As promised here is the audio from the rolling press conference aboard McCain's Magical Media bus. After the Arizona senator touched down at Boeing Field he parried questions from Seattle's finest political writers for 30 minutes.

A lot of presidential campaigns don't give this type of access to the candidates. McCain, we've been told, is different and enjoys interacting with the press. In other words the media bus was a good way for the campaign to felate the egos of the local media types. Good PR.

When listening to the questions asked from the various reporters it is always fun (for me) to discern what direction they are trying to take the conversation based on their particular slant.

Joel Connelly, everyone's favorite "contumelious columnist" from the Seattle P-I seemed focused on bringing up the names of past politicians (Dan Evans, LBJ) and relating them with today's political climate. If you're familiar with his columns, it seems like JC spends half his time reminiscing about the political good-old-days.

AP writer David Ammons seemed intent on the electoral horse-race and the strategies therein.

Considering Boeing's clout in Snohomish County it was no surprise Jerry Cornfield from the Everett Herald asked about McCain's famous feud with the aerospace giant over the a pork-laden deal to lease modified 767 tankers to the Pentagon, a deal the Pentagon didn't want. (McCain's answer is at 10:30 on the recording).

Your humble hick-town reporter got in a few queries beginning with Gov. Mike Huckabee and the tone of the campaign from now until convention.

"We have a good relationship, you won't see anything negative... He's got a 527 that's been attacking me... but that's been going on for a long time. His and my relationship... is excellent."

McCain was asked which sitting member would he considered to be the closest to the model justice he'd appoint.

"Roberts and Alito." McCain quickly answered. "My basis of that is people who strictly interpret the constitution."

Whenever a politician names a book he has read it is important to share that information. Books are a significant intellectual investment of time and whether you agree with what's written or not, either way it makes an impression on the reader.

One of the tomes on McCain's shelf is "The Coldest Winter" by David Halberstam. It is about the Korean War, and according to McCain, focuses less on the military history and more on the political environment of the "Forgotten War".

What you don't get on the audio, but what was evident face-to-face, was how McCain shed the "politician-in-front-of-media" shell and became just a guy shooting the breeze about a subject he finds interesting. Any amateur historian knows the type.

It would have been more interesting to chat for half-an-hour to gauge the man's take on 19th and 20th Century history. Probably would have been more illustrative of how he would tackle problems during his presidency than anything you can divine from canned answers to obvious questions too.

Was McCain willing to admit he was wrong over illegal immigration?

"I don't think it's a matter of being wrong. I still think we have to have a temporary worker program, and tamper-proof biometric documents at work. But it's clear because of no trust and confidence in government... When we said... we'll secure the border, they didn't believe us. So in order to regain that trust and confidence, we're going to have to secure the borders, have the border state governors certify that they are secure. Because there is a great legitimacy to the concern people have because of '86 under our beloved Ronald Reagan who said we'll secure the borders and we'll give, quote, amnesty to these people and everything will be fine and we know what happened. So there is a legitimate concern out there about going through an immigration reform and ten years from now having another 10 or 12 million people here illegal. They want to be certain the borders are secure first. I think we have to do that. Now I'm aware there's other ways of getting into the country, I know about expired visas I think most Americans want to be confident the border is secure."

Listening back I wish I could have followed up on my slip of the tongue in regards to a "border fence" as opposed to "border security" which I had meant to say. McCain was very quick to correct this by saying "secure the border". Not sure if there are any tea leaves to read there.

How do you deal with Iran?

"I believe that one of the mistakes that has been made recently was this NIE [National Intelligence Estimate] which emphasized their halting of the weaponization side...there is information that [their] enrichment program is proceeding more rapidly than we had expected...Admiral [Mike] McConnell testified a couple days ago he said we regretted the NIE. That is a remarkable statement... he was one of the guys that wrote it...

I'm very worried about Iran. I am very worried about their continued dedication to the extinction of the State of Isreal which they announce all the time. The IEDs...are a very serious problem. They have penetrated southern Iraq to some degree...with Iranian mullahs and religious leaders, they are significant problem...Some people say...the explosive devices have slowed."

