By AFP,
Washington : Democrat Barack Obama kept up an onslaught on John McCain Tuesday after one of the Republican’s most trusted aides said a terrorist attack on US soil would benefit his White House bid.
Despite an apology from campaign strategist Charlie Black, and a disavowal from McCain himself, Obama’s campaign said Black’s slip had unmasked the “politics of fear” behind Republican election tactics.
The remarks generated an avalanche of US media coverage, overshadowing speeches by McCain on energy as he attempted to wrest the policy initiative from Obama at a time of sky-high fuel prices.
Richard Ben-Veniste, a member of the official investigation into the September 11 attacks of 2001, said Black had betrayed “a candid and very disappointing glimpse into the thinking” at McCain headquarters.
Ben-Veniste, speaking for the Obama campaign, stopped short of calling on McCain to fire Black over the controversy, which recalled President George W. Bush’s powerful use of national security in the 2004 election. But he said that like in 2004, Republicans were exploiting the threat of terrorism “for political gain.”
“It is important that the candidates debate their vision for America’s national security free from the politics of fear that has for so long dominated and distorted the discussion.”
Obama insists the “Bush-McCain” approach has made America “less safe” with Iraq a breeding ground for extremism, Al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden still at large and the Taliban now resurgent in Afghanistan.
The Change to Win coalition of trade unions did call for Black’s head, saying his dismissal by McCain was required as his comments were “beyond inexcusable.” The Obama campaign meanwhile pointed to remarks by McCain just before the 2004 election, when he argued that a recently surfaced video by bin Laden would prove “very helpful to President Bush.”
Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, the media front-runner to be McCain’s vice presidential nominee, tried to put a gloss on the comments by Black made in an interview with Fortune magazine Monday.
“I think Charlie was probably just trying to reflect that John McCain is viewed as, and in fact has, stronger national security/international affairs credentials than Barack Obama, but he’s acknowledged the statement was inappropriate,” Pawlenty told Fox News.
Black, a former Washington lobbyist who is in McCain’s inner circle of advisers, had apologized Monday for his “inappropriate” remark to Fortune that an attack on US soil “would be a big advantage to him.”
McCain himself told reporters in Fresno, California Monday: “If he said that, and I do not know the context, I strenuously disagree. “I cannot imagine why he would say it. It’s not true.
I’ve worked tirelessly since 9/11 to prevent another attack on the United States of America,” the Arizona senator said. In the Fortune article, Black also said the December assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto had been an “unfortunate event.”
“But his (McCain’s) knowledge and ability to talk about it re-emphasized that this is the guy who’s ready to be commander-in-chief,” he said. “And it helped us.” Bush played the security card to devastating effect in the 2004 election, accusing Democratic hopeful John Kerry of being soft on terrorism and promising strong leadership in a time of war.
McCain’s campaign has accused Obama of having a “September 10” mindset for his desire to try Guantanamo Bay detainees in US courts, including bin Laden if he were caught. But in this year’s election, the predominant theme of 2004 appears to be receding.
Polls suggest McCain is favored over Obama for handling terrorism and national security. However, they also give a commanding lead to the Democrat on the economy, which is now the top concern of voters.
Obama spokesman Bill Burton said Black’s remarks were a “complete disgrace” and vowed the Illinois senator would defeat Al-Qaeda by turning “the page on these failed policies and this cynical and divisive brand of politics.”