'Times' Holding Lobbyist to Gag Agreement

What is The New York Times afraid Vicki Iseman might say? The Washington lobbyist, who recently settled a lawsuit filed against the paper over its February 2001 article about her dealings with John McCain, will appear on the CBS Early Show Monday in her ongoing quest to put to rest lingering suspicions that she and the Republican senator were romantically involved. But she may not be able to say much.

Following the announcement that she and the paper had settled out of court, Iseman asked to be released from a confidentiality agreement in order to respond to what she saw as the Times's efforts to spin the settlement as a vindication of its reporting. But a CBS News spokeswoman says the confidentiality pledge is still in force: "The agreement has not been lifted but we're free to ask her whatever we want, and if she can't answer she'll just say she can't answer."

A Times spokeswoman did not respond to repeated requests for comment, leaving me to wonder idly: What business does a newspaper have barring someone from speaking in public?