Charlie Black, McCain aide, stirs a flap with a frank comment

Charlie Black has had his moment of straight talk ... and chances are he's not going to let it happen again.

A recent Washington Post piece on Black aptly described him as "John McCain's man in Washington," a "longtime uber-lobbyist" and "political maestro" who hopes "to guide his friend, the senator from Arizona, to the presidency this November."

Now comes a Fortune magazine article that, even more aptly, notes the "startling candor" with which Black discussed how a spotlight on national security would serve McCain's political purposes.

First, he provided some background.

The assassination of Pakistani political leader Benazir Bhutto in late December was an "unfortunate event," Black told Fortune, but it boosted McCain's stock in the fast-approaching New Hampshire Republican primary that he absolutely, positively had to win. The candidate's "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," Black said.

Then, the longtime political pro got a bit too honest. Asked about the political impact of another terrorist attack on U.S. soil, Black replied: "Certainly it would be a big advantage to him."

Black may be correct, but he's not supposed to be quite so blunt in coldly calculating the upside for McCain of harm coming to Americans. Others -- unconnected with the campaign -- could offer such an assessment, but he should have dodged the question.

He knows it, and The Times' Maeve Reston reports that outside a McCain fundraiser today in Fresno, Black said: “I deeply regret the comments — they were inappropriate. I recognize that John McCain has devoted his entire adult life to protecting his country and placing its security before every other consideration."

McCain, for his part, did what he's supposed to do -- stressing his lifelong commitment to protecting America and flat out disputing Black's premise. "It's not true," he said when asked in Fresno about his aide's remark.

Barack Obama's campaign played its role, taking great umbrage to Black's comment while using it to stress one of its talking points.

Spokesman Bill Burton said, "The fact that John McCain's top advisor 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."

But Burton also said Obama "welcomes a debate about terrorism with John McCain, who has fully supported the Bush policies that have taken our eye off of Al Qaeda, failed to bring Osama bin Laden to justice, and made us less safe."

The Fortune article that sparked the flap (and in which Black is tangential) can be read here. Our colleague Jill Zuckman over at the Swamp has her take on the incident here.

-- Don Frederick

Photo credit: Associated Press 

Comments

[Franky]

The Republicans life blood is terrorism.

This is why Bush has helped create so many new terrorists.

Bush should be on trial in the Hague.

[Me]

Just like how the comments of Rev. Wright and others shouldn't be attributed to Sen. Obama, these comments shouldn't be seen as a reflection of Sen. McCain.

[shrdlu]

Whoops, there goes another rubber-tree plant.

[Margo Kline]

Do the Repubs think about anything but themselves? No! disgrace is too mild a word.

[shrdlu]

Whoop, there goes another rubber-tree plant

[Alex]

I still dont understand why anyone who is sane can vote for McCain... He is surrounded by lobbyists, he has been in washington too long, and his cowboy approach makes me wonder if him being a "legitimate candidate" signifies America has peaked and is in a downhill spiral. God Help us..

[Ben]

Telling the truth is a big no-no, this election cycle.

Funny how both campaigns are forced to say it's not true, when everyone knows that it is. (including the media)

[Cryos]

Typical newspaper liberal garbage. And your medium wonders why you're going broke and struggling to stay alive. I bet your subscription rate is going down as I write this, and you have to print more and more devisive and bias articles to try to generate controversy hence revenue. Have fun as newspaper publishers like your paper go obsolete and out of business.

[DerbyDaddy]

Obama followed Black's statements almost immediately with the notion that it is this kind of thinking that is the "old politics" we need to change in Washington. My goodness, how qaint.

McCain did not blame Obama for the statements of Reverend Wright. McCain did not blame Obama for the statements of his wife. A a matter of fact, I do not believe that McCain has blamed Obama for any statements that he (Obama) did not make.

The real story of "old politics" is the jumping of a candidate for the statements of his staff or supporters. The real story of "old politics" is supporting finance reform and at the first opportunity gutting your own statements. Obama then uses the oldest trick in the "old politics" bag by blaming his opponent for his flip flop. Golly gee, Obama, didn't you understand the Republican position when you took the "high road" six months ago. Oh well, the first axiom of old politics is that the masses have a collective IQ of zero.

From where I stand, it looks as if Obama is the one that has perfected the shabby tricks of the "old politics" that is the mainstay of beltway politics.

The more Obama changes the more he keeps us mired in the mud of where we are.

[J.N.]

Can you imagine if Obama said this?

