UPDATED: McCain denies 'NYT' claims, Weaver Confirms One Part

At 9 a.m, presser today, with Cindy at his side in Toledo, he refuted the Times story and said he was "disappointed" by it. He claimed that no one had come to him and tried to steer him away from the lobbyist. He called her just a friend. It still seems that he is hitting back harder on the suggestion that he did something wrong in office, flying on corporate jets etc., rather than never fooling around. But we'll see. "I intend to move on," McCain said. I bet he does.

Next move: New York Times. McCain's denial today that anyone came to him to warn him off the woman does not square with the Times' sources -- so someone is telling a big lie.

UDPATE Marc Ambinder at TheAtlantic.com reports email from McCain associate Weaver who was quoted in Times story: "The New York Times knew about my meeting with Ms. Iseman and asked me about it and why it occurred. I informed the Times, in a written reply, that Ms. Iseman's comments about having strong ties to John's committee staff, personal staff and to him I felt were harmful and not true. And so I informed her and asked to to stop and desist. The moment I answered the inquiry from the New York Times I sent that answer also to Mark, Steve and Charlie. All of this happened in December. I've wanted John McCain to be president since I first approached him in 1997. I do so today. I love John McCain and I believe the country badly needs him."

UPDATE #2 Who does Rush Limbaugh hate more? The NYT or McCain? He seemed to answer in an email to Politico just now: "The story is not the story. The story is the Drive By media turning on its favorite maverick and trying to take him out. The media picked the GOP's candidate, the NYT endorsed him while they sat on this story, and is now, with utter predictability, trying to destroy him.”