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(CNN) - Meghan McCain is breaking her silence following a wave of media attention over a picture she posted on Twitter Wednesday night.

The revealing picture of herself in a tank top, which left little to the twitterverse's imagination, immediately drew harsh criticism from other tweeters, prompting an upset McCain to declare of the social networking Web site, "What once was fun now just seems like a vessel for harassment."

The 24-year old daughter of Arizona Sen. John McCain didn't address the matter in more detail on her twitter account Thursday, but in a new column on the Web Site The Daily Beast - entitled Don't Call Me a Slut - she lashes out at the national media's scrutiny of the whole flap.

Earlier: Meghan McCain runs into backlash over photograph

"I spent most of the next day thinking about what exactly was so shocking about the picture, why there was such an immediate and nasty overreaction," McCain writes. "After all, it's not like I was caught making a sex tape. I certainly didn't pose nude for Playboy. And I hadn't even exposed a nipple."

"To be honest, I don't feel that I have anything to feel ashamed of. I've always embraced my curves and will continue to do so," she added.

McCain also accuses the media of having a double standard, celebrating photos of attractive male congressmen with their shirts off while criticizing her.

Ultimately though, McCain says she's not ready to give up Twitter just yet. Rather, she says she'll just be "more judicious" in how she uses it.

Meghan McCain says she's ready to quit twitter after a photograph she posted caused a wave of criticism

(CNN) – Meghan McCain says she's ready to quit Twitter all together after generating a wave of criticism from users of the popular social networking site Wednesday night for posting a picture of herself in a tank top that left little to the twitterverse's imagination.

The controversy began quietly enough when McCain, the vocal daughter of the former Republican presidential candidate, tweeted that her self described "spontaneous" night in included reading a biography of the iconic artist Andy Warhol and ordering takeout.

It was there the 24-year old McCain posted the photo of herself wearing a tank top that generated the subsequent controversy .

The photograph apparently generated a string of negative responses, leading McCain to weigh in 15 minutes later: "so I took a fun picture not thinking anything about what I was wearing but apparently anything other than a pantsuit and I am a slut."

"This is why I have been considering deleting my twitter account," McCain, with close to 60,000 followers, continued in another tweet, "what once was fun now just seems like a vessel for harassment."

Fifteen minutes later, McCain weighed in again, tweeting, "When I am alone in my apartment, I wear tank tops and sweat pants, I had no idea this makes me a slut", I can't even tell you how hurt I am."

An hour later, the prolific tweeter said her decision was nearly made: "ok I am getting the f**k off twitter, promise not to delete my account until I sleep on it, thank you for the nice words supporters."

But McCain did make one final tweet before the evening came to a close, posting a link to her latest column for the Web site The Daily Beast.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Meghan McCain wrote Monday that South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's revelation that he had an extramarital affair "isn't relevant to his role as a public official" and called on her fellow Republicans to forgive him.

McCain, the daughter of Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, said that she is "mad" about the "hypocrisy of it all," and doesn't condone Sanford's actions, but added that the public needs to "stop requiring that our politicians live at such a high level of moral superiority."

"Above all, the Sanford scandal just makes me sad for my party," she wrote on the Daily Beast Web site. "The GOP is struggling right now to find anyone who looks to be our next leader. Those who have been anointed so far have ended up falling completely short. Going forward, I suggest that the party concentrate less on what goes on in the bedroom and more on what is going on in policy."

(CNN) - Meghan McCain again took aim at some leaders of her party Monday night, declaring the GOP is currently being hijacked by those trying "to make it more extreme."

In an interview on The Colbert Report on Comedy Central, the outspoken daughter of Arizona Sen. John McCain said the party needs to broaden its message as it struggles to regain power in the halls of Congress and eventually the White House.

"I do believe the Republican Party can be a safe place for the gay community," McCain said in the at-times lighthearted interview. "President Obama said that he was going to repeal 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' and I think me and a lot of other people are still waiting on that and the Democratic Party isn't necessarily a better place for the gay community than the Republican Party is.

McCain's statements come only hours before Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele is set to tell party leaders during a speech in Washington that the GOP should focus on conservative principles and that, "The era of apologizing for Republican mistakes of the past is now officially over."

But during the interview with the faux-conservative Colbert, McCain suggested the party's mantra of limited government does not conflict with more socially moderate principles.

"If you go to the basic beliefs of the Republican party of keeping government out of your life, why can't that include marriage?" she said.

McCain also criticized the recent push from Bristol Palin - the 17-year-old daughter of former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin who gave birth last year to a baby boy - to promote abstinence among teenagers, calling it "not realistic for this generation.

