The media campaign against John McCain

A day after the appearance of a Fortune magazine article on John McCain in which McCain strategist Charlie Black is quoted as saying a terrorist attack on US soil would be a "big advantage" for McCain, the hyperventilating pro-Obama media is in overdrive, portraying such an attack as McCain's wish.

Take a look at what was said, and the context in which it was said:

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.

Clearly, this was a remark - made in response to the interviewer's question - about whether an attack on US soil would help or hurt McCain. Yet the context is completely omitted in all coverage of the "controversial" statement. In fact, the entire article is about how John McCain plans to win the election, and the context in which the interviewer posed the question to Black was all about how world events influence the campaign. But listening to the coverage today, one would think that Charlie Black and his henchmen were sitting around in their leather chairs, smoking cigars and drinking single malt scotch, when Black said "Hey...you know what would be a big help this fall?"

This is nothing but character assassination for political gain and it doesn't surprise me, but it does disappoint me that McCain is so quick to throw Black under the bus for it.