Things that make you go, Hmm

Posted: Monday, June 23, 2008 3:23 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
A terrorist attack would benefit McCain, says McCain adviser Charlie Black…
And… Karl Rove says Obama reminds him of “the guy at the country club with the beautiful date, holding a martini and a cigarette that stands against the wall and makes snide comments about everyone who passes by."

From Fortune: “On national security McCain wins. We saw how that might play out early in the campaign, when one good scare, one timely reminder of the chaos lurking in the world, probably saved McCain in New Hampshire, a state he had to win to save his candidacy - this according to McCain's chief strategist, Charlie Black. 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. soil. ‘Certainly it would be a big advantage to him,’ says Black.”

AmericaBlog, in response, says, “John McCain really is running Bush's 2004 campaign all over again. The politics of fear are front and center.”

Then this from Karl Rove: At the Capitol Hill Club, Rove referred to Obama as "coolly arrogant," per ABC. "Even if you never met him, you know this guy," Rove said. "He's the guy at the country club with the beautiful date, holding a martini and a cigarette that stands against the wall and makes snide comments about everyone who passes by."

Remember back in April, Rove told GQ, "Obama is coolly detached and very arrogant. I think he's very smart and knows he's smart, but as a result doesn't do his homework."

Of the latest comments, TPM's Greg Sargent writes: "It should also be noted, of course, that Rove took a man who actually is a country club denizen who makes "snide comments" about others -- that would be George W. Bush -- and turned him into a regular Joe. Meanwhile, the guy who would struggle for admittance to some of these exclusive enclaves -- Obama -- is now "the guy at the country club." Rovian up-is-downism at its finest."

*** UPDATE *** McCain seemed unaware of Black's comments and objected to them. "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. My record is very clear -- the armed services committee and the pieces of legislation, sponsoring with Joe Lieberman, on the 9/11 committee to find out the causes, and how to fix the challenges that we face. As to the security of this nation. I can't imagine it. And so if he said that, and I do not know the context, I strenously disagree.”

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