There'd be a mass outcry and more "terrorist negro" allegations.

[Neil Mathieson]

Yeah,....they get you for lying,...and they get you for telling the truth.
I guess it's the pattern of thought that needs to be gotten here,.....

No matter what they say or do,... Obama is gonna be the next POTUS. You'll see that they're gonna do and say lots and lots! LOL!

[Paolaccio]

"Black may be correct..."

... or he may be totally wrong. He may have been "frank," or he might be peddling the oldest, most tired political spin in the book. Maybe.

[Rob Morgan]

John Mc Cain graduated from Annapolis at the bottom of his class. He flew airplanes off of an aircraft carrier and got shot down. Thereafter, he spent 5 years as a prision of war. Now, how does this resume better qualify him to be Commander and Chief and better able to protect this country???
Consider that General Robert E. Lee, Colonel George Custer, and German General Erin Rommel all had much better military credentials and they all lost wars and battles big time.
Besides, have we ever had a conservative president who ever won or finished a war for this country? I don't think so. (Lincoln was not a conservative)
Then of course there is the usual bad economies (Great Deppresion/Ressions) that have immedialy followed the terms of every conservative president.
I do not want a president that is beholden to the likes of Charlie Black.
It's time for this country to vote for a young and smart man for president, not an old man with a bad temper. Otherwise, the USA may suffer the same end as the Roman Empire.

[Richard Morgan]

Ah yes the Republican mentality of playing on fear to sway the public. Blacks comments foretell what we can expect from the right wing fear mongers as November approaches.

November is here and your baby is sleeping. Which truck would you rather have when the giant lizards attack the city?

[David Enock]

Mr. Black is representative of the kind of people that are in power in Washington right now. He is a dangerous fool.

[Cheryll]

Black's candor was a cold assessment and not fair to McCain. I believe McCain will have the US out of Iraq as soon as possible. He above all should understand the cruelty of war.

However, the Obamacron party tries to play on this event, the fact is we will be in war less than a year after Obama takes office. The Mideast world will/does see him as weak. He has no respect for this country or the people who have served. He serves only himself, changes his mind and breaks promises with ease, like his predecessor Jimmy Carter,. We will definitely be at a much greater risk with the socialist democratic party in all the Offices.

What disturbs me the most is the cult like worship Obama followers have for him. They have all but proclaimed him God...some have definitely called him savior. Since when has any politician been a savior? Reminds me of Jim Jones...But he learned how to use the Wright sermon rhetoric to inflame and incite his groups. It was a training ground for him. No matter how you paint it..his will try to raise himself to Godhood before it's over and the frightening thing is his followers will buy it..

[luisbaralt]

Luis - just keeping you au courant. Pieter

[Jeremy Friesner]

Wait... McCain "did what he was supposed to do... by disputing Black's premise"? Since when is denying a fact that all sides agree to be true, "doing what he is supposed to do"? I would call that "lying". It seems the article is suggesting that politicians are supposed to lie whenever the truth is unpleasant or embarrassing. Is the LA Times really that cynical?

-Jeremy

[seaweb]

Kind of obvious that's the plan, right? One more "Pearl Harbor" on demand.

Certainly helped slam home Bush's agenda for the Homeland, didn't it? Certainly fulfilled the wishes of Dick Cheney and the NeoCon's Project for the New American Century, didn't it? Certainly expanded the US intelligence community and increased their authority beyond the limits of the Constitution, didn't it? Certainly kept the Republicans in power when there was simply no other reason to tolerate them, didn't it? Certainly marginalized the traditional freedoms Americans have taken for granted, and now, lost, didn't it?

[Joseph Duvernay]

Try desperately not to take yourself too serious
and invariably, in troubled times, you may have to, to
assist something of the good to come in./
I haven't the keys. No special dispensation, necessarily,
has settled from Olympus or Parnassus on me, but to
stay out of the civic life of the world when it needs
every voice for good - which yes! I here claim, as
despicable as that may seem to some - and you will
probably be guilty of harm.
The many endowments Earth's inhabitants have received
from Her are stunning and both subtle and loud/
and here this often pedant puts his foot in his mouth -
But have to say, at first glance (one of those
endowments, often referenced as 'intution') this guy is,
as noted by the opposites' campaign, just what this
country had best try in future to stay clear of: self-
satisfied, entitled (when without doubt, we all built it)
hungry for the Gov. trough and much too eager, in a
faultful way, to do any of us any good.
Hands, feet, as well as other locales sweat and not
solely from the summer heat in this endeavor to save a
world.
Posted: From the front lines - Earth, 2008 AD

[keith]

What a stupid thoughtless man. Good Luck John.

