People are losing their 401k, people can't retire, and jobs are
closing. The dow is at it lowest and you want to waist time talking
about Bill Ayers. Talk about your campaign manager CHARLIE
BLACk-you know the one who represents terrorist all over the
world....
Who Is Charlie Black?
Code Name:
Mr. Black
Current Job:
Chief Advisor to John McCain
Previous Job:
Lobbyist for corporate criminals and violent dictators
There has been growing buzz about a guy named
Charlie Black, a former top Washington Lobbyist at the helm
of BKSH and Associates and a current chief advisor to
John McCain.
Most recently, Black made headlines for telling
Fortune
Magazine that another terrorist attack on American Soil would
be "a big advantage for him [d-115158]."
Black's comments were immediately slammed by
Change
to Win's executive director,
Greg Tarpinian, who led a
growing
chorus of calls for McCain to fire the former lobbyist.
But the bigger question behind this scandal remains, Who is
Charlie Black?
Mr. Black sounds like the name of an evil genius from a James
Bond movie but, surprisingly enough, the similarities don't stop
there.
Black and his firm, BKSH, have represented a host of
questionable clients, including violent dictators, corporate
criminals and even a suspected Iranian spy.
Here's some background on the work experience that qualifies
Black to direct John McCain's presidential ambitions.
Client List
Ferdinand Marcos: Former President of the Philippines
As President, Marcos authorized the arrest of political
opponents, executed his own citizens and plundered his country's
resources. When he died in 1989
the
New York Times wrote the following in his obituary: "Mr.
Marcos, an autocratic leader who imposed martial law in his
homeland from 1972 to 1981, died without facing trial on United
States criminal charges that he plundered the Philippine Treasury
of more than $100 million in his two decades in power."
Mobutu Sese Seko: Former president of Zaire (now known as the
Congo)
The
New York Times once called him, "the very model of an African
dictator -- dirty with corruption as his country collapsed around
him." Mobuto was known for publicly executing and mercilessly
torturing his political opponents to maintain power. Mobutu also
siphoned public funds to create a personal fortune that was almost
equivalent to his country's foreign debt.
Ahmed Chalabi: Head of the Iraqi National Congress
Ahmed Chalabi was originally a favorite of the Bush
administration and a major advocate for the United States invasion
of Iraq. However, in 2004, Iraqi police supported by U.S. soldiers
raided his offices and residence, taking documents and computers.
It was later reported that Chalabi gave U.S. state secrets to Iran.
Erik Prince: Founder and head of Blackwater Worldwide
Blackwater Worldwide provides private security services in
Iraq and has been under scrutiny since a Congressional Report
indicated the company engaged in nearly 200 shootings in Iraq since
2005. As reported in the New York Times, "a vast majority of cases
firing their weapons from moving vehicles without stopping to count
the dead or assist the wounded." When
Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater, was called to
testify for congress about Blackwater's questionable practices, he
hired Charlie Black to help him prepare. Critics consider
Blackwater's self-description as a private military company to be a
euphemism for mercenary activities.
When asked about BKSH's clients, Black said, "I'm not ashamed of
anything the firm did."
Honest to a fault perhaps, but it begs the question, does John
McCain feel the same way?
In response to assignment:
Campaign 2008