McCain Campaign Accuses Obama Of Having "A September 10th Mindset"

[ErinBerin84]

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/06/mccain_campaign_accuses_obama.php

McCain Campaign Accuses Obama Of Having "A September 10th Mindset"


By Greg Sargent - June 17, 2008, 10:36AM


"Aggressively moving to shift the debate away from domestic issues to national security, the McCain campaign hit Obama with some of the most incendiary language of the campaign, accusing Obama on a conference call with reporters moments ago of having a "September 10th mindset."

The latest attack, which has strong echoes of the tactics Bush used against John Kerry four years ago and that Republicans used against Dems in 2006, comes in response to comments Obama made yesterday to ABC News about the attackers of the World Trade Center in 1993.

In the interview, Obama suggested that the failure to try Guantanamo detainees was harming American credibility in the Muslim world, adding that the 1993 attackers had been dealt with in accordance with the Constitution and that "they are currently in U.S. prisons, incapacitated."

The McCain camp is seizing on the comments as evidence that Obama doesn't understand that such an approach is inadequate to the current war on terror -- even though Obama has repeatedly outlined an aggressive approach to hunting down terrorists.

"Once again, we have seen that Senator Obama is a perfect manifestation of a September 10th mindset," McCain foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann said.

And this is pretty interesting, too: The McCain camp also sought to revive memories of Hillary's attacks on Obama's commander in chief cred, revealing that Hillary's national security criticism is giving McCain ammunition in the general election, as many Hillary critics predicted.

"If Senator Obama did receive that 3 A.M. call, his response would be to call the lawyers in the Justice Department," Scheunemann said.

The "September 10th mindset" attack comes a full four years after the Republicans last used it successfully; it comes nearly seven years after the attacks themselves. And two years ago, this same attack line failed to stave off massive losses for the GOP.

More on this soon."



edit (from me,not TPM): obvious attack, but still worth noting the desperation in the McCain camp that all they have is this card to pull. My first reaction, as immature as it may be, is that McCain would be tripping his ass off on Ambien during the 3 AM phone call! God, I am so sick of hearing about the 3 AM phone call.