Sunday, February 5, 2006

A strange symbiosis

Chicago Tribune, and about time too...

A dozen days before the 2006 State of the Union Message, Osama bin Laden reached out from some cave halfway around the world to give the president a much-needed public-relations boost for the second time in about 15 months.

This new appearance by the leader of Al Qaeda came as the president's polling numbers are at a low ebb and he is under serious pressure to pull at least some troops out of Iraq. Bin Laden's earlier appearance helped re-elect Bush.

Bush and bin Laden each will get exactly what they want from the latest message, reinforcing the view that both halves of this odd couple really need each other--and neither wants to quit the other.

The fact is, each plays the role of organizing symbol for the other, strengthening respective political bases. Nothing helps a political leader rally his troops more than having a clearly defined enemy.

Bin Laden understands that by attacking Bush he enhances him and by seeming to support American war critics he discredits them in many quarters. In short, he wants Bush around as long as possible, he wants Bush to have public support and he wants the occupation to continue for all the reasons stated above.

Why do you think he made a video public on Oct. 29, 2004, fully aware that it was only four days before the presidential election, reminding us that he was alive and kicking and still mighty dangerous?

Because he, and most of the world, knew that the so-called war on terror and U.S. security were Bush's strongest suits, and his appearance would outrage Americans and enhance Bush on Election Day.

On the Friday the video aired, Democrats' Democracy Corps poll showed John Kerry ahead by 3 points and possibly growing. On Saturday the tracking poll showed an immediate drop of 1.5 points and the next day an even race. We know what happened on that Tuesday.

Bin Laden denounces him, and Bush once again can rally his troops, shout "stay the course" and denounce the Democratic peaceniks. Most of all he can again echo bin Laden's threat to attack us on our homeland and reassure us all that only he can keep us safe and secure.

Bin Laden's re-emergence was so perfect it might as well have been staged by Bush strategist Karl Rove.

I don't doubt for a second that all these bastards are in cahoots.

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