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McCain Adviser: Terrorist Attack Would Help McCain in Election
June 23, 2008 4:05 PM
McCain adviser Charlie Black told Fortune Magazine that national security events help Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
"The assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December was an 'unfortunate event,' says Black. 'But his knowledge and ability to talk about it reemphasized that this is the guy who's ready to be Commander-in-Chief. And it helped us.' As would, Black concedes with startling candor after we raise the issue, another terrorist attack on U.S. soil. 'Certainly it would be a big advantage to him,' says Black."
Per ABC News' Bret Hovell, McCain distanced himself from the remarks today.
"I cannot imagine why he would say it," McCain said. "It’s not true. I’ve worked tirelessly since 9/11 to prevent another attack on the United States of America. My record is very clear. The Armed Services Committee, and pieces of legislation. Sponsoring with Joe Lieberman the 9/11 Commission so we could find out the causes and how to fix the challenges that we face to fix the security of our nation. I cannot imagine it. And, uh. So, I would … If he said that, and I do not know the context, I strenuously disagree."
Regardless of McCain distancing himself from Black's sentiment, Democratic consultants have said similar things to me.
- jpt
UPDATE: Hovell reports that outside McCain’s Fresno fundraiser, Black read a statement: “I deeply regret the comments—they were inappropriate. I recognize that John McCain has devoted his entire adult life to protecting his country.”
June 23, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (104)
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We will all be betting our country on the next election with who we choose to lead it and our choice for representatives.
Looking back at how our country was lead for 45 years by Democrats and the mess we are in NOW with the policies Democrats instituted in years past that haven't been changed even now, would be a good idea for people to do before they vote for continuation of more Democrat policies.
Example: We still can't supply our own country with the oil we need to survive this crisis because Democrats are so beholden to the environmentalists.
Suing or trying a terrorist in court is the most insane answer I have ever heard from Obama and the liberal Supreme Court backed him up with its recent decision!
PEOPLE! You aren't just voting for the next president! You are BETTING the survival of our country on your choice.
Choose wisely.
Posted by: Searchin4Truth | Jun 23, 2008 6:18:29 PM
Tejas,
I'm gonna let you in on a lil secret. Shhhhhhhhh, don't tell, ok?
Repeat after me:
OOOOOOOOOOOOO BAAAAAAAAAAAA MAAAAAAAAAA
I heard he's going to be the next POTUS, and that all of your whining is without effect.
It's best you get on your donkey and ride into the sunset grasshoppa. You're done here.
Giddyup!
Posted by: Nat Turner | Jun 23, 2008 6:15:44 PM
Kendra,
Perhaps you were too young to remember, but I remember Gorbachev taking apart Reagan at Reykjavik.
Gorb got his way, Reagan got nothing, except to look foolish infront of the world. But then again, this was the same era when Reagan was concurrently arming Saddam, Iran, and Osama Bin Laden in Afganistan.
Ruling thru Tarot cards, like Reagan and Nancy did, had their repercussions. We're still paying for their gigantic mistakes today.
Posted by: Gars Luber | Jun 23, 2008 6:11:07 PM
Ayana - If a black man claims he can cross the race line and become POTUS, which I would be for, he can't do it from the HQ of the black panthers only to claim that he is not affiliated. Have you listened to stupidity of "liberation theology"? A white man created AIDS with the intent on wiping out the black population.
Posted by: Texas Conservative | Jun 23, 2008 6:10:01 PM
Nat... mix muddy water with clean water and the result is ...muddy water. Osama Obama loses at least 40 states...Cant wait to gloat.
Posted by: Ted Nugent | Jun 23, 2008 6:08:27 PM
What a totally stupid question and an even more moronic answer. Why didn't Black just reply to the reporter and ask him where the hell he came up with that crap. Why ask if killing americans will be a good thing for anyone's campaign. This isn't a McCain issue and not an Obama issue either. People are writing who can handle it better and why - no one really knows do we? I'm for Obama for a lot of reasons and I don't want McCain for a lot of reasons. But the real issue with this story is that the question was asked by an idiot and answered by another idiot. Just because the press asks something that is way out there and just plain wrong doesn't mean you have to answer it and prove how out there and wrong you are too.
It's time the press gets called on this garbage and these lame "issues" get put to bed. I don't care who listened to what crazy preacher ( both have and you know it ) because religion is not part of the job. I don't care that Obama didn't serve in the military or that McCain cheated on his disabled wife. Again not part of their job. I care about who will care about this country and who wants to get things done and change for the good.
The two idots in this story don't warrent our time.
Posted by: Joe | Jun 23, 2008 6:07:51 PM
Troy Street, you wrote: "Clinton couldn't seem to handle the first WTC bombing in 91, even though all of them are serving life in jail. Sounds like you would like to rewrite a little history huh?"
Actually that WTC bombing was on Feb 26, 1993, just over 5 weeks after President Clinton took office. Because of that I can certainly understand why he initially treated this as a criminal act. But as time went on and the evidence pointed towards al Qaeda being involved, it's just too bad that President Clinton continued to treat this attack as a criminal act rather than an act of war. Because of that, the names of the 172 unindicted co-conspirators (informants?) were made public. Usama bin Laden then knew exactly who he could no longer trust. In addition, during the trial it was made known that we were listening in on Usama bin Laden's cell phone conversations. Within days of that being made public we lost track of Usama bin Laden for a period of time.
Had the Clinton Administration treated that attack as an act of war, besides the 172 names remaining secret AND the fact that we were listening in on Usama bin Laden's cell phone calls would not have been made public, there is a good possibility that a very strong retaliation against al Qaeda might have deterred the planning and execution of the 9/11 attacks.
