Who are the terrorists?

A campaign manager was asked whether a terrorist attack would help McCain's (floundering) electoral chances. . .What kind of question IS that exactly? And what kind of chilling response is this:
"Certainly it would be a big advantage to him," . . .

. . . but not to the people who end up maimed and dead presumably.

("Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who during a Long Island bookstore appearance stated, "The more successful they've been at intercepting and stopping bad guys, the less proof there is that we're in danger. And therefore, the better they've done at making sure there isn't an attack, the easier it is to say, 'Well, there never was going to be an attack anyway.' And it's almost like they should every once in a while have allowed an attack to get through just to remind us.").

With politicians like these, who needs terrorists?