The New York Times has an interesting article about the "maverick's" risk taking tendencies.
A lifelong gambler, Mr. McCain takes risks, both on and off the craps table. He was throwing dice that night not long after his failed 2000 presidential bid, in which he was skewered by the Republican Party’s evangelical base, opponents of gambling. Mr. McCain was betting at a casino he oversaw as a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, and he was doing so with the lobbyist who represents that casino, according to three associates of Mr. McCain.
The article goes on to mention McCain and his teams ties to the gambling industry and how that may have played a part in bringing Jack Abramoff's misdeeds to his attention.
Another interesting quote
But he has rarely wavered in his loyalty to Las Vegas, where he counts casino executives among his close friends and most prolific fund-raisers. "Beyond just his support for gaming, Nevada supports John McCain because he’s one of us, a Westerner at heart," said Sig Rogich, a Nevada Republican kingmaker who raised nearly $2 million for Mr. McCain at an event at his home in June.
This makes me a little concerned about Nevada.
I don't begrudge McCain having a little fun at the craps table, or a little bit of payback to Ralph Reed and Grover Norquist, but this looks shady.
Naturally, the McCain team is trying to dismiss the whole article by making the NY Times the issue.
Mr. McCain’s spokesman, Tucker Bounds, would not discuss the senator’s night of gambling at Foxwoods, saying: "Your paper has repeatedly attempted to insinuate impropriety on the part of Senator McCain where none exists — and it reveals that your publication is desperately willing to gamble away what little credibility it still has."