Today on Fox News’ Your World With Neil Cavuto, Vice President Dick Cheney said it was his belief that insurgents were increasing their violence to try to influence the midterm elections. Watch it:
[flv http://video.thinkprogress.org/2006/10/chenelec.320.240.flv]
President Bush has admitted this that there isn’t “any intelligence” that suggests terrorists are trying to influence U.S. elections. Also, Maj. Douglas Powell, a military spokesman in Baghdad, told United Press International that there was no intelligence for the claim.
While there is no reported intelligence for Iraqi insurgents trying to sway the current election, the CIA did conclude that Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda tried to manipulate the 2004 elections with the release of a videotape message. But the intelligence indicated that terrorists were trying to help Bush win re-election — not aid his opponents. Media Matters, citing Ron Suskind’s One Percent Doctrine, notes that CIA analysts concluded that bin Laden’s message in the days before the Nov. 2004 contest “was clearly designed to assist the President’s reelection.”
Transcript:
CAVUTO: Do you suspect that these insurgent attacks are timed to influence our midterm elections?
CHENEY: That’s my belief. I think they are, very, very cognizant of our schedule, if you will.