What would you do about Iran differently than the administration?

"I believe that there are a lot of international situations that cry out for effective action; Darfur, North Korea, Iran. In the United Nations Security Council China and Russia block progress in addressing these major challenges that the United Nations Security Council, frankly, was designed to address. I would have a league of democracies, an informal organization of countries that share values, principles, economic and other influence to join together to enact meaningful measures to try to effect events in those countries. Right now there's major European financial institutions that are extending unlimited lines of credit to the Iranians who have a very shaky economy as we know because they have a lousy government. I would join those democracies together and impose meaningful sanctions that would put real pressure on the Iranians. We can be effective there, as well as Darfur as well as North Korea."

There happens to be another super power in China growing economically and militarily? They're modernizing their air force, blue water navy. What about China in the future? We get lots of trade with China in this state.

"First of all I'm a free trader. I'm unashamed and not embarrassed about being a free trader. I also worry about China's lack of progress in certain areas. Intellectual property abuse. We should be taking them to the WTO [World Trade Organization]...where we find those violations and go after them. I worry about missile buildup in the Strait of Taiwan. I worry about the blue water Navy you're talking about. I worry about the continued lack of progress in human rights. The reality is China will be a super power... We got to make our best effort to channel that behavior in the most peaceful and productive way. One of those areas is to encourage the progress of democracy and human rights in China..."

Behind the scenes:

The media bus took us from Boeing Field north on Airport Way and Fifth Ave. to the Westin. The rattling and bumping you hear throughout the audio is caused by the horrendously bad potholes and washboard road conditions. You can tell because everyone sounds like they're strapped to one of those old-fashioned vibrating exercise machines from the 1920s. Somewhat of a challenge to ask a good, pithy question when you have Jim Brunner from the Seattle Times literally falling in your lap or having yourself thrown into poor old Neil Modie from the P-I.

Seattle likes to think of itself as a "World Class City". My friend Andrea James from the P-I wrote a nice little valentine about Gov. Christine Gregoire and a speech she gave on the subject. Might I humbly suggest when dignitaries are chauffeured on roadways which more closely resemble the Oregon Trail; it is not the best way of showcasing how "World Class" the city truly is.

When McCain hopped aboard the media bus he did the standard grip-and-grin procession, "nice to meet you", "good to see you again" etc. My first impression was this. Shaking his hand and glancing down I quickly noticed he had a black wristband on his right hand almost an inch wide with letters that resembled a name which I didn't quite have time to read. Mementos that politicians wear - or don't wear - are a good tell about their personality.

Sadly there wasn't time to ask him about the wristband on the bus. During the rally at the Westin, however, McCain explained that the wristband was given to him by the mother of 22-year old Cpl. Matthew Stanley who was killed in the line of duty in Iraq in December, 2006.

A callous politician might slip on a prop just before going out to meet an audience. McCain had it on when he hopped off his JetBlue flight and presumably has worn the thin metal strip since it was given to him in New Hampshire last August.

Speaking of JetBlue. One of the best things about hanging out before a press conference is the informal bull session reporters have. These affairs follow a pretty standard format where each reporter tries to prove they're more jaded and cynical than the next ink-slinger.

As part of the conversation I wondered aloud whether McCain would be winging in to town on a Boeing jet or some other make. Of course I knew the answer - JetBlue has been flying him around in an Airbus A320 - but it's always best to play the naive country bumpkin. Let the Everett Herald guy ask the last-minute snarky question.

More McCain quotes:

"There's no Thomas Jefferson's in Iraq; Saddam Hussein killed every one of them."

"Governor Huckabee is still very formidable. He has a strong base amongst the evangelical community. His people turn out." McCain expressed pessimism about winning Kansas and caucuses; which was prophetic.

"In the words of Chairman Mao, it's always darkest before its black."

"Whether it's Sen. Obama or Sen. Clinton it will be a respectful debate. Americans want that for a change."

I will remind readers that the subject of this post is STRICTLY about what is written (or recorded) above. There is plenty of space for the McCain temper-tantrums on threads below.

An intelligent, issues-based discussion please.