McCain, Graham deny Newsmax story

CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 10 (UPI) -- A story reporting Republican presidential hopeful John McCain refused to meet with the Rev. Billy Graham has been denied by the McCain and Graham camps.

The first-person article, which appeared on the conservative Web site Newsmax.com, is false, say spokesmen for Graham and his son, Franklin, The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer reported Tuesday.

The spokesmen said neither of the evangelists have initiated a McCain sit-down or have talked with McCain staffers about holding a meeting.

The author of the story is Doug Wead, a one-time White House staffer who dealt with religious groups during the President George H.W. Bush administration.

He wrote that he and Brian Jacobs, a Texas pastor, had offered to broker a meeting between the Arizona senator and Graham.

"We don't know who this Brian Jacobs is -- we had to Google him to find out," said Jeremy Blume, a spokesman for Franklin Graham.

For their part, McCain staffers said they were trying to schedule a meeting between the candidate and Billy Graham.

But spokesmen for Franklin Graham said he has never discussed with the McCain campaign a meeting with his dad.