[Thomas]

McCain is only upset that his aide would tip their hand on how they intend to win.

[Jeugenen]

MC-CAIN’S LAST DATE WITH THE REAGAN REPUBLICAN PARTY

McCain’s ideological support, like Bush’s, comes from Podhoretz Neo-Cons and Leiberman Neo-Libs, not Reagan Conservatives nor Kennedy Liberals. These supporters have the same Neo-Marxist roots, which originated over 60 years ago, when millions of defeated Marxist immigrants from Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union were admitted by America, as desperate persecuted refugees; after all of the European nations refused to take them.

By the McCarthy Era, many of these pathetic refugees had gotten good government positions; and, by way of showing their deep gratitude to the American People, they systematically corrupted the government and endangered national security, by working as spies for Marxist Russia. The most notorious of these spies, the Rosenbergs, were executed for treason. This had the intended beneficial effect of stopping most of the dangerous spying; but it had the unintended consequence of causing these Marxist refugees to seek social and economic power by pretentiously assimilating into the Conservative Republican and Liberal Democrat parties; where they quickly mutated into the Neo-Conservatives and Neo-Liberals, with insidious ideological opposition to traditional Christian culture and Constitutional principles. The result of the subversive influence by these virulent Crypto-Neo-Marxists in the government, schools, news media and entertainment media was the increasingly intolerably cultural degeneration that has led up to the American Cultural War.

Podhoretz Neo-Con and Leiberman Neo-Lib ideologies notoriously promote contempt for patriotism, defensive war, historical facts, Christian culture, United States Constitution, United Nations, and Conservative Reagan Republicans and Liberal Kennedy Democrats.

With the failure of Marxist ideology, the Neo-Cons opposed the revolutionary spread of Marxism, and now strive to control the deployment of American military power for interventionist warfare everywhere in the World; but the Neo-Libs continued to support Marxism. To survive, these Neo-Marxist mutants, Neo-Cons and Neo-Libs, quite readily change from one form into the other, depending patriotic spirit of the times.

All of this contempt is transparently motivated by a dogmatic belief in gaining an advantage by insubordination to the practices of national religious and governmental traditions, which grant the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These Crypto-Neo-Marxists, like their failed Marxists predecessors, imagine that they can somehow create their own new superior civilization, if they first destroy the traditional allegiance to the nuclear family, Christianity, nationalism, and the Constitution.

Israel, which these Marxists refugees have had all to themselves for 60 years, to do their utopian social engineering, in their own artificially created state, is notoriously poorly governed and heavily subsidized by the Diaspora; and the People of Israel, once the most widely pitied in the World, have come to justly earn the distinction of now being the most universally despised, condemned, and threatened with annihilation.

In this crucial 2008 presidential battle of the American Cultural War shall the Reagan Conservatives and the Kennedy Liberals finally combine forces against these desperately united Podhoretz Neo-Cons and Leiberman Neo-Libs supporting Insane McCain; or shall they continue to suffer ideological corruption of their Republican and Democrat parties, subversion of their traditional Christian culture and Constitutional Law, pernicious governmental strife, and the illegal and un-patriotic sacrifice of the wealth and blood of the American People to sole benefit of Israel?

With Leiberman Neo-Lib Princess Hillary burnt at stake by the Kennedy Liberal Democratic Party, shall Podhoretz Neo-Con McCain have his final date for the presidency, or for the Reagan Conservative Republican firing squad?

Google: “Mearsheimer Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy”; “Evans Blacklisted by History: Untold Story of Joe McCarthy”; “Wall Street Journal McCain-Feingold”; Stricherz Why the Democrats are Blue; “Human Events Ron Paul Interview”; McClelland "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception"; McCain Keating Five; Abramoff Israel McCain.

[Stephen]

Where did McCain fine the "Idiot". Obama si looking better every day. McCain and his Idiots are scaring me.

[Rex]

Drop him like a hot potatoe.

[Brian Richards]

Great ...

Republicans are cheering for the terrorists.

I suppose if the terrorists attack a city full of "liberals" there would be even more to celebrate.

We need a change from this disgusting kind of thinking.

Brian Richards

[patty]

We are sorely lacking true leadership in this country, and the fact that this guy is associated with McCain shows that McCain is just Bush redux. More of the same!

