalism as opposed to any sort of candidate noire which might issue from the Left's political swamp of plurality ...

#5 · tadowe · 2008/02/25