Everybody knows the story of John McCain: ex-POW Republican maverick who wants you to know he’s a straight-talker.

Now, the backlash has begun. McCain critics say the presumptive GOP presidential nominee has been given a “free ride” by a press he has thoroughly charmed.

But is charming the press such a crime for a man who would lead this big, boisterous country? Yes, say McCain’s critics, if it short-changes the facts.

This hour, On Point: While Clinton and Obama battle, we look at the “free ride” charge, and John MCain.

-Tom Ashbrook

Guests:

Dana Bash, congressional correspondent for CNN, on the road with John McCain.

Paul Waldman, co-author of “Free Ride: John McCain and the Media,” columnist for The American Prospect, and a senior associate at Media Matters for America, a non-profit research center that monitors conservative messages in the U.S. media.

Byron York, Washington correspondent for National Review and author of “The Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy” (2005).

Tags: 2008 election, John McCain, politics