The Endorsement That Wasn't

Somebody on the McCain team, anxious to tout a celebrity endorsement, jumped the gun a bit and got slapped back by the "endorser":

One day after an aide to Sen. John McCain said that former New York Sen. Alfonse D’Amato was backing McCain for the GOP presidential nomination, D’Amato has issued a statement of his own: It’s not true.

D’Amato "has very high esteem for his dear friend, Sen. McCain, but has made absolutely no commitment to any candidate for the 2008 presidential election,” the statement from D’Amato’s spokesman disclosed.

On Monday, McCain consultant Brendan Quinn told the New York Post that D’Amato was backing the Arizona Republican. D’Amato’s statement said he was "shocked” by Quinn’s comments.

Oops. An endorsement from D'Amato was no special prize, but to have him quickly disavow it is pretty painful.