Washington City Paper: Contents for Mar. 12

Raising McCain
A great big man's obsession
with a tiny little airport

Cover Story

Sen. John McCain does not lose gracefully. The Arizona Republican and potential presidential candidate once shoved nonagenarian Strom Thurmond on the Senate floor. In 1994, he gave the silent treatment to his hometown newspaper—the Arizona Republic—after it ran a nasty but not unmerited cartoon about his wife, who'd been caught stealing from an international children's relief agency. Two of his colleagues got the cold shoulder—for years—after they crossed him during a Senate investigation of the Keating Five scandal. McCain has a long and vivid memory.

So it was hardly unprecedented when, on Feb. 11, McCain kicked off a meeting of the Senate Commerce Committee, which he chairs, by lamenting what he called one of his "most bitter disappointments" of the previous year. He mourned for a bill for which "the United States Senate worked so hard for so long last year, and this legislation was cavalierly dismissed in the final debacle that ended last year's session of Congress."

A little angst is understandable, given that McCain did battle last year with soft money and big tobacco, some of the fiercest dragons on Capitol Hill. Aggressively promoting two controversial bills, he bucked his party and stood up against daunting opponents with unlimited resources. But although he won the war—cementing his reputation as the un-Senator, the one with integrity—he ultimately lost the battles. His fragile campaign-finance bill wilted on the Senate floor, and his historic tobacco agreement fell apart at the eleventh hour. It was a big, bad year for a man unaccustomed to taking no for an answer.... Continued

Issue of Mar. 12 - 18, 1999

News and Features

Raising McCain
From the archives: A great big man's obsession with a tiny little airport
Cover Story By Amanda Ripley
Can't-See TV
Four of D.C.'s biggest TV stations are in Upper Northwest. But that doesn't mean the locals can watch them.
The City By Alexandra Phanor
Don't Know Much About History
A controversial company rides D.C.'s charter school wave into town.
The City By Colin Bane
Greasing the Pig
Rock Newman's talking heads got Doug Tracht to say he's sorry. Tracht isn't the only one who needs to apologize.
The City By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Open Secret, Open Wound
An inmate's HIV status can create a prison inside jail.
The City By Jason Cherkis
Distress Call and Response
Daniel Clark is trying to build a record label—and better lives for his young artists.
The City By Neil Drumming
Stop, Drop, and Shalala!
Tips on fighting injustice from someone who knows how to dole it out.
The City By Amanda Ripley
This Old (White) House
185 years ago, Rick and Diane Allan's house was its own kingdom for a day.
The City By Amanda Fazzone
She Smells a Rat
The Mail By F. Barbara Orlans
Pet Peeve
The Mail By Bethany Matsko
Wilson Thrill Ride
The Mail By Bob Grow
Pie Squared
The Mail By William V. Keene
Sholl Searching
The Mail By Jerry Gottlick
La Dama Furiosa
The Mail By Cynthia M. Benjamin

Columns

Microphone as Megaphone
Cheap Seats By Dave McKenna
Brazil-chip
City Desk By Colin BaneAlexandra Phanor, Amanda Ripley and Elissa Silverman
SITTING ON THE PRISON FENCE
Loose Lips By Erik Wemple

Eats

Provençal You Want
Young & Hungry By Brett Anderson

Movies

Prep School Confidential
Film Review By Joel E. Siegel
Wild, Wild Easts
Film Review By Mark Jenkins
Ma Vie en Rosebud
Film Review By Dave Nuttycombe
Three Smoking Brits
Talking Pictures By Mark Jenkins

Music

In Rock We Trust
Music Review By Christopher Porter

Theater

Nice, Futile People
Theater Review By Bob Mondello

Arts and Events

Four Left Feet
Artifacts By Colin Bane
The Poet Soldiers On
Artifacts By Holly Bass
Recrimination Is an Art
Artifacts By Jessica Dawson
Liberté, Egalité, Obscurité
Books By Glenn Dixon
Remembrance of Things Proust
Books By Scott Morris
Higher Earning
Sean Combs didn't need to stay in school to get a Howard diploma. Turns out it was all about the Benjamins.
Arts By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Wanna Wrestle, Wagner?
Opera By Joe Banno

City Lights

This week's best in Arts and Entertainment.

The Chieftains
City Lights By Ken Roseman
Eartha Kitt
City Lights By Neil Drumming
Anton Chekhov's Favorite Jokes
City Lights By Irina Slutsky
Contemporary Bamboo Artcraft of Japan: Artwork of Kazuaki Honma
City Lights By Mark Jenkins
Peeping Tom
City Lights By Mark Jenkins
Slamdance '99
City Lights By Mark Jenkins
Cibo Matto
City Lights By Amanda Fazzone
J.J. Caillier
City Lights By Steve Kiviat
Sepultura
City Lights By Javi Guerra
The monkeyshines
City Lights By Dave Nuttycombe
Chicago Underground Duo
City Lights By Christopher Porter
Charlotte Carter
City Lights By Nefretiti Makenta
Dr. R. Mark Scowcroft
City Lights By Elissa Silverman
Natalie Pascoe
City Lights By Ayesha Morris
Paris Combo
City Lights By Daniel Searing