Posted on 08/16/2004 9:18:31 AM PDT by areafiftyone
TV Ad Demands Bush Get Allies to Cease Swift Boat Smear Campaign; MoveOn PAC Ad Rips Attack on Kerry Heroism; Contrasts to Bush Failure to Appear for Duty
To: National Desk, Political Reporter
Contact: Trevor FitzGibbon or Jessica Smith, 202-822-5200, both for MoveOn PAC
WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 /U.S. Newswire/ -- MoveOn PAC today released a new 30-second TV spot attacking George W. Bush for failing to call on one of his major donors -- a long-time associate of Karl Rove and leading Texas Republican funder -- to stop the smear campaign on John Kerry's Vietnam service being run by a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.
The ads, which start running in three states and nationally Tuesday, call on the President to personally denounce the ads for their false and misleading attacks on Senator Kerry -- just as Senator John McCain has called on him to do.
Though the White House and the Bush-Cheney campaign deny involvement in the ads, SBVT is a clear Republican Party front. The group is funded primarily by Robert J. Perry, the largest donor to Republican causes in Texas, a long-time donor to George W. Bush, and a supporter of the political work of Karl Rove and Tom DeLay, among others.
"Karl Rove and the Republicans are up to their usual dirty tricks," said MoveOn PAC Director Eli Pariser. "Once again, they're funding and coordinating an outrageous smear campaign while denying their involvement and refusing to condemn it. John McCain knows what it's like to be on the receiving end of these attacks. Tactics like these should have no place in American politics, and, with one call, George W. Bush could stop them."
Called "Swift Response", the 30-second ad features footage of a young George Bush in National Guard Uniform, his medical form being stamped with his failure to appear, and footage of the young John Kerry in Vietnam.
The ad will run initially for one week in each market where the SBVT ad was shown -- in Toledo and Youngstown, Ohio; in Charlestown, West Virginia; and in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The nearly $200,000 buy will yield 400 Gross Rating Points (GRPs) in all four local markets.
MoveOnPAC will make the ads available to media today at http://cdn.moveonpac.org/content/video/swiftresponse.mov. Beta and VHS tapes are available by contacting Steve Smith at: SSmith@fenton.com or 202-822-5200 x243.
The script of the ad follows:
MOVEON.ORG PAC, 30 SEC TV, "Swift Response"
VIDEO
OPEN ON THE YOUNG GEORGE BUSH IN NATIONAL GUARD UNIFORM.
AUDIO
ANNOUNCER (VO): George Bush used his father to get into the National Guard, and...
VIDEO
CUT TO BUSH'S NATIONAL GUARD MEDICAL FORM BEING STAMPED WITH "FAILURE TO APPEAR".
AUDIO
ANNOUNCER (VO): ...when the chips were down, went missing.
VIDEO
CUT TO SHOT OF TV SHOWING "SWIFT BOAT" SPOT, THEN WORDS APPEAR ACROSS SCREEN, "FALSE ADVERTISING".
AUDIO
ANNOUNCER (VO): Now, he's allowing false advertising that attacks John Kerry...
VIDEO
CUT TO FOOTAGE OF A YOUNG JOHN KERRY IN VIETNAM.
AUDIO
ANNOUNCER (VO): ...a man who asked to go to Viet Nam and who served with dignity and heroism.
VIDEO
CUT TO HALF SCREEN PICTURE OF JOHN McCAIN. HIS WORDS APPEAR ON SCREEN NEXT TO HIS PICTURE.
AUDIO
ANNOUNCER (VO): Here's what a true Republican war hero has to say about the anti-Kerry ad: "I think the ad is dishonest and dishonorable...I think the Bush campaign should specifically condemn the ad."
VIDEO
CUT TO SHOT OF BUSH AND CLOSING DISCLAIMER COPY.
AUDIO
ANNOUNCER (VO): George Bush: Take that ad off the air. MoveOn PAC is responsible for the content of this advertisement.
------
JUST THE FACTS: SBVT SWIFT BOAT ADS AND THE ROVE SMEAR MACHINE
FACT: "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" is a front organization for Karl Rove and the Republican party. SBVT is funded primarily by Robert J. Perry, a multimillionaire Texas businessman and the state's leading donor to Republican candidates and causes. Campaign documents and his representatives confirm that Perry has given more money to campaigns and political organizations in the last four years than any other Texan, over $5 million to scores of political candidates, including $20,000 to Bush's two campaigns for governor in the 1990s.
