McCain: Al Qaeda May Intervene To Tip Election Towards Dems

"Republican presidential candidate John McCain said on Friday he fears that al Qaeda or another extremist group might attempt spectacular attacks in Iraq to try to tilt the U.S. election against him," Reuters reports.

McCain, at a town hall meeting in this Philadelphia suburb, was asked if he had concerns that anti-American militants in Iraq might ratchet up their activities in Iraq to try to increase casualties in September or October and tip the November election against him.

"Yes, I worry about it," McCain said. "And I know they pay attention because of the intercepts we have of their communications ... The hardest thing in warfare is to counter someone or a group of individuals who are willing to take their own lives in order to take others."

TPM's Greg Sargent notes: "You know, I keep hearing from Republican pundits and operatives that the specter of terrorism inevitably bolsters the electoral prospects of Republicans. But here McCain says that Al Qaeda would amp up their attacks in Iraq to hurt him. Hard to keep track of this stuff sometimes."

Comments

[zarkon]

From what we have been told of Al Q, I'd say they are a dangerous entity and politicians should not be speaking about them in uncertain terms (may, maybe) unless you want to scare people. That is irresponsible. If that 400B plus per year machine called the american military cannot capture and put these people out of business I say give me half that and I will get the job done. I refuse to let Al Q dictate my life. What happens to "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself?' We dont need 100 years to get the job done. If you think that's how long it should take...sor­ry buddy, you dont deserve the job.

One Love!!

[VivaZapata]

samuel johnson: patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel cliings

[sparkandy]

Well, it's no more goofy than the Obamaniacs who think Republicans vote in droves for Clinton because of Rush Limbaugh.

[batgirlevi]

I see mccain is taking rove's advice on his latest spin attempt.

[BNAUGHTY]

Here we go again, Bush/Cheney '08.... it is so infuriating that these lizard-brained republicans and their leaders, such as McCain, have the audacity to promote their "opinion" that somehow Al-Qaeda prefers the Democratic party, the implication being that the Dems are pussies and would allow AQ to run wild if they were to win the election..­. this is utter nonsense and the height of fear-mongering. I would say shame on you John McCain, but it is pretty evident that since 2004 you have none.

[FreedomLoverX]

Which one was McCain?

[HeironymousJosch]

Yet another inflammatory HuffPo headline. It may be slightly self aggrandizing that he didn't dispel the assumption that Al Qaeda would want to tip the scales against him but the notion wasn't that of his own. Again, I was infuriated by an article's title and found the actual content to be quasi-reasonable.

[BARRISTER]

If you goddamn stupid Americans fall for that Republican bullshit AGAIN then you deserve the destruction McCain and the Republican party will give you.

[AmericanIdle]

I do agree that HuffPo can get a little sensational at times, but to be fair the Reuters article has pretty much an identical headline

[nellie]

The content is exactly in line with the headline. Middle Eastern militants will intervene in October or November if they perceive McCain to be winning, so that the Democratic candidate will win:

"McCain, at a town hall meeting in this Philadelphia suburb, was asked if he had concerns that anti-American militants in Iraq might ratchet up their activities in Iraq to try to increase casualties in September or October and tip the November election against him."

He equates Al Qaeda in Iraq with Al Qaeda, so that's McCain's call. It's just as inflammatory as the headline suggestion. It's disgraceful. And disgusting.

[Rog49Thomas]

If I were Usama, I'd be rooting for McCrazy.

Why?

Because he wants to continues Pan's highly successful policies!

And make no mistake, Pan's foreign policy has played right into the hands of AlQ and his domestic policy is fundamentally weakening this country.

[VivaZapata]

see john.

see john dodder around.

john has something.

it is a microphone.

john likes to say, "my friend" a lot.

do you want to be john's friend?

if bad people come, john will make them go away.

john is a good friend.

[Miket53]

Al-Quaeda has a track record of stepping up violence at election times to show casualties because they think that will sway people. McCain shows he DOES understand terrorism by pointing this out. McCain will win the presidency with his stance on terrorism. Hillary thinks she is tough on terrorism yet she is not....and Obama would be a disaster on terrorism. Regardless of any polls...Am­ericans #1 issue is national security.
Miket
http://mtaricani.blogspot.com/

[coffeeinamrica]

You mean Karl Rove has passed on the playbook to Grandpa McBush already?!

