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McCain Advisor Claimed a Terrorist Attack Would Be a "Big Advantage" for Republican Campaign

Posted by Matt Corley, Think Progress at 3:31 PM on June 23, 2008.


McCain demurs.
wtcterror

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Earlier today, Fortune released an article on Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), in which McCain’s chief strategist, Charlie Black, said that another terrorist attack on U.S. soil “would be a big advantage” for McCain. Asked to respond to Black’s quote during a press conference in Fresno, CA, McCain rejected it: “If he said that, and I do not know the context, I strenuously disagree.”

Watch it.

Update: In a statement to TPM, McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said Black "deeply regrets his comments," adding that they were "inappropriate."

Digg!


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September 26, 2008.

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Next Time We're Hit, Wear Your Tin-Foil Hats
Posted by: QQOblivion on Jun 23, 2008 3:50 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
A terrorist attack would be a big advantage for the Republicans?
WELL, DUH.

As soon as the 9-11 attacks happened, all of America was hit with a stupid-ray, it seemed.

Sure, it's nice to be patriotic. But the mostly stupid Americans thought patriotism = support President Bush no matter what.

See where that has gotten us? Two wars (more wars to come), Patriot Act and those other infamous Acts that literally destroyed our constitution, torture, removal of habeas corpus, etc.

Do you think it would get any BETTER if there is another attack?

Well, I for one wouldn't put it past the current regime to stage something or to allow something to happen.

They need all the advantages they can get.

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as in "in public"
Posted by: cwilsondrum on Jun 23, 2008 7:05 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
fucking wretch. I guess to charlie black another venue would have been ok to say it. there you have it folks the republican party at its finest.

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themanwithadog
Posted by: the man with a dog on Jun 24, 2008 4:03 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Dose this mean we are going back to another 9/11

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» RE: themanwithadog Posted by: Lauren
» RE: themanwithadog Posted by: the man with a dog
Wishful thinking, A Request Or A stratedgic Plan?
Posted by: Purple Girl on Jun 24, 2008 4:44 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Considering Cheney's groups history with Binny during the Russian/Afghani War I still have serious questions about how a Dialysis dependent 'Cave Dwellling' Terrorist is capable of suriving this long.Not to mention the Verbalized disregard about Catching Him by W.- least of his concerns.
Add to that the Undermining and Devastation caused by this admin's usurping of the Constitution- Which has done more harm to American then Binny could have ever hoped and the efforts of the 'Religious Right' to control our ideology,we appear to be under a more 'Taliban' Gov't then ever in Our history.
Of course the MSM continually coyly Admits they think it would benefit Mac - which fails to point out the Fact that an Attack will Prove either (Republicans) are unable to protect US or have decided to let that one go by. We already Know they tried to Lie about possible attack plots right before the '02,'04 and '06 elections.
Heads Up Boys - a Terror Threat will be seen as another BS Political Move and an Attack will be seen as CAUSED by Republican Neo Cons.
this statement reminds me of Hillary's RFK 3rd times a Charm request!She must have returned that page of the playbook back to her Bosses.
As Ususal the Neo Cons and the media have got the Take on this One Wrong Again. This will make many Americans who have tried to continue to Swallow this bullshit,Choke and spit out the Koolaid at last! I see this as a New bump for the Obama Supporters and Poll Numbers. Lil' Freudian Slip o- A Deluded, manical Tactic or Plan?

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huh?
Posted by: JoshuaLudd on Jun 24, 2008 5:45 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Wait... so a wholesale FAILURE of the policies pursued by the Bush administration.. which McCain aligns himself closely with... would be a BENEFIT for him?

... only if the media spins it that way rather than pointing out the failure. But our media would NEVER do something as non-objective as that..........

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» RE: huh? Posted by: Lauren
mr. black
Posted by: QCao009 on Jun 24, 2008 5:52 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I think all of us, including Mr. McCain and Mr. Cheney, owe Mr. Black for saying out loud what we all think and know to be true: the fact that this group of neocons would stop at nothing, including hurting Americans, to retain their power long after they leave the WH.

Apologies aside, chestbeating and waving the flag aside, what are we going to do about it, especially those conservatives which somehow keep thinking these fellas serve their interests, their values and their American way of life? When will conservatives realize that, even more than liberals, they have been bought, sold and betrayed by the Judas they allow in their temple?

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» RE: mr. black Posted by: peacefullaim
I find it amazing...
Posted by: Cybershaman on Jun 24, 2008 6:13 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
...that somehow these people think another example of their negligence and incompetence will make them look even better to the American people. "Vote for us! We screw up everything we touch! Vote for us!"
Hell, it worked in 2004, maybe it will work again.