FACT: SWVT in its July 15 IRS filing reports raising $158,000 in total, of which Perry donated $100,000.
FACT: Media company behind Swift Boat ads produced anti-McCain ads in 2000. Spaeth Communications, listed as SBVT's media contact, has long and deep Republican ties. In 2000, Spaeth participated in producing ads for 'Republicans for Clean Air' which falsely attacked the environmental record of Sen. John McCain in California, New York and Ohio. The funder of that group turned out to be Sam Wyly -- another big Bush contributor and beneficiary of Bush administration decisions in Texas -- and his brother, Charles, another Bush "Pioneer" contributor."
FACT: The charges in the ad are directly contradicted by the men who were on Kerry's boat. The former Army lieutenant whom Kerry plucked from the water, Jim Rassman, backs Kerry's account. In an August 10 opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, Rassmann, a Republican, wrote that the ad was "launched by people without decency" who are "lying" and "should hang their heads in shame."
Some of those making the charges now are directly contradicting their own past public statements, and none of the veterans featured in the advertisements served on the river patrol boats Kerry commanded during Vietnam.
FACT: McCain Urges Bush: "Condemn this ad" ... Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has called the ad campaign "dishonest and dishonorable" and urged George Bush to "specifically condemn" the ad. Regrettably, George Bush has refused to do so. Said McCain: "I can't believe the president would pull such a cheap stunt.... It was the same kind of deal that was pulled on me." Asked if the White House knew about the ad or helped find financing for it, McCain said, "I hope not, but I don't know. But I think the Bush campaign should specifically condemn the ad." So do we.
FACT: George W. Bush Has Condemned Such Smear Tactics in the Past...In 1992, George W. Bush called on Republicans to denounce a similar smear campaign against Bill Clinton. According to the 7/14/92 Washington Post, George W. Bush wrote a letter in 1992 on behalf of his father's presidential campaign to 85,697 campaign contributors condemning an operation attempting to smear Bill Clinton and encouraging them not to contribute to the effort.
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/© 2004 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
President Bush: "I will be happy to call on the SwiftBoat Vets to suspend their ads -- the moment Senator Kerry calls upon MoveOn.org to suspend theirs. Thank you and good night!"
I'm sure W will listen to these kooks.
smart move - just keep drawing more attention to the swift boat vets. "That will make the issue go away!
What a bunch of morons.
Pot, meet Kettle.
My buddy up in MA wrote me today. He had been undecided, not because he liked Kerry but because he had some issues regarding his 18 months of service in Iraq. Today he told me the Swift Boat ad swung him to Bush. He figured if that many colleagues of Kerry's would come out that strongly against him, he must be bad news.
Pot...meet kettle.
Time to send Moveon a thank you note for the publicity.
The President is 'allowing' this? As opposed to what, banning it? He can't do that.
this proves the swiftvets are doing major damage
Apparently, along with "hypocrisy", "irony" is another word missing from the Dem Dictionary.
Hypocrisy, thy name is MoveOn.org.
Don't the rules under the First Amendment Cancellation Law aka Campaign Finance Reform forbid the Bush team from any contact with any 527?
They will attempt to persuade anyone who will listen that Bush is responsible for the ads...somehow.
Bush called for all 527s to cease ads. Guess MoveOn won't touch that with a ten foot pole.
McCain's comments are the gift that keep on giving.
Ironic, McCain being used in a 527 ad!
SBVT is a clear Republican Party front. The group is funded primarily by Robert J. Perry, the largest donor to Republican causes in Texas, a long-time donor to George W. Bush, and a supporter of the political work of Karl Rove and Tom DeLay, among others.
NOT A SINGLE WORD ON WHO FUNDS MOVEON.ORG!
Maybe you guys can ask MoveOn.org to shove it also.
Best example to date of moveon.org making the wrong decision, at the wrong time, for the wrong reasons.
All they are doing is calling even MORE attention to the allegations against John Kerry's credibility.
The Bush Campaign shouldn't even respond....just let them keep talking. When your opponent is shooting themselves in the foot, don't try to stop them, hand em another loaded clip.....(grin)
Bush cannot call for the Swift Vets to end their ads. That would amount to coordination between the campaign and a 527 group, and that is illegal.
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