"I think we need to have sex education with condoms, birth control and etc, etc.," McCain said. "I think that if the Republican Party says abstinence only is the only way to be then we're going to lose a lot of young voters and I think I wouldn't want to practice anything I didn't preach."

"It can be a party for a 24 year-old pro-sex woman. It can be," McCain also said.

Bill Bennett, a Republican, and Donna Brazile, a Democrat, expressed very different views Sunday about who might be good candidates to represent the Republican Party in the public's mind.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Prominent Republican Bill Bennett took issue Sunday with what he called the “media’s focus” on Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Asked about the Republican Party’s increasingly public struggle to define itself and identify new leaders after eight years of the George W. Bush administration, Bennett said the press should be less myopic in its coverage of the GOP.

“One of the things the media could do – some of the media – is to move the debate off Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh,” Bennett, a CNN Contributor, said on State of the Union. “This is probably not the future of the Republican Party,” added Bennett.

“You don’t think Gov. Palin’s the future of the Republican Party?” queried CNN Chief National Correspondent John King.

“I do not,” said Bennett. “It could talk about a Paul Ryan or a Mike Pence. It could talk about a Bobby Jindal. It could talk even about a John Kyl or a David Petraeus. You know, there’s a lot of talent in this party.”

Democratic strategist Donna Brazile has her own ideas about who the GOP might look to, to help find its way out of the political wilderness.
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Cantor acknowledged that the GOP is playing catchup on technology.

(CNN) - House Minority Whip Eric Cantor tells CNN's John King that the GOP still has a lot to learn from President Obama.

"President Obama is a great communicator. We understand that," he said in an interview that aired on CNN's State of the Union Sunday. "He's also been very adept at adopting the technology of today to access the youth vote and the younger population of this country. That's the future, and I believe we've got a lot to learn. The Republican Party can't keep doing things the way it always has in terms of technology."

Cantor, along with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, held the kick off event Saturday for the National Council for a New America, a high-profile Republican effort to engage a diverse group of voters.

One new GOP face who seems to disagree with Cantor's point of view: Meghan McCain, whose father John McCain is involved with the NCNA effort.

"Simply embracing technology isn't going to fix our problem," the 24-year-old told a gay Republican group last month. "Republicans using Twitter and Facebook isn't going to miraculously make people think we're cool again. Breaking free from obsolete positions and providing real solutions that don't divide our nation further will."

The NCNA is planning to hold a series of town halls across the country in the coming months in an effort to re-cast the party’s image.

Meghan McCain says the Republican Party needs to become an 'umbrella party.'

(CNN) - Meghan McCain, daughter of former Republican presidential candidate John McCain, said the GOP is going to have to become more inclusive if it wants to rebuild.

“I just wish that moderates like myself - more moderate Republicans and more socially liberal Republicans - weren’t looked at as, ‘Get rid of the dirty moderates. Get rid of them,’” the 24-year-old told CNN affiliate KTAR radio in a joint interview with her father.

“We need to be an inclusive party. We need to be an umbrella party. We need to inspire 20-somethings, which is something the Obama campaign did very well,” she said on the "Mac & Gaydos" show.

“And it’s not that I think that our message is neither good nor bad - I just think it’s that the Democrats package their message better, and I think if we could be able to communicate with my generation, the Republican Party can really rebuild itself,” she added.

Asked about the coverage she’s been getting for the GOP, McCain said she feels like she’s “speaking out for a lot of young people that don’t feel spoken for.”

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Meghan McCain says the Republican Party needs to become an 'umbrella party.'

(CNN) - Meghan McCain, daughter of former Republican presidential candidate John McCain, said the GOP is going to have to become more inclusive if it wants to rebuild.

“I just wish that moderates like myself - more moderate Republicans and more socially liberal Republicans - weren’t looked at as, ‘Get rid of the dirty moderates. Get rid of them,’” the 24-year-old told CNN affiliate KTAR radio in a joint interview with her father.

“We need to be an inclusive party. We need to be an umbrella party. We need to inspire 20-somethings, which is something the Obama campaign did very well,” she said on the "Mac & Gaydos" show.

“And it’s not that I think that our message is neither good nor bad - I just think it’s that the Democrats package their message better, and I think if we could be able to communicate with my generation, the Republican Party can really rebuild itself,” she added.

Asked about the coverage she’s been getting for the GOP, McCain said she feels like she’s “speaking out for a lot of young people that don’t feel spoken for.”

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'Let me be clear: I have a lot of respect for Sen. Specter,' said McCain, in her latest blog post for the Daily Beast.