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» RE: I find it amazing... Posted by: Lauren
» RE: I find it amazing... Posted by: Cybershaman
Cheney's Working On It
Posted by: swamiji on Jun 24, 2008 6:20 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Don't worry 'cuz Big Dick is busy working out details right now (in his super secret undisclosed location) with Saudi Nationals, Pakistani ISI, CIA black ops special agent Osama bin Laden (and a cast of thousands) to coordinate the next really BIG terrier attack, hopefully on NYC again ('cuz of course their Gawd-less liberals anyway) so all them Gawd-fearin' Christo-fascists will be inspired to sign up in droves to go kill Muslamiacs who did/ did not have anything to do with it...oh wait didn't we already do that? Aww hell, let's do it again, yahooooo!!! (If you didn't get 9/11 then you won't believe this one either!!!)

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» RE: Cheney's Working On It Posted by: Lauren
» RE: Cheney's Working On It Posted by: SteveO
NO ACCIDENT
Posted by: VZEQICVA on Jun 24, 2008 6:55 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This didn't just slip out. When you consider how the news is censored and everything carefully rehearsed it's hard to believe that a comment like this was accidental. They want people's reaction. Hey, would it work again? Republicans think it might be worth a try. I think we've all heard enough about terrorists and evil doers. They have no new agenda and are trying deserately to carry on the old one. They need a reason. Thanks, ANNA

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» RE: NO ACCIDENT Posted by: Sissy
Repubs = Security; Dem = Pussies
Posted by: JohnJlws on Jun 24, 2008 7:21 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
What I find shocking is that anyone is shocked.

Security = Republicans
Pussy = Democrats

This has been true since at least Ronald Reagan’s first term. Republicans have always run on national defense, security and fear. Democrats have always run on social issues.

I cannot count the number of times I’m with friends and they start talking about “the next terrorist attack before November,” or the “impending capture/death of bin Laden that will really aid the republicans.” That Black said it was admittedly stupid, but it’s only stupid because it knocked McCain’s campaign off its “let’s make believe we care about energy, the economy, technology, etc.” message of the day.

What I found most interesting was McCain’s comment in response to Black’s quote. It was incoherent and unintelligible and it failed to address the central question. I was reminded of during the debates when a candidate is asked about global warming and ends up talking about the economic impact of tax cuts on the middle class and at the end of the statement says something like “and that’s why I feel global warming is a bad thing.” And everyone nods.

The difference is during the debates no one expects a candidate to actually answer a question.

Of course another terrorist attack would aid the republicans. And others are absolutely, dead-bang on, that all this would demonstrate is the impotence, as though that needed additional demonstration, of the current Administration’s Homeland Security placebo department. However, a frightened America is a republican America.

What we must continue to focus on is a change in mindset. Terror is a tool used by terrorism that can be defeated by brute force. Kill someone planning a terror bombing and you defeat the bombing. Terrorism, however, is an ideology (warped, granted, but an ideology) and it must be defeated through stronger ideology, better ideas and unwavering ideals. With the current Administration and McCain we get people who want to attack the cancer with band-aids by picking at the scabs; with Obama we have a significant hope that he can use his ability to embrace contrary opinion to actually come up with viable solutions and possibly better secure our porous homeland (if we spent a trillion dollars over here in this effort, who knows what security we could come up with).

McCain may want to argue differently, but he’s simply more of what we have. If it walks like a GW, quacks like a GW, and acts like a GW...well.

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» It will be neither Posted by: JohnJlws
Regret
Posted by: billgee on Jun 24, 2008 7:27 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
started by terrorists or politicians, whats the difference

C'mon George, you can do better than that

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Speaks the Truth
Posted by: Love Me, I'm a Liberal on Jun 24, 2008 7:33 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
A rare moment when a Repub tells the truth. Hope a lot of people hear that comment and realize the implications of it.

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When In doubt
Posted by: When In Doubt on Jun 24, 2008 8:52 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
To put this in context and to understand the mindset of the Neo-Cons try:

A Project For a New American Century

read their statement of PRE- 9/11 which they felt an attack would help them with their "Project" and make it easier for Americans to swallow such outright fascism.

