Data on the adsorption and decomposition of carbon monoxide on alkali promoted Al(100) are presented. CO dissociates on the potassium or sodium promoted surface and aluminum oxide and aluminum carbide form after annealing to 700 K. At intermediate temperatures EELS show alkali-CO complexes with vibrational frequencies ranging from 1060 to 2060 cm-1. A band at 1750 cm-1 was assigned to CO molecules coordinated to bulk potassium. CO vibrational spectra as well as work function measurements reveal an altered alkali dispersion as a function of preannealing temperature. Comparisons are made between the surfaces of aluminum and transition metals with respect to (i) alkali adsorption, (ii) hybridization between metal d states and CO π orbitals, (iii) the magnitude of unscreened (long-range) perturbations, and finally (iv) the energetics of carbide and oxide formation. Potassium but not sodium atoms bind strongly to aluminum carbide (Td>700 K). We suggest that potassium is rare among alkali metals not in its ability to promote CO dissociation but in preventing a downshift of the C 2pz orbital and thus carbide to graphite transformation.