McCain downplays Palin report

2008 GOP presidential nominee John McCain (Ariz.) on Wednesday downplayed a report that the selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate was that of advisor Rick Davis, saying the selection was a “collective decision.”

Citing “a source close to Mr. McCain,” Washington Times reporter John McCaslin reported Tuesday that Davis convinced McCain to pick Palin over McCain’s own preference, Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.)

McCain didn’t directly deny the report, but downplayed Davis’s leading role in the decision.

“It was a collective decision of all of us,” McCain said. “We all worked together as a team.”

McCain declined to comment when asked how close he was to selecting Lieberman.

“I’m not going to get into that,” he said.

–J. Taylor Rushing