McCain: Another Black controversy
Posted: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 9:11 AM by Domenico Montanaro
McCain chief strategist Charlie Black yesterday “said that a terrorist attack in the United States would be a political benefit to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, a comment that was immediately disputed by the candidate and denounced by his Democratic rival,” the Washington Post writes. “The comment reinjected the fear of terrorism into the campaign as both candidates had been shifting their conversation to the economy and $4-per-gallon gasoline. It also vividly recalled the 2004 contest between President Bush and Democratic Sen. John F. Kerry, in which Republicans repeatedly questioned Kerry's ability to protect the country from terrorists.”
“The comments also returned the political spotlight to McCain's advisers and, in particular, to Black, who has drawn criticism for his long lobbying career and his representation of controversial foreign governments. McCain has been criticized for surrounding himself with top advisers who were lobbyists.”
Black’s “remarks caught McCain flat-footed on a day when he focused on energy issues -- first in a speech, then at a town-hall meeting and then during a news conference as he stood beside two $100,000 electric cars,” the AP adds.
The New York Sun notes McCain's idea for a cash reward in exchange for someone who comes up with a zero emission car battery was inspired by Newt Gingrich, who has long advocated more cash rewards for new government ideas.
Cindy McCain will host a fundraiser in London Thursday. “The evening event was expected to raise more than $500,000 for the Arizona senator's presidential bid, a person familiar with the planning said Monday,” the AP says. “Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was scheduled to join Cindy McCain as a headliner of the event… John McCain was criticized for holding a campaign fundraiser in London in March, shortly after he clinched the GOP nomination, as he returned from a Senate trip to Europe and the Middle East. He reimbursed the U.S. government for part of the cost of the trip, under terms reviewed by the Federal Election Commission and the Senate Ethics Committee.”
If you notice John McCain with bandages on his head, it’s because of a scrape he got while getting out of a car in Canada, his campaign said.
