Democrats Insist Republicans Pull Bush Ad

Associated Press Writer | Sun Nov 23 | JENNIFER C. KERR

[drypowder]

Democrats Insist Republicans Pull Bush Ad Sun Nov 23, 7:23 PM ET

By JENNIFER C. KERR, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - 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."

AP Photo

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 (news - web sites) 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 (news - web sites) 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 (news - web sites) 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.

___

[drypowder]

I haven't seen the ad but it's a Bull’s-eye! Bush and the GOP have hit the Dems between the eyes again with truth and obviously they can't handle the truth.

[areafiftyone]

Posted HERE

[thoughtomator]

"We'll pull the ad as soon as we can get the black man detached from the bumper of the pickup..."

[Colonel_Flagg]

Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy called it an "attempt to stifle dissent."

So his answer is to attempt to censor opposing views. Sweeeet. And very predictable from the hard left.

[onedoug]

Turn on the light. See the vermin scatter.

[LS]

If they are squealing like this, it must be REALLY effective!

[Fierce Allegiance]

Finally, we are starting to stuff these turkeys. Now, we just need to turn the heat up!

[backhoe]

Here is the ad ( requires RealPlayer )-- judge for yourself:

President Bush Ad airing in Iowa

[LiteKeeper]

INTREP - It is OK for the DemoRATS to lie through their teeth about President Bush, but not OK for President Bush to tell the truth about the DemoRATS?

[MEG33]

bttt

[Cicero]

If the news media aren't careful how they handle this story, they will convince a LOT more people that they cannot be trusted. There will be cognitive dissonance.

[gridlock]

Here is the ad ( requires RealPlayer )

RealPlayer and I don't get along.

Anybody have this thing on Microsoft MediaPlayer? QuickTime?

I just can't well give any money to Maria Cantwell.

[Mochamadness]

Daschle, thinking? Isn't he supposed to feel? I feel they should take this ad off the air!

[Wphile]

I've read the transcript of the ad and it looks pretty tame to me. Doesn't even mention the Dems, just "some are now attacking the President for attacking the terrorists." If they are this upset, it must be hitting a nerve. I say expand the coverage of the ad.

I swear ALL the dems can do these days is whine, whine, whine...

[skeeter]

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."

"So, in conclusion, I demand the Bush campaign stifle their dissent of our dissent."

[Eva]

Thanks for the link, the ad is a good one, just part of the STOU speech followed by a written adomonition to call the representatives and tell them to support pre-emptive strike. There is nothing directly connected to the Democrat candidates.

[gipper81]

Thanks for the link.

This is all a part of the new baba-streisand strategy of complaining about everything the Republicans do. It will continue and get worse. They feel they were too meak during the 2002 midterms and they "won't be fooled again" as the song goes. This is an excellent contra-indicator. I believe our ads will get better. Remember, next year they will have George Soros financed ads and it won't be pretty.

2004: Time to take the gloves off and LAY IT ON THE LINE.

[paguch]

The Republican response. Play a piece of the Goldwater ad, a piece of the chain draging ad, a piece of the church burning ad then a piece of the Republican ad. Statement "The Democrats are offended when we fight back, just like the Taliban and Al Queda."

[Puppage]

TED Kennedy has KILLED MORE PEOPLE THAN ALL MY GUNS....COMBINED

Has nothing to do with the article, but I couldn't help myself. Sorry.

[pogo101]

You nailed it. Kennedy's approach to a statement he doesn't like is twofold: (1) to LABEL it an attempt to stifle dissent, and (2) to demand that it be stifled.