Tell Johnny that bin Laden is dead, there is only an old Republican under the turban in a cave pulling the levers....­.

[cafemocha]

McCrazy and the Straight Jacket Express proclaim in this Quatrain, "there will be other wars... there will be other wars". Now he declares that Al qaeda are the super delegates who will decide the election. Need we get ready for a video of Osama released the day after the convention to Fox - Osama's sitting next to Obama in a cave watching reruns of Rev. Wright? This crazy election period is just getting warmed up my friends, and you ain't seen nuttin' or heard nuttin' yet.

[EndAllWars]

This is a page right out of the Karl Rove playbook. It's a hideous tactic which associates one's foes with the irrational fears the population harbors. The kneejerk reaction of the attacked candidate actually goes reinforce that association. I know of a couple of effective ways to fight this and turn the table on the Rovian demons who utilize this diabolic method but I need a podium for expressing it.

[zigzag1]

Lets see, if they do attack us, it's because of the Democrats, and if they don't it's because of Bush/McCain and the Republicans. One of those win/win predictions. By the way press, where is the Vicki Iseman, telecom lobbyists and legislation follow up? I guess you don't want to anger the great war hero.

[Amennyc]

Until they find the sex aspect there will be no follow up to the Iseman story. The MSM can't even remember there's a war going on. All Hardball can do is spend hours and hours analyzing a campaign. Nothing else is even on topic. Sell outs. MSM getting it exposed. Part of the problem.

[lezlib]

The hero who was safely sequestered in a POW camp for 5 years and not seeing combat. That hero?

[zizyphus]

Why didn't they find Vicki Iseman and drag her into the spotlight like they do every other miscreant? Why are they hiding her?

[GPRogueCowboy]

OMG US Troops will be there FOREVER!
According to NBC Article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23638351
The U.S. and Iraqi government intent is to chip away at al-Qaida until it is reduced to "almost a nonentity," Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno said March 4 shortly after finishing his tour as the No. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq. "Unfortunately with these terrorist organizations, they will always be there at some level."
Demonstrating anew their remarkable staying power, the militants are thought to be behind attacks in recent days in Baghdad and beyond, including bombings in the capital March 7 that killed at least 68 people.
I do not know where the following Al Qaida strengths came from. Up until this article the maximum number of Al Qaida in Iraq that has been reported was 6000 in 2004-5. The most recent numbers reported was 2000 at the start of the surge in March 2007. Since the surge the US Military has claimed they have killed or captured about 1000 Al Qaida.
Al-Qaida in Iraq, which did not exist as a coherent group before U.S. troops invaded in March 2003, probably now numbers no more than 6,000, according to U.S. intelligence estimates. It may have been closer to 10,000-strong before the severe pummeling it took last year, when it lost its main bases of Sunni Arab support. It controls no cities but is still active in pockets through much of central and northern Iraq.
If anyone can figure out how Al Qaida has grown by 4000 since the start of the surge please send me the links.

[cuzkate]

Is it time for sperm killer to be put in the drinking water ??
That would seem to hold down their capacity to multiply.

[bogananda666]

AQI was a non entity there until the US invaded. This is Orwellian triple speak.

[thirteen13]

Several thousand al Qaeda criminals are able to hold the United States hostage into infinity and financial collapse. Nice going Republicans with Democrats support.

[skwan91607]

First mistake from a commander-in-chief.
Americans need an excuse to stay there more than 100 years. So McCain's worry will serve him well than the attacks stalled. It is the utmost first McCain's calculating mistake for his potential job as the commander-in-chief. Mr. McCain, Americans deserve better than that.

[raskolnikov72]

Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Yaweh, Allah, Energy ... wake up people. doing the same thing, again and again expecting a different result == insantiy.

BUSH-CLINT­ON-CLINTON­-BUSH-BUSH­-CLINTON/M­cCain-CLIN­TON/McCain ...

Are you friggin' kidding me? What planet are you people on? Do me a favor, post the number of people that you know that are making it on one/job salary .. Post the number of college graduates you know that are not eyeball deep in debt ... Post the number of drugs that the FDA has passed that either kills you or annihilates your liver .. Post the number of places you believe have drinking water you're comfortable giving your family ...

Un-flippin­'-believab­le ...

WAKE UP!