McCain Asked Kerry for the VP Slot?

When the Hill reported that John McCain had approached Senate Democratic leaders about changing his party affiliation, I noted that it seemed plausible, and I did not care.

Now Senator Kerry tells liberal site MyDD that Senator McCain's people approached him about having McCain run for Vice President on the 2004 Democratic ticket:

Jonathan Singer: There's a story in The Hill, I think on Tuesday, by Bob Cusack on the front page of the paper talking about how John McCain's people -- John Weaver -- had approached Tom Daschle and a New York Congressman, I don't remember his name, about switching parties. And I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about what your discussions were with him in 2004, how far it went, who approached whom... if there was any "there" there.

John Kerry: I don't know all the details of it. I know that Tom, from a conversation with him, was in conversation with a number of Republicans back then. It doesn't surprise me completely because his people similarly approached me to engage in a discussion about his potentially being on the ticket as Vice President. So his people were active -- let's put it that way.

Singer: Okay. And just to confirm, you said it, but this is something they approached you rather than...

Kerry: Absolutely correct. John Weaver of his shop... [JK aswers phone]

This seems to me to be a case of John Kerry trying to inflate his already substantial self-image. It was widely reported in 2004 that Kerry had approached McCain - repeatedly - to ask him to serve as his Vice Presidential nominee. Now are we to believe that McCain asked Kerry, (and then apparently Kerry begged him), and finally McCain said no - and Kerry waited until now to talk about it? If I were Kerry, I would be awfully angry about having been strung along like this. I would have been happy to talk about it - starting right after the 2004 election.

Further, are we to believe that this account of the Kerry-McCain flirtations - the one where Kerry asked McCain - has been wrong so consistently, for 3 years? I don't think it very likely.

If the alternate explanation involves John Kerry's big ego, Occam's Razor tells me that's the more likely one.

Update: Paul notes that if this is true, it likely means the end of McCain's Presidential campaign. I think that's right.