[Tim]

Ah yes, Charlie Black. National Security and foreign policy EXPERT! Charlie Black's lobbying firm were the guys who shopped around Ahmed Chalabi as early as 1999 and continued doing so until the invasion of Iraq. The sophisticated Charlie Black - represented a con-man found guilty in absentia in Jordan for bank scams. Chalabi was a key pre-Iraq war intelligence propagandist whose alcoholic cousin was the infamous "curveball". You all remember curveball, don't you. you know, the guy who fed phony intelligence to Cheney/Feith propaganda machine that we read in the pre-war reporting (i.e., stenography) of Judith Miller for the New York Times.

Charlie Black is a "political maestro"? Puhleeze! He's an accomplice to war crimes and John McCain hired him knowing that.

[kansan]

I can't believe all these comments. If he lies he dead meat and if he tells an obvious truth he's even more evil. How's that work exactly?

[Scootmandubious]

One thing you are leaving out here. When Mr. Black apologized for what he said he used the exact same language, verbatim, that the McCain spokesperson used.

Verbatim! In other words, instead of speaking from the heart, he was speaking from a provided script.

The McCain campaign has to be embarrassed over the silliness of responding in lockstep, without even seeking to make it sound more personal and off-the-cuff.

For the actual transcript of the identical phrasing, just go to the political blog at the Washington Post. Black's quote matches that which was attributed to an aide in an AP wire service report.

[MsSwin]

If McCain understood war, especially the cruelty of war, he would vote yes on bills to provide proper VA funding, medical benefits and a bit more time home between extended tours. He does not.

[puppet]

Can I ask a straight question?....Did 911 help Bush and his administration with their TERRORIST plans?
When the next terrorist attack happens, remember your all dispensable under the Patriot Act.
What's another 3000+ lives lost, just collateral damage?
Your politicians will do anything for the mighty dollar as dictated by corporate America.

[JM]

Someone earlier posted "Just like how the comments of Rev. Wright and others shouldn't be attributed to Sen. Obama, these comments shouldn't be seen as a reflection of Sen. McCain." Umm news flash genius, Rev Wright was NOT OBAMA'S HIRED LOBBYIST AIDE!!! This guy absolutely is a reflection on McCain, he's his F'ING AIDE! He is paid money to aide McCain, and lots of it I am certain. Jeremiah Wright was the pastor at a church Obama FORMERLY attended. See the difference??

I know you righties have a hard time with reading comprehension so find a nice liberal to translate that for you into monosyllabic words with lots of purty pictures. Maybe they can use the typewriter with the TV on it to help you understand things better if Lurleen isn't busy with it.

[ME]

In reality both parties have strategists who think this way. They should keep their mouths shut since doing otherwise only exposes how morally bankrupt they are. Unfortunately for them their love affair with the idea that they think they are smart keeps them from helping themselves.

[Jack]

I'm an Obama supporter, but I agree with his comments that a terrorist attack would help McCain. Of course, it was a gaffe to publicly say so.

However, I think Obama would keep America safer. His foreign policy is far more nuanced than McCain's and reflects a very pragmatic approach, which I won't pretend to be able to sum up in a short comment. He is willing to use many different tactics in the fight against terror. He will work to undermine the terrorists' support, put pressure on those who support terrorists and not be afraid to take military action if necessary.

[Benjamin]

Ben - I think you're wrong about this being true. Let's look at the facts, if the US suffers a terrorist attack now, which party's policies and candidate will have failed to protect America?
The truth is, if on top of every other failure of the republican party we add yet another terrorist attack, there would be nothing left of their platform that would be even remotely credible anymore.
I'm not sure how even a rank and file republican could be so dense as to see a failure of republican national defense policies that another terrorist attack would constitute as a good thing for their candidate. Because there'd be no blaming it on the previous administration or on the policies of the opposing party that hasn't been in control in going on 8 years. Everyone would know whose defense policies had failed and there'd be nothing the faithful could do to convince those who are already disillusioned with their party that it somehow wasn't their party's fault.

[j nothing]

This is ridiculous. Whether or not this article rings true...
McCain is going to put the final nail in the United States' pine box.
Please don't allow this man to become president.

[VJ Machiavelli]

All campaign mangers and consultants should be seen but not heard. They all should keep their mouths closed.

VJ Machiavelli
ps If you want to see what life is all about visit http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com and take the time to play and watch the video of our lives vs the lives of our solders.
It will be the best 5 minutes of your life.

[Shawn]

It's not going to be another terror attach that give John McCain the presidency, it will be an October war with Iran that'll do it. And both John McCain and President Bush know it.