(CNN) - Meghan McCain - whose departure from conservative orthodoxy on some issues has put her at odds with some in the GOP base - said Thursday that former moderate Republican Sen. Arlen Specter had "let us down" by leaving the party.

"Let me be clear: I have a lot of respect for Sen. Specter," said McCain, in her latest blog post for the Daily Beast. "But I also can't help but feel like he's let us down.

"I'm sure this was a long, hard decision. The polls were looking very bleak in his primary contest. His probable opponent was nearly 20 points ahead in many polls. And I understand how he's been made to feel like an outcast by a small, vocal group. Still, this was an opportunity for Specter to hold his ground and set an example for progressive-minded Republicans trying to overcome one of their biggest obstacles: winning the party primaries....

"We need courageous Republicans more than ever. And this week, Sen. Specter turned his back."

Earlier this week, conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh suggested that McCain leave the party with Specter. "A lot of people say, 'Well, Specter, take [Sen. John] McCain with you. And his daughter [Meghan]. Take McCain and his daughter with you if you're gonna…" he told listeners Tuesday.

McCain did not soften her voice Tuesday calling Sen. Arlen Specters party switch a 'selfish choice.'

(CNN) – Meghan McCain- who has been known for her outspoken criticisms of the Republican Party, did not soften her voice Tuesday calling Sen. Arlen Specters party switch a "selfish choice."

Recognizing that it had been a hard day for the Republican Party, McCain offered some encouraging words " I am still a believer in this party! I have faith we can bring this back, who is with me?!?" she tweeted.

Sen. Arlen Specter might have left the GOP, but Meghan McCain isn't going anywhere. "In my Republican Party there is room for everyone! There is no need for an admissions test to be a member, lets be more inclusive!" she wrote.

The twitter updates to McCain's page came shortly after Conservative host Rush Limbaugh suggested that there were a couple other Republicans that should follow in the senators footsteps "Well, Specter, take [Sen. John] McCain with you. And his daughter [Meghan]. Take McCain and his daughter with you if you're gonna…" he told listeners.

"…..It's ultimately good. You're weeding out people who aren't really Republicans" Limbaugh said.

McCain sees the future of the GOP differently, "its good to have disagreements, were never going to agree on everything! Who wants to agree on everything? so boring."

Limbaugh did concede the downside of Specter's defection.

(CNN) - Conservative host Rush Limbaugh said Tuesday he isn't sorry to see Arlen Specter leave the GOP - and that many Republicans wish the Pennsylvania senator would take a few others with him when he goes.

"A lot of people say, 'Well, Specter, take [Sen. John] McCain with you. And his daughter [Meghan]. Take McCain and his daughter with you if you're gonna..." he told listeners, dissolving in laughter.

".....It's ultimately good. You're weeding out people who aren't really Republicans," he said.

Limbaugh did concede the downside of Specter's defection. "It makes the Senate essentially as big a slam dunk for Obama and the Democrats as the House of Representatives already is," he said.

Earlier this month, Specter said Limbaugh did have a tendency to make "provocative" statements, but told radio host Howard Stern he didn't have a problem with the conservative talker. "Do I like Limbaugh?... yeah, I like him," he said then.

UPDATE: Late Tuesday afternoon, Meghan McCain fired back on Twitter. "RED TIL I'M DEAD BABY!!! I love the republican party enough to give it constructive criticism, I love my party and sure as hell not leavin!"

Meghan McCain (above: with parents John and Cindy McCain) has become one of the hottest young GOP pundits.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Sen. John McCain told CNN Friday he doesn't always see eye-to-eye with his outspoken daughter.

Meghan McCain, the 24-year-old daughter of the former Republican presidential nominee, has grabbed the media spotlight this year, thanks to a string of attention grabbing blog posts, television appearances and speeches.

Her comments critical of some of her party's positions, and jabs at some senior Republicans like former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Bush senior advisor Karl Rove, have made her one of this year's hottest young GOP pundits.

"I love and respect my daughter, and I appreciate the fact that she brings fresh views and ideas and we need that in our party," the senator said Friday on CNN's American Morning. "We don't always agree, and sometimes we have spirited discussions, and that is good in families."

The younger McCain is writing a book about the future of the Republican Party.

Meghan McCain is no fan of Karl Rove's tweets.

(CNN) – Meghan McCain - who said earlier this week that she found Karl Rove "creepy" - said Thursday she wished the former Bush advisor would just "go away."

