On March 15, 2004, “In an Associated Press story titled ‘Officials Worry of Pre-Election Attack,’ USA Today quoted a political psychologist as to the ‘staggering’ implications of the [March 11, 2004] attack in Madrid [Spain]: ‘This is the first time that a terrorist act has influenced a democratic election. This is a gigantic, loud wakeup call. There’s no one they’d like to have out of office more than [President] George W. Bush.’ The newspaper reported that ‘the administration has made no attempt to hide its concern about another attack’ and published remarks by National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice about ‘our worst nightmare,’ a WMD terrorist attack on the homeland. Said Rice, ‘We live in an age of terror, in which ruthless enemies seek to destroy not only our nation and not only to destroy all free nations but to destroy freedom as a way of life.’ ”
– Ian S. Lustick, Trapped in the War on Terror, Page 107