There's a video making the rounds in which McCain seems to answer the question before it's asked. Don't pay attention to it -- it's a manipulative editing hack job. In the video, McCain says something like yes, yes, yes, and no. But the question he was asked -- as was Obama -- had only one part. So even if he did know the question, he would have just said "yes" or "no." If you watch the full exchange, it's clear he's joking around with Rick Warren about answering the questions so quickly.
The problem I have with the video is that it districts us from the core issue. The point here isn't about whether or not McCain heard the questions. We'll never know. The point here is that McCain violated the rules to guarantee the integrity of the forum. The forum's integrity has now been compromised, and it's entirely McCain's fault. That's what he needs to answer for. If it also turns out he heard the questions, that makes the transgression all the worse.
Update: I should also make clear that just because that one video is a fake does not mean that McCain didn't hear any of the questions in advance. In fact, I can't imagine that he didn't. But I just don't like the idea of using an easily disproved claim as evidence.
Update 2: McCain's defense is like a batter stepping up the plate in the World Series with a corked bat. After he gets discovered, his defense is "well, I struck out." Yeah, but you were still breaking the rules.
© Jed Lewison