Terror Strike Would Help McCain, Top Adviser Says

The campaign issued an almost identical statement within an hour.

A longtime political adviser, Black has been a fixture in Republican circles for years, moving seamlessly between political consulting and lobbying. He was a top aide to Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, and he closely advised the current president during his campaigns.

He has emerged as McCain's leading political adviser and, until recently, the most visible public face of the campaign on television. When McCain announced a no-lobbyist policy, however, Democrats immediately took aim at Black's long career, especially his representation of foreign governments in the United States.

Black and his lobbying partners were at times registered foreign agents for a collection of U.S.-backed foreign leaders whose human rights records were sometimes harshly criticized, even as American conservatives embraced their opposition to communism. They included Angolan guerrilla leader Jonas Savimbi, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, Nigerian Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre, and the countries of Kenya and Equatorial Guinea, among others.

Black is not the first political figure to be tripped up by a conversation about the political realities of another terrorist strike.

In August, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said that an attack would benefit Republicans, drawing similar rebukes for appearing to be seeking political advantage from a possible disaster. She said her experience made her the stronger candidate in that situation.

"It's a horrible prospect to ask yourself, 'What if? What if?' " Clinton said. "But, if certain things happen between now and the election, particularly with respect to terrorism, that will automatically give the Republicans an advantage again, no matter how badly they have mishandled it, no matter how much more dangerous they have made the world."

Staff writer Karl Vick and research editor Alice Crites contributed to this report.