After John McCain canceled a CNN interview because CNN anchor Campbell Brown refused to take campaign spin for an answer, it's worth asking what Faustian bargain ABC's Charles Gibson just made with the campaign to get his McCain exclusive.

An agreement not to ask about the elephants in the room?

UPDATE: According to ABC News senior vice president Jeff Schneider, they don't agree to restrictions on interviews. But he also noted that ABC booked the interview last week, which we believe means it wouldn't have been an exclusive if McCain hadn't cancelled on Larry King.

See Also: McCain Retaliates Against CNN For Asking Tough Questions