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pop
Posted by: Pop on Jun 24, 2008 9:01 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The hoax terror has worked for the neocons since they pulled off 9-11. It worked for Hitler and the Natzi's in the 30s and gave us the big war,(with the aid of the old Bush family). Remember Prescott Bush? Of course you don't, and our Mainstream media will never ever breach that truth, just as they have made sure they wish never to tell you the truth of what really happened on 9-11. Airliners did hit the two World Trade Center buildings 1 & 2, but they were not piloted by so called Middle Eastern extreamist and the planes were not highjacked, nor were any of the cell phone calls from the airliners real. Cell phones use was virtually impossible from an airliner above about 1000 feet. The Airforse made no genuine effort to overtake any of the 4 airliners when the went off their official course, and when they did hit the buildings they could not and did not cause any building to collapse. Super strong steal frame buildings are built to obsorb aircraft impacts much in excess than any aircraft of even today.
And there is now proof that the buildings were taken down by massive explosive ordinance, such as that used by professional demolition experts. The 47 story Building 7 wasn't even hit by an airliner, but it fell exactly as a classic demolition similiar to the ones that were hit. A building falling from structure failure could not leave behind incriminating pools of melted steel. The Bush regime has yet to give any real evidence that the buildings were taken down by anything but Demolition. The aircraft were programed to hit the buildings as a show to terrorize the population into agreement to invade Afghanistan, for which official plans had already been completed, waiting only for the planned hoax attack of 9-11. There was never any real investigation. In fact the 9-11 panel avoided all evidence that might prove what really did happen on that day of murder and high treason. If the people of this country want to preserve the United States as a democracy they must finally open their eyes to what is really going on, and demand that a real investigation by a independent investigation of our government concerning 9-11 and it's other covert operations that has little to do with protecting our way of life.
The GOP must not get away with using scam terror as a tool to continue on with the treason and crimes of the Bush Regime, while the People needs are being set asside.

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If it must be here's a few suggestions...
Posted by: TJ-stars4peace on Jun 24, 2008 9:42 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I know a lot of people find this a very devious statement and potentially revealing of the mind st which caused this Administration to allow 9/11 to happen seeing political advantage to it even though Richard Clarke and John O'Nell were sending out all these warnings as well as the CIA who worked the bin-Laden desk..

But if an attack must come since Republicans seem to be yearning for it..

I have a few suggestions...

Such as Exxon Mobil HQ's in Irving Texas..

Or The Federalist Society their annual national meeting...

Or Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley their energy traders division...

Or how about GOP Headquarters...

Or next Bilderbergers Meeting...

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Once again...
Posted by: Quannah on Jun 24, 2008 9:51 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
these Republics wag the dog. It isn't about any "future" attack. It isn't about terrorists doing something in this country.

It's about who USES this as a guise to get the attention of the American electorate. Who can use it to manipulate (stupid) people to their own political advantage. It's politics, folks! 21st-Century-Style!

Charlie Black said out loud in an interview what we know they all say privately amongst themselves in their "Strategy Sessions" about this campaign. Of course they're going to play the FEAR-CARD... after all, what else do they have?

Other posters are correct... this isn't shocking news. What's shocking is that the Obama campaign hasn't sent someone out to blast this blatant use of fear to try to hijack yet another election. Someone should have been in front of a microphone yesterday and called McCain's campaign out for this blatantly manipulative dirty trick!

Where are the lap dogs when you need them?

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Terrorists won
Posted by: uncleeddie on Jun 24, 2008 10:19 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
No new attack is needed by the terrorists because they already won. Since the attacks happened due to hatred of our freedoms and way of life then clearly the terrorists have been incredibly successful. Their attack has gutted the constitution, taken away habeas corpus, protest rights revoked, privacy of citizens abused, militarization of society as well as a myriad of other measures that has reduced our world to a near if not actual police state. I would say that the work of the terrorists is finished.

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» RE: Terrorists won Posted by: Doubtom
» RE: Terrorists won Posted by: VZEQICVA
» RE: Terrorists won Posted by: VZEQICVA
mick3
Posted by: mick3 on Jun 24, 2008 10:26 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
It worked before, so why not now? In January of this year I put a new (necessarily homemade) sign on my car, which read:

Another trigger event
Elections cancelled
Civil and human rights suspended
Mass detentions
Martial law
The dictatorship out in the open.

We'll see how that shakes out, but does anyone imagine that Bush/Cheney went to all the trouble to put in place a "legal" dictatorship, only to hand it all over to someone else? I don't think so.

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» RE: mick3 Posted by: Doubtom
brer
Posted by: brer on Jun 24, 2008 10:54 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I don't understand what the fuss is about.

It's a true comment. We've noticed that every time the scare tactics come out, people hussle over to the war-like leader.

Why does McCain even have to distance himself from this comment. I thought that's what he stood for.