Posted by: James Danley | Jun 23, 2008 6:07:38 PM
RE: Troy Street
"JFK handled Cuba absolutely terribly (they got rid of the missiles because they FELT like it)"
ACTUALLY, The reason that there even WAS a missile Crisis in Cuba was because of JFK. Khrushchev thought that JFK was weak and inexperienced and that he could send in the missiles unchallenged.
Just a little historical FYI and some food for thought for all those Obama supporters out there.
Posted by: Kendra | Jun 23, 2008 6:05:48 PM
jon c,
Do you really believe George Bush and John McCain were laughing when New Orleans flooded? Do you really believe George Bush was in any way responsible for that disaster? If you are going to make asinine accusations at least inject some facts. There is no way ANYONE but a fool could possibly blame Bush for the New Orleans flooding. He didn't build the city below sea level, he didn't build the levees, and when he contacted the Gov. of Louisiana to offer federal assistance he didn't argue when she said "no". I'll give you one caveat, he most definitley did NOT offer to rebuild a chocolate city.
Posted by: Ping2007 | Jun 23, 2008 6:04:29 PM
Texas Conservative
"Jeremiah Wright"...blah blah blah
"Flag pin"....blah blah blah
"Michelle Obama"...blah blah blah
"Pledge of Allegiance"....blah blah blah
Did I miss anything?
Posted by: Ayana | Jun 23, 2008 6:04:17 PM
BS Davis,
which 'enemies' took advantage of Carter?
Just because Carter refused to arm Saddam, Iran, and Osama like Reagan foolishly did, there's no reason to hallucinate.
Posted by: Lars Gruber | Jun 23, 2008 6:02:32 PM
nathan, show me a june poll that shows bush winning in 1988. Or one that shows clinton winning in 1992 or bush winning in 2004. You can't because there aren't any.
Posted by: Dwal | Jun 23, 2008 6:00:59 PM
Curious George(Hussein Obama) will never become President!
Posted by: ted nugent | Jun 23, 2008 6:00:48 PM
McCain is the democrat running as a Republican. Obama is a Socialist running as a democrat. I'm hoping a 3rd party candidate comes into the race...then maybe well get a real Conservative in the race (not Neo-con like the current admin). I personally don't want a socialist as POTUS. Argue all you want about my label on BHO but all you need to do is look at what he is saying on the campaign trail.
Posted by: Lincoln | Jun 23, 2008 6:00:38 PM
Just like in Carter's reign our enemies - and we have and always will have many enemies - will take advantage of an Obama Presidency. Does anyone really know how Obama will act in a crisis? Of course not - he has no experience from which anyone could draw a conclusion.
Yes Obama is the candidate of hope - our hope that he won't turn out to be some bumbler like Carter who could actually discover that he couldn't trust the Soviets half way through his Presiency. No way should America take that chance again - the guy is just too inexperienced.
You learn from crisis and from governing, and from the mistakes you make and what you do well - Obama has none of that which means he will be doing on the job training - as President. He might be great but it's an awful risk to take, especially in these times. And don't give me nonsense about Bush - there are no cold objective assessments of what he has done, which is be a middlin' President. You sure can't accuse him of being an ideologue conservative, like Obama is an ideologue liberal.
Want to take a risk with Obama? It's a BIG risk - if I were an enemy of the USA I'd start the minute he gets into office. How about China invading Taiwan? North Korea invading South Korea? A Pakistan India conflict? A wholesale invasion of the US by Mexican workers? (oops got that already). A terrorist shooting up a shopping mall - how will President Obama react when he finds out the terrorists were funded by Iran? Or if Israel is invaded by Syria or nuked by Iran? What if (as I have now read) Utah decides to leave the union becuase it doesn't want to accept gay marriage? We don't know because he has never governed, never done much of anything except discovered the ability to speak relatively well in incomprehensible platitudes.
Obmama is a BIG risk.
If you want to repond stick to the criticism, don't do the usual trick of attacking something wholly unrelated.
Posted by: B. S. Davis | Jun 23, 2008 5:59:42 PM
Apetrelli,
any examples, or is it the usual GOP blather?
Posted by: Gars Luber | Jun 23, 2008 5:59:42 PM
Steven Geller v. DNC
VICTORY FOR FLORIDA AND FULL DELEGATE REPRESENTATION WITH FULL VOTING RIGHTS IN DENVER AS THE PEOPLE VOTED!
Michigan will challenge next!
Posted by: USVet | Jun 23, 2008 5:59:36 PM
Who needs a terrorist attack?
McCain will be behind in the polls.
Bush/Cheney will find a "reason" to justify an air strike against Iran in Sept/Oct, start yet another war, and try and seize on McCain's perceived military "stregths".
While I recognize his service in our miltary as admirable, McCain was in the bottom 1% of his class at the Academy. He's really not the greatest of strategic minds.
I have yet to understand how spending a war in a prison camp makes one any more capable with regards to military strategy.
Posted by: All about McSAME | Jun 23, 2008 5:57:25 PM
There's just something about Hussein Obama becoming Pres that the term "scraping the bottom of the barrel" just doesn't quite describe.
Gore,Kerry and the rest of that motley crew you dims fielded for the office this last primary shows you people have reached sub-bottom and are still digging.
Posted by: daryl | Jun 23, 2008 5:56:30 PM
Quite to the contrary another terror attack would only display again the incompetence of the current administration, which McCain is imbedded in.
Posted by: Dave | Jun 23, 2008 5:55:41 PM
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