A Question for Mickey Kaus

Mickey Kaus is a perceptive and fun writer. However, he does have one grating idiocy: He pretends to think that perhaps Al Qaeda actually wants George Bush re-elected president (scan down to June 20th item).

As he's a Democrat, I can understand his desire to engage in this fantasy. The fact that Al Qaeda is rooting for John Kerry is obviously not an endorsement that will help the Democratic candidate. So he likes to pretend that it's difficult to say precisely whom Al Qaeda is rooting for. Perhaps Zarqawi is rooting for Kerry, but oh heavens no, not bin Ladin himself.

There is one big problem with this goofy thesis. Al Qaeda announced that it hoped the Madrid bombings would drive the hawk out of office and bring the dove into office; it seems awfully strange that Al Qaeda would be pro-Zapatera and yet anti-Kerry.

But let's put that aside.

Mr. Kaus, it's your theory that Al Qaeda wants Bush to win the election, correct?

Answer me this:

If Al Qaeda wants Bush to win, why don't they make the one statement -- costing them nothing at all -- most likely to insure his re-election?

With one single statement, they can destroy John Kerry's candidacy and guarantee a Bush landslide in November.

It doesn't matter if the statement is true or not. I think it is, but that's irrelevant.

The one statement?

Saddam Hussein funded us, trained us, and cooperated with us in planning or executing terrorist attacks.

If Al Qaeda wants Bush to win, Mr. Kaus, why don't they just say that?

Why do they continue maintaining the position that hurts Bush and helps Kerry?

For an organization that you claim is so thankful to Bush for "playing right into their hands," they sure have a funny way of displaying their gratitude, now don't they?

posted by Ace at 09:23 PM

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