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» RE: brer Posted by: Sissy
He's flat-out wrong
Posted by: kackermann on Jun 24, 2008 12:07 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The next terrorist attack here in the US will probably be someone who yells "Avenge Iraq!" before pulling the cord.

Who will we attack then?

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Aredee
Posted by: Aredee on Jun 24, 2008 12:23 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Very careless of him to publicly discuss the GOP's election strategy like that.

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The "Terrorist Attack Helps Republicans" "controversy"??
Posted by: jvaljon1 on Jun 24, 2008 5:42 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Oh Hell, please, Alternet, PLEASE DO NOT pretend that all your members don't know that 9/11 was planned, paid for and carried out by the Saudis. Not the Iraqis, the SAUDIS. Who in America is the Saudi's best friend--then and now?

George W. Bush. Who--back in 2000 when Bush's great good personal friend, US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, cast the deciding vote to stop the Florida recount (which would have had us saying President Gore) --was on the way to becoming a 1-term President just like his Daddy was.

Saudis to the rescue! 9/11! George embarks on a new career as "I'm duh Wore Prez-dunt..."
--giving him EIGHT YEARS IN THE WHIE HOUSE. And why did the Saudis want Georgie in for 8 years? So bad that they gave him his 9/11 so he could accuse innocent Iraq and start a war with them--and in t he end, annex their Oil Reserves??? Why, pray tell??

Because they were arranging a takeover of the world's ports, with all that that implies in the way of wealth accruing to them on a daily basis. Dubai Ports World was set up to take over from the Brits who were relinquishing control of the world's ports after a couple hundred years, in 2004. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE AN ARAB (SAUDI)controlling our ports. And, again, the Saudis knew that this would be an 8-year job sell for Bush--so they made sure that he'd be around for those eight years. They t hought of everything but one:

That the American People would come to know that Bush's Red Herring for 9/11--Iraq--would not stay that way. That the American People would realize that it was the SAUDIS who hit us on t hat day--NOT THE IRAQIS. We weren't supposed to know that--we were supposed to t hink that "All Ay-rabs is alike" --as the Saudis figured we would--always excepting, t he Friends of the Prez-dunt.

But it didn't work out that way. We discovered in Bush a liar of the first water, and then we the American People went back over 9/11 and concluded that we were in Iraq for a whole other reason that 9/11 or nonexistent WMDs--and t hat was for their oil.

So yeah, the 9/11 attacks had a definite agenda, but Dubai Ports World is still--thanks to us, who wrote to Congress & the Senate, telling them DONT YOU DARE SIGN US UP for these Saudi pigs--NOT ON AMERCAN SOIL. And so Georgie boy failed his buddies the Sauds. They gave him his 8 years, and he frittered them away instead of laying the groundwork for Dubai Ports World--reassuring us that THESE Ay-rabs is OK Ay-rabs, becuz Ah sed they were". Trouble is, we know he's a liar, so we told Congress and the Senate NO NO A THOUSAND TIMES NO TO DUBAI OWNING OUR PORTS.

FF to the present. Georgie boy goes hat in hands to the Saudis and begs for oil. Saudis say ARE YOU KIDDING? And t urn the spigot a measly 300,000bbl/day. Then they upped this insulting amount to 900,000bbl/day.

So Alternet, don't pretend that this is such a shocking thing for Charlie Black to say. Not when we KNOW that 9/11 was committed deliberately to give Bush the 8 years he needed to deliver our ports to the Dubai Saudis. EVERYBODY knows this. No shock there--why are you trying to drum it up? The only thing that's a bit annoying, is that Charlie's so obviously trying to drum up foreign support for his boss McCain, with another attack on us, perhaps this time on the Sears tower--so that McCain can be President for 100 years. (Oops, 'scuse me--that's the length of time that McBush wants to keep us in Iraq!)

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Freudian slip?
Posted by: cherylholmes on Jun 24, 2008 9:06 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Yep...everyone expects the phony domestic attacks just prior to the November election just like we know Iran is going to be attacked. Ducks all in a row now...I wouldn't expect an election in this country this year either...wonder how long Black can keep that "under hat."

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They don't have to attack the US...
Posted by: Quannah on Jun 24, 2008 9:48 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
because Israel has already got plans in place to strike Iran... very soon, too.

We're supposed to be their "backup."

No need for a "direct" attack here, unless the polls are really showing McStain down in Bushian numbers - 25% or below. Perhaps then they will orchestrate another "attack" here (from Iran, of course) which would trigger the Israeli attack on Iran.

Then the suspension of elections, martial law, etc., could all flow smoothly...

These bastards have something up their sleeves for this election. No doubt!

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