Are Republican leaders happy that Osama bin Laden is still alive and active? It certainly seems that way - they have described his recently released tape as a "gift" and are acting as though it's a good thing. They seem to think that it's good for Americans to be afraid. Well, good for Republicans at any rate.

The New York Daily News reports:

"We want people to think 'terrorism' for the last four days," said a Bush-Cheney campaign official. "And anything that raises the issue in people's minds is good for us." A senior GOP strategist added, "anything that makes people nervous about their personal safety helps Bush."

He called it "a little gift," saying it helps the President but doesn't guarantee his reelection.

A Bush spokesperson actually said that Kerry should have stopped campaigning and criticizing Bush for 12 hours because of the bin Laden tape — though the same wouldn't apply to Bush. Make sense? Only for certain Republicans who care more about power than democracy.

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• 2004 Elections
• Election Polls
• George W. Bush
• John Kerry
• War on Terrorism