THE LATEST FROM “ASSAM THE AMERICAN.” Drudge is running his rotating siren effect over this news:

In the last week before the election, ABCNEWS is holding a videotaped message from a purported al Qaeda terrorist warning of a new attack on America, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

The terrorist claims on tape the next attack will dwarf 9/11. “The streets will run with blood,” and “America will mourn in silence” because they will be unable to count the number of the dead. Further claims: America has brought this on itself for electing George Bush who has made war on Islam by destroying the Taliban and making war on Al Qaeda. …

The terrorist’s face is concealed by a head dress, and he speaks in an American accent, making it difficult to identify the individual. … The disturbing tape runs an hour — the man simply identifies himself as ‘Assam the American.’

Maybe ABC is holding this story because it’s a piece of junk that it shouldn’t air under any circumstances. I wrote yesterday about the problem of news organizations unethically timing their stories in an attempt to affect the election. There is some reason to speculate that the New York Times and CBS/”60 Minutes” were doing something like that with the al-QaQaa story (though I don’t think it’s at all clear that they did). I think it’s good that bloggers are standing by, monitoring the ethics of MSM. But we bloggers need to be careful not to cry wolf here. Not every withheld story is an outrage. Drudge notes a claim that ABC is holding the tape until Monday night. Does that mean Drudge thinks this tape would help Kerry? As if “Assam the American” would relent if only the nuanced newcomer took office! It seems to me that a more vivid terrorist threat would help Bush.