McCain Tricked Robert Novak?

Last night I brought you word of Robert Novak's supposed scoop that John McCain would announce his VP choice this week. Novak himself knew that such an announcement would help take some of the wind from Barack Obama's overseas sails, but what he didn't know, and is now a tad upset over, is that the McCain team used him to forward a rumor that is, apparently, not true. From Taegan Goddard's Political Wire:

Robert Novak told Fox News that his report yesterday about Sen John McCain naming his running mate this week may have been "a dodge" by the campaign to steal some attention from Sen. Barack Obama.

Novak said he got the tip from a "very senior McCain aide" and that the camp "suggested I put it out." Now he feels he's been used and that it's "pretty reprehensible."

Indeed it is. Marc Ambinder earlier questioned whether McCain would actually announce this week considering that A) Mitt Romney is out of the country, and B) so is McCain's wife. So, I wonder which "very senior McCain aide" cooked up the plan to dupe Novak. Or, will John pull the double-fake-out and make an announcement this week after all? One thing is for sure. Novak won't be biting quite so hard next time.

It's one thing to complain about how the media isn't giving you a fair shake, and quite another to intentionally mislead a reporter of Novak's standing. McCain had better tread lightly. Hell hath no fury as an opinion writer scorned.