McCain Bashes Panetta, But In 2004 He Said Bin Laden Gave GOP A “Boost”

[babylonsister]

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/senate-republicans/mccain-bashes-panetta-but-in-2004-he-said-bin-laden-gave-gop-a-boost/

McCain Bashes Panetta, But In 2004 He Said Bin Laden Gave GOP A “Boost”


John McCain has now condemned CIA chief Leon Panetta for suggesting that Dick Cheney might be hoping for another terrorist attack to vindicate his national security policies.

McCain said this morning that Panetta’s comments had crossed a line, adding that he “knows better.”

But McCain himself said the following about the release of a Bin Laden tape on the eve of the 2004 elections:

“Bin Laden may have just given us a little boost. Amazing, huh?”

There’s no direct contradiction between McCain’s condemnation of Panetta for suggesting that Cheney wants another attack and his earlier claim that the Bin Laden tape would help the GOP. The point, though, is that McCain and other Republicans historically are not shy about making the claim that they benefit politically from terrorism.

Dick Cheney himself responded to Panetta right here, for what it’s worth. Meanwhile, the unwillingness of other GOP leaders thus far to step up and defend Cheney remains striking.