A “senior adviser” to John McCain told Fortune Magazine that a terror attack would be “a big advantage” for John McCain. Charles R. Black, Jr. was forced to “recant” his opinion:
First, McCain said the substance of Black’s comments were untrue.
“I’ve worked tirelessly since 9/11 to prevent another attack on the United States of America,” McCain told reporters today. “If he said that, and I do not know the context, I strenuously disagree.”
Then, outside a fundraiser in Fresno, Black read a statement aloud to reporters from handwritten notes:
“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.”
We’re all waiting for the infamous “October surprise.” Terror attack or no, however, we all know that McCain and his ilk are hoping for a bomb to go off. That would be so sweet for John.
Senator Joe Biden (D-Del.) put it best:
“For the McCain campaign to say it would benefit politically from another September 11 attack is disgraceful. That Mr. Black would even think in those terms, let alone express the thought publicly, is very sad. John McCain was right to disavow his remarks. The politics of fear have no place in our national life.”
But McCain’s camp is thinking in those terms. And, I would argue, deep down inside, so is John McCain. These remarks don’t just slip out. Somewhere along the line, the “insiders” were joking around, maybe tipping back a few, and in grand “group-think” mentality, convinced themselves that John McCain would, in fact, benefit from a terror attack.
Problem is, after the buzz wears off, you’re not supposed to say those things in public.
Unless, somewhere deep inside, you really mean it.