NY Times rejects McCain's editorial: says he hasn't 'earned' it

An op-ed written by GOP nominee John McCain was rejected by the New York Times for publication. This occurred only a week after the paper published an essay written by presumptive Democratic nominee, Barack Obama. In a statement released today, Times Opinion Page Editor David Shipley explained the paper's rationale.

It would be terrific to have an article from Senator McCain. However, we feel McCain's perspective in this piece is not as open as Senator Obama's. Nor has McCain earned the right to an automatic slot on our op-ed page through his service to the community the way the Obama has.

Remember, McCain never served as a community organizer. He did not serve his local citizenry as a state senator. And he never built grass-roots support organizations.

Barack Obama is a candidate who espouses inclusion, tolerance, and humility.

Furthermore, the presumptive Democratic nominee has been consistently right on the major issues; which is not the case for Senator McCain. We'd like McCain to take responsibility for his actions including terrorizing innocent civilians.

In conclusion, I'm not going to be able to accept this piece as currently written. I’d be pleased, though, to look at another draft once Senator McCain has addressed these issues.