"The DNC just did an ad, and it has Karl Rove, Newt Gingrich and Dick Cheney as the new faces of the Republican Party," she said on The View, adding that the party's young people like herself were looking for "new energy and new blood."

"It's very unprecedented for someone like Karl Rove or Dick Cheney to be criticizing the president," said the 24-year-old daughter of former GOP presidential candidate John McCain. "It's very unprecendented, former vice president, and obviously Karl Rove, and my big criticism is: you had your eight years, go away."

"...[Rove] twittering is not going to make any young people come to the Republican Party, and I don't think any person my age is going to think that is cool," she said.

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Meghan McCain is no fan of Karl Rove's tweets.

(CNN) – Meghan McCain loves Twitter - except for the "creepy people." Like Karl Rove.

In a blog post for the Daily Beast published Monday, McCain says the social networking site has been a "liberating" experience for her - if only her dispatches weren't being read by the former Bush advisor.

"Karl Rove follows me on Twitter. That's creepy," she said. "I joined Twitter a few months ago; so far, it has been a liberating way to transition from political to personal blogging. It's allowed me to share the less serious aspects and humorously uncensored moments of my life. But there's also been a downside: I am now being followed by Karl Rove, and my local sheriff, and God knows how many other political pundits. We need to take Twitter back from the creepy people."

Later, she wrote: "I can't shake the fact that Karl Rove is following me-it can be creepy. So watch out."

The daughter of former Republican presidential candidate John McCain also said she finds Rove's Tweets "boring," and speculated that he had a "ghost Twitterer" or an assistant posting his thoughts.

"On the surface, Karl Rove's Twitter feed intrigues me," she said. Here's a guy who for years has been perceived as some kind of inaccessible man-behind-the-curtain figure. And now he Tweets numerous times a day. I've never met him in person, which only makes our Twitter relationship even weirder. And to be honest, I find Rove's Tweets boring. Sometimes he takes questions; other times he talks about his appearances on cable news and other shows. But he doesn't say anything substantive."

She said that Rove's Tweets "seem to reveal a softer side to him" - but drew her skepticism.

"Call it savvy marketing, but I find it disingenuous," she said. "And it's a bit weird to think his people-not even Rove himself-are following me."

Meghan McCain addressed a group of gay Republicans in Washington Saturday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Meghan McCain warned a group of gay Republicans Saturday that there was "a war brewing in the Republican Party" – a war between the past and the future.

"Most of the old school Republicans are scared s***less of that future," she told a gathering of the Log Cabin Republicans, a group of gay and lesbian party members.

The 24-year-old daughter of former GOP presidential candidate John McCain pushed back against critics upset over her comments to CNN that she wanted President Obama to succeed, and played down her recent headline-grabbing feuds with conservative commentators Ann Coulter and Laura Ingraham. "I did not expect my frustration with what I perceive to be overly partisan and divisive Republicans to cause a national incident," she said.

"I feel too many Republicans want to cling to past successes...I think we're seeing a war brewing in the Republican Party," she said. "But it is not between us and Democrats. It is not between us and liberals. It is between the future and the past...

"I am concerned about the environment. I love to wear black. I think government is best when it stays out of people's lives and business as much as possible. I love punk rock. I believe in a strong national defense. I have a tattoo. I believe government should always be efficient and accountable. I have lots of gay friends. And yes, I am a Republican," she told a cheering crowd.

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Meghan McCain is a vocal supporter of same-sex marriage.

(CNN) – Log Cabin Republicans are getting some support from the McCain family.

Cindy and Meghan McCain will make an appearance at the gay rights organization's four day convention in Washington, which kicks off Thursday night.

"Of all the causes I believe in and speak publicly about, this is one of the ones closest to my heart," Meghan McCain, a vocal supporter of same-sex marriage, wrote in the Daily Beast this week. "If the Republican Party has any hope of gaining substantial support from a wider, younger base, we need to get past our anti-gay rhetoric."

Steve Schmidt, former senior strategist for John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign and manager of Arnold Schwarzenegger's gubernatorial reelection campaign in 2006, will also be in attendance. Schmidt will be speaking about the 2008 election and the GOP's comeback agenda.

In an interview Thursday with CNN, LCR Spokesperson Charles Moran said the organization is lobbying New York Republicans to help pass the same-sex marriage law championed by the state's Democratic Gov. David Paterson.

"We have people on the ground, we're identifying our bases of support, looking at our polling, looking at our research, so that we can be ready to assist the marriage coalition in New York with targeting those crucial GOP votes," Moran told CNN.

The group is also working on identifying the Republican players who will serve as the face of their organization's mission.

