New York Times v. John McCain

How can the New York Times endorse John McCain as the Republican nominee for president one month and print the article that it did Thursday the next?

On January 25, 2008 the Times ran this endorsement:

"Senator John McCain of Arizona is the only Republican who promises to end the George Bush style of governing from and on behalf of a small, angry fringe. With a record of working across the aisle to develop sound bipartisan legislation, he would offer a choice to a broader range of Americans than the rest of the Republican field."

Okay... if the New York Times wants to endorse a candidate that's their call, but then they follow up with this first paragraph in Thursday's front-page lead story.

"A female lobbyist had been turning up with him at fund-raisers, visiting his offices and accompanying him on a client’s corporate jet. Convinced the relationship had become romantic, some of his top advisers intervened to protect the candidate from himself — instructing staff members to block the woman’s access, privately warning her away and repeatedly confronting him, several people involved in the campaign said on the condition of anonymity."

It has been revealed that the sources and the details of the story that ran on Thursday were in possession of the paper at the time they endorsed McCain. Does that make any sense? What is the logic behind the Time's endorsement knowing that it had damaging information regarding the candidate?

TK