Why McHelms will never get the African American vote

By GottaLaff

The late-Sen. Jesse Helms’ ran an ad (see above video) in his 1990 Senate campaign about affirmative action.

Charlie "another-terrorist-attack-would-be-a-big-advantage-to-McCain" Black strongly defended that ad, and so much more. Politico dicusses "McCain chief strategist Charlie Black’s work for Helms, and tying him to some of the former senator’s more racially charged, to put it nicely, campaign tactics." It's a must-read. Here's an excerpt:

1990: Black Advised Jesse Helms. As He Ran Controversial “Hands” Ad Against Black Candidate. Newsday reported that Helms, “through a series of blistering advertisements unleashed just days before, had beckoned the long-simmering issue of race to the surface of this senatorial contest. In doing so, Helms had hurled the campaign into its most bitter and acrimonious phase to date, namely by labeling his opponent, falsely, an advocate of racial job quotas and accusing him of conducting a ‘secret campaign’ in the black community. …

Via Think Progress, here's a recap of another excerpt:

When asked if there was anything improper about the ad on the MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour, Black said, “Of course not.” “Do you approve of that ad, Charlie,” a guest pressed. Black responded, “I advised Jesse Helms to do what he’s always done.” “[T]here is nothing racial about the campaign,” Black added.

Why hasn't this guy been fired yet? And why isn't the liberal "Obama's shifted" press all over McHelms about it?

How to Not Rectify Mistakes: John Sidney McCain/Charlie Black edition

By GottaLaff

How to Not Rectify Mistakes, Lesson One:

Democrats hope to pressure McCain strategist Charlie Black to resign, but so far, McCain is having none of it, according to two people with knowledge of the situation. As of last night, "Internally, McCain is supporting Charlie," said one of those people. Black recongizes the gravity of his mistake, people close to him said.

Last night on Keith Olbermann's Countdown, Former NSC Counterterrorism Chief Richard Clarke said that the only way McCain could be taken seriously, if he wants to run on the issues and not as the “scare candidate,” would be to fire Black:

And if McCain is sincere in saying that he‘s shocked, that there‘s gambling going on in his casino, then he ought to part with Charlie Black. I mean, Charlie Black ought to be gone tomorrow morning so that we can say, once and for all, that this campaign is not going to be a campaign about fear and about saying that one guy is soft on terrorism and if you vote for him, there will be another terrorist attack; all the sorts of things that we‘ve heard in the past.

Conclusion: J Sid's not sincere, and Charlie Black is a fearmonger. End of Lesson One.

John Sidney McCain's Charlie Black: Apology Edition

By GottaLaff

Just heard on MSNBC:

Charlie Black apologizes for this.

UPDATE:

Recognizing the political peril of being seen as playing the terror card, McCain senior adviser Charlie Black moved quickly to apologize for suggesting that a terror attack before Election Day would help his candidate.

"I deeply regret the comments -- they were inappropriate," Black said outside a McCain fundraiser in Fresno, Calif. today. " I recognize that John McCain had devoted his entire life to protecting his country and placing its security before every other consideration.”

John Sidney McCain's chief strategist: Another terrorist attack “would be a big advantage to him”

By GottaLaff

Via Think Progress we discover how advantageous another terrorist attack would be to John Sidney McAppalling:

Now, McCain’s chief strategist, Charlie Black, tells Fortune that the “unfortunate event” of Bhutto’s death “helped us.” Asked if another terrorist attack on U.S. soil would help McCain as well, Black told Fortune that it would be “a big advantage to him“:

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.

Update: Kevin Drum also points out that when asked about the "gravest long-term threat to the U.S. economy," McCain replies, "Islamic extremism."

Let's recap: George Bush, Bill Kristol and John Bolton think that attacking Iran will help McDeathToll, and now his own chief strategist holds out hope that an attack right here in the U.S.A would boost his numbers.

These so-called patriots have concluded that the only way McDeathToll can win is if innocent people are blown to smithereens. Great message. Keep repeating it. There's nothing more effective in a presidential campaign than a slogan like, "Change you can kill for!"

Moveon's "Fire Charlie Black Ad" Goes National

We previously showed you the clip of the web ad. The national cable ad is similar. Here is part of the release which explains all:

New TV Ad Exposes McCain's Lobbyist Ties,

Calls For McCain to Fire Chief Advisor Charlie Black

A new national television ad calls on John McCain to fire his chief campaign advisor, lobbyist Charlie Black. The MoveOn.org Political Action ad, which will start running tomorrow, comes on the heels of five McCain staff resignations in the past two weeks due to past lobbying ties to foreign governments and interests, and conflicts of interest.

The television ad follows a similar Web video and will air nationally on cable. The ad is based on a video, viewable here: http://pol.moveon.org/charlieblack/video.html.

Charlie Black, one of John McCain's top advisers, ran the lobbying firm BKSH & Associates, which represented brutal dictators like Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines and Mobutu Sese Seko in Zaire and rebel leader Jonas Savimbi in Angola. Black also profited off the war in Iraq by representing firms such as Blackwater and Iraqi fraudster Ahmed Chalabi. Working with Chalabi, Black's firm helped promote the lie, later repeated by the Bush Administration, that the Hussein regime possessed weapons of mass destruction.

McCain's Murderers Row

A new website (firethelobbyists.com) has been created by the pro-campaign finance reform organization Campaign Money Watch, to convince Senator McCain to fire three lobbyists in the top levels of his organization that have lobbied for ruthless dictators. You may recall that over the past two days, two McCain aides have resigned because of their willingness to do public relations work for the Burmese Junta.

Ahh, working for the public good. It must feel so refreshing.

Of course, turn over any stone in The McCain Campaign, and one can only guess what might come crawling out. It turns out that they have even more friends in low places. I contacted David Donnelly, Director of Campaign Money Watch, for a comment. He explained what his group is trying to accomplish:

John McCain ought to immediately fire three lobbyists — Charlie Black, Tom Loeffler, and Peter Madigan -- whose lobbying for brutal dictators and foreign governments is every bit as bad as the two lobbyists who left his campaign over the weekend. Frankly, McCain’s campaign is turning out to be an effort of, by, and for these types of Washington influence peddlers. His credentials as a reformer are gone.

Pretty strong words. Yet, if you read what this triad of McCain lobbyists have been up to, perhaps not strong enough. It ain't pretty:

Charlie Black, McCain’s senior counsel and spokesman, began his lobbying career by representing numerous dictators and repressive regimes

Black’s firm represented the governor