Posted on 11/23/2003 5:32:31 PM PST by PhiKapMom
Democrats Insist Republicans Pull Bush Ad
By Jennifer C. Kerr
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle is demanding that Republicans stop showing their first television ad of the 2004 presidential race, which he called "repulsive and outrageous." The 30-second ad, which aired in Iowa over the weekend, features clips of Bush during his State of the Union address last January. It portrays Bush as a fighter of terrorism and says his opponents "are now attacking the president for attacking the terrorists."
"It's wrong. It's erroneous, and I think that they ought to pull the ad," Daschle told NBC's "Meet the Press" program on Sunday.
"We all want to defeat terrorism," the South Dakota senator said. But "to chastise and to question the patriotism of those who are in opposition to some of the president's plans I think is wrong."
The Republican National Committee has no plans to honor Daschle's wishes.
"We have no doubt that Sen. Daschle and others in his party who oppose the president's policy of pre-emptive self-defense believe that their national security approach is in the best interests of the country," RNC spokeswoman Christine Iverson said. "But we also have no doubt that they are wrong about that, and we will continue to highlight this critical policy difference as well as others."
Other Democrats on the Sunday talk shows joined Daschle in his criticism.
Presidential candidate Wesley Clark said the ad is wrong and ought to be pulled. It violates "the pledge the president made to not exploit 9-11 for political purposes," Clark said on CBS' "Face the Nation."
Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy called it an "attempt to stifle dissent." On ABC's "This Week," Kennedy said "dissent is a basic part of what our whole society is about."
Speaking on CNN's "Late Edition," presidential candidate and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman said the ad was misleading, nothing more than an attempt "to get the public's mind off the joblessness in America, the bad prescription Medicare drug bill ... the energy bill, which sells out to lobbyists."
Republicans countered that there was nothing wrong with the ad, which was airing Sunday in Iowa, the day before the Democratic presidential debate in Des Moines.
"It's portraying the president's leadership that he's displayed since Sept. 11, which I support," Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona said on ABC. "I think it's a very legitimate statement to be made in the coming presidential election."
The ad will air through Tuesday in Iowa, and then may run again in New Hampshire during the next Democratic debate in December, said the RNC's Iverson. She said the party plans to run ads in conjunction with the Democratic debates, but the decision hasn't been made whether to simply run the current ad or new ones supporting the president.
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Couldn't agree more! Before Sen LIEberman became Gore's Vice Presidential candidate, I always thought he had some moral compass -- no more. He is as bad as the rest.
Actually, I could go for one with Al Sharpton driving the truck and Little Tommy Dasshole on the wrong end of the chain!
hehe ! Yep ! It's President Bush holding up a 'baby' da$$hole. He's looking over his shoulder saying Quick ! Someone find Daschle's pacifier.Hey ! They have a punishment verdict in the John Mohammad trial ! Just announced on FOX News. Expect the news in about 15 minutes ! ...
:O)
My pleasure ...
I thought the title was dubbed "The Tom Daschle Hypocrite of the Year" award, and was retired after giving it in perpetuity to Tom Daschle.
If the Democrats stopped lying in their public statements, they'd have nothing to say.
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