Campaign Surprises

It wouldn’t be a presidential campaign without a good old-fashioned scandal or two. And so GOP front runner John McCain found himself before reporters Thursday morning, denying a New York Times report suggesting that he had had a romantic relationship with a lobbyist eight years ago and saying he did nothing to favor her clients. These media storms can be based on fact, fiction or a murky combination of the two. Such stories can alter a race permanently--and their veracity doesn’t matter much in the end. Here, a sampling of the gossip, innuendo and scandal that has disrupted American presidential campaigns.
Photo: Gerald Herbert / AP