Moran citied Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, a Mormon Republican who has called for the adoption of civil unions, and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who acknowledged that gay Republicans have a place at the party's table.

"These are the types of leaders and luminaries within the Republican party," Moran said. "The party must move forward and regardless of where you are in the conservative spectrum, you definitely can be conservative and an openly gay Republican in this political climate."

"We don't just talk the talk but we actually are providing the boots on the ground, we're making those calls, and we're loyal Republicans," he said.

Meghan McCain may be topping off her recent publicity blitz with a big payday.

(CNN) – Meghan McCain may be topping off her recent publicity blitz with a big payday: the daughter of former Republican presidential candidate John McCain has scored a six-figure book deal, according to the New York Observer.

Hyperion, which reportedly inked the deal with McCain, has not responded to a CNN request for comment or details on what would be the 24-year-old's second book. (Her first, released last fall, was a Simon & Schuster children's book about her father's life.)

McCain's attention-grabbing blog posts and television appearances over the past few months have kept her in the post-campaign spotlight, and made her one of the year's hottest young Republican pundits.

She's blamed her languishing love life on her father's presidential run; feuded with conservative commentators Ann Coulter and Laura Ingraham; and raved about the GOP's congressional "hottie," 27-year-old Aaron Schock of Illinois.

Most of her recent blog posts have focused on her feelings on the future direction of the Republican Party. "As someone who has been personally attacked when I invited political discourse, I firmly believe that talking about our differences – instead of mudslinging – can only bring people closer to the Republican Party and force them to take a second look at their candidates," she wrote for the Daily Beast last month.

There is no word yet on a possible release date.

(CNN) - She's become decidedly more outspoken since her father lost his bid for the presidency last November, but there's one question Meghan McCain refuses to answer: whether she sees herself supporting Sarah Palin should the Alaska governor run for president.

In an interview on CNN's "No Bias, No Bull" Wednesday night, the daughter of Arizona Sen. John McCain said she couldn't "possibly make a prediction about 2012 right now."

"I honestly don't think that's a relevant question," McCain said when asked if she would support her father's running mate. "I have to find out who is running in 2012, I mean, what - there's broad personalities that happen. And it's four years from now. A lot of things can happen. A lot of things can change.

"...I have to see who else is on the table."

It's not the first time the usually blunt McCain daughter has gone silent on the issue of the former vice presidential candidate. McCain told an interviewer in January, "Sarah Palin is the only part of the campaign that I won't comment on publicly."

In a new blog post, Meghan McCain discusses Rep. Aaron Schock.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - At 27 years old, Illinois Republican Rep. Aaron Schock is the youngest member of Congress. He's also possessed of washboard abs and has, as of late, become a favorite target of celebrity gossip outlet TMZ. And the daughter of the last Republican presidential candidate thinks he might just be the answer to the GOP's troubles.

Related: TMZ focuses on Illinois Republican

"The first time I ever heard of Congressman Aaron Schock, I was hanging out with some friends during a girls' night in, and one of my friends yelled to me from the other room: 'Meghan, there's a congressman on TMZ,'" Meghan McCain writes Tuesday in her latest blog post for the Daily Beast. "To which I answered: 'Twenty bucks he's a Democrat.' Well, I was wrong."

"...At the end of the day, Congressman Schock is only three years older than me. Which means he can relay a message in ways my father never could," she says.

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Meghan McCain tells Larry King on Monday night: I'm not going to be bullied around about my weight.

(CNN) - Meghan McCain, a contributor to TheDailyBeast.com, is the daughter of Sen. John McCain and Cindy McCain. But it's her recent verbal sparring with conservative Republicans that's put her in the spotlight.

In a wide-ranging interview on Monday on CNN's "Larry King Live," McCain discussed her thoughts on President Obama, her recent heated exchange with radio host Laura Ingraham, her tattoos and more.

The following transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity:

Larry King: [President Obama] is taking some criticism for smiling and laughing [during his "60 Minutes" interview.] Are you one of those critics?

Meghan McCain: You know, I actually am not. I think anyone that would possibly think that the president is not taking the economy seriously - I just think it's ridiculous. ...

King: [Is President Obama getting overexposed]?

McCain: I think he is on the verge of it. I do think you have to be careful. But it is a different generation. [My] generation ... we like our celebrities. And I think that he realizes that because he is very much a Generation Y president. However, he is on the risk of alienating his older followers.

King: Does Obama seem like the same guy who ran against your dad? How do you view him?

McCain: He's our president and when the election was over and when President Obama won, all negative feelings were gone. I support the president.

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