Posted on 06/23/2008 4:40:36 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
FRESNO, California (Reuters) - A top adviser to Republican presidential candidate John McCain apologized on Monday after he was quoted as saying a September 11-type attack before the November election would benefit McCain.
The campaign of Democrat Barack Obama condemned the remark by McCain political adviser Charlie Black, calling it a "complete disgrace."
"I deeply regret the comments, they were inappropriate," Black said in a statement after McCain said that if Black had made such a comment, "I strenuously disagree" with it.
"I recognize that John McCain has devoted his entire adult life to protecting his country and placing its security before every other consideration," said Black, one of McCain's most trusted political advisers.
Fortune magazine said Black, in discussing how national security was McCain's strong suit, had said when asked about another terrorist attack on U.S. soil that "certainly it would be a big advantage to him."
Black's comment to Fortune was a distraction for McCain as he seeks to catch up to Obama in the polls, where Obama leads by about 6 percentage points.
"The fact that John McCain's top adviser says that a terrorist attack on American soil would be a 'big advantage' for their political campaign is a complete disgrace, and is exactly the kind of politics that needs to change," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said.
Massachusetts Democratic Sen. John Kerry, who lost to President George W. Bush in the 2004 election based largely on who would make the country safer, said Black's comment smacked of "the worst of the Rove-Bush fear playbook," a reference to Bush's former political adviser, Karl Rove.
A McCain campaign official said Black did not remember making the particular comment to Fortune but did not dispute the characterization.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Far as I can find Black said this. What’s to apologize for?
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. oil. “Certainly it would be a big advantage to him,” says Black.
Oh, we knew the lib’s lapdogs, the MSM, and the radical left, would be all over this one. Totally predictable.
The biggest danger in giving an honest answer to a hypothetical question is being taken out of context . It is weak to apologize when it is not owed .
July, August, September, October, 4 more months of McCain apologizing.
We are so screwed.
I tend to agree. But let's stop and think what we're agreeing upon.
Black's comment is, in all liklihood, perfectly accurate. It is a "stupid ass comment" only because it was something the MSM and the left could twist to their advantage.
In other words, it was "politically inadvisable".
Stupid comment from a stupid GOP operative. Gives credence to the RATs.
How many times do these people show how stupid they are before November?
Black should apologize for being a inept idiot.
So what would Obama do in the event of another terrorist attack on the U.S.? Which, BTW, I fully expect to happen within a few years or so if BHO is elected president.
Exactly! Instead of our side being able to tag the RATS as having policies that encourage another attack, this idiot states that it would be good for Republicans if one occurred. That's just brilliant. Now when something happens, the RATS can say the Bush administration is purposely getting lax because it will help McCain.
Charlie Black is a smug and condescending fool. He was one of Bush the Elder's advisors and we know how well they served him.
You know, this goes back to my belief the GOP wants to lose this time.
I find it hard to believe any campaign could hire a nitwit that could be as totally stupid as this.
Statements like this will have consequences. I really am totally embarrassed and ashamed of the GOP anymore.
We could and should do better than the boobs that are supposedly in charge.
No, a COMPLETE disgrace would be if he had screamed:
God <blank> America!
And if he had then been loudly cheered by an organization that McCain had been closely associated with for TWENTY YEARS.
There are two parts to this:
If your problem is with the hypothetical attack, you have to criticize the questioner. The media cannot get away with setting up a premise without taking responsibility for the premise being offered in the first place.
If your problem is his analysis, you're not being very realistic.
Not for nothing, but look at the nominee. This is not a party trying its utmost to win. Consider how they’re managing not to take advantage of $4.00 gas to get the voters’ attention is truly staggering. Now $4.00 gas is not good for Republicans and it’s certainly not good for the country, but it is good for pointing out how wrong the RATS are on energy and the environment and, by extension, how the rest of the RAT economic plan like raising taxes and imposing more regulation is going to make matters even worse.
Black is a terrible political advisor. My stomach sank when I heard he was going to be McCain’s advisor. He is milquetoast and leads very weak campaigns. He was Bush 41’s advisor for his 92 campaign, Dole’s 96 advisor, and Ronald Reagan fired him in 1980 after he lost the Iowa caucus because of some bad advice he had given him.
This shouldn’t surprise me that this is who McCain is going to rely on in the upcoming election.
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