“Bigmouth Bratton” LAPD Chief Sticks Foot-In-Mouth for Obama
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“Jihadis are anxious about Obama because he is a bridging figure, and they enjoy having the U.S. in constant conflict in the Middle East.”
LAPD Chief William Bratton has touched off a firestorm with LA Police Officers’ Association and members of other police associations and some others by recording a phone message to be put in a robocaller machine in support of Democratic Senator Barack Obama. The “Los Angeles Times” says it’s the first time the chief has spoken out and given his public support. However, when the message will be used by the Obama campaign, or even in what states is unclear. Bratton said yesterday he intends to finish out his second term as the cities top cop until 2012 and is not looking for a spot in Obama’s administration. Bratton reportedly doesn’t refer to himself as the head of the LAPD in the message. Instead, he’s just a person who believes Obama is the best choice for America. That theory seems silly on its face, and frankly unlikely since a favored technique is to introduce a statement and announce who and what the speaker is allowing the official to claim ignorance.
The turmoil rankles many police union members who tend toward the conservative but generally stay out of politics except for local officers. Bratton, who is white was appointed in 2002 to a 5-year term and reappointed in 2007 for five more years. Bratton co-authored an article with Gordon Meek published in the LA Daily News about Osama bin Laden using a terror attack to effect the November election caused speculation about his political leanings and aspirations. Many have said and say such “an October surprise” would benefit McCain.
The article cited liberal Lawrence Wright, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Al Qaeda history “The Looming Tower,” and his controversial contention that “AlQaeda would really prefer to have McCain elected” - the candidate with the tougher Iraq stance. Wright also contends “Jihadis are anxious about Obama because he is a bridging figure,” he said, and they “enjoy having the U.S. in constant conflict in the Middle East.”
Under Meek’s byline the article was reprinted on the Daily News Washington bureau website saying, “This week, there was talk about McCain in a password-protected chat room on the Al Qaeda-affiliated Web site al-Hesbah, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, a private research firm.
Calling the Republican an “impetuous leader,” a jihadi named Muhammad Haafid wrote, “Al Qaeda will have to support McCain in the coming elections so that he continues the failing march of his predecessor, Bush.”
Critics of Bratton say the Daily News article, with heaviest circulation in LA’s Jewish and independent areas was intended to hurt McCain and he should not have commented especially with citation to Wright and his political speculations. An LA police officer told me today on condition of anonymity “Obama has Biden as his loudmouth and we have Bratton.”