Posted on 11/24/2003 8:26:04 AM PST by fight_truth_decay
ABC on Friday night condemned a new RNC television ad on behalf of President Bush. Peter Jennings intoned on World News Tonight that it "will, potentially, make an already bitter debate about war in Iraq and the campaign against terrorism, even more so." Jennings maintained that "the ad seems to suggest that if you are tough on the President, or criticize the war in Iraq, you may be soft on terrorism."
And though the words "terrorists," "others" and "self-defense" also appear in red in text which is interspersed in the ad otherwise made up of clips of Bush's State of the Union address, Dean Reynolds highlighted just one word as he suggested some nefarious motive in putting it in "blood red."
Reynolds asserted: "While he never mentions his political adversaries, the President's message, and the printed words -- 'retreat,' for example, is written in blood red -- leave little doubt that the Democrats are his targets and that those who oppose his policies are soft on terror."
ABC's tone on Friday night, November 21, contrasts markedly with how Jennings and the network approached Ted Kennedy's vitriolic attack on President Bush's motives exactly nine weeks earlier, on the Friday, September 19 World News Tonight. Kennedy had claimed that the war in Iraq was a "fraud made up in Texas, announced in January to the Republican leadership that war was going to take place and was going to be good politically." Without any evidence, Kennedy had also charged: "This whole thing was a fraud" and alleged that money for Iraq "is being shuffled all around to these political leaders in all parts of the world, bribing them to send in troops."
But, as the September 22 CyberAlert noted, after illustrating how Kennedy's claims lacked evidence, though John Cochran passed along how Tom DeLay castigated Kennedy's remarks as "a new low" in politics, Cochran gave equal credibility and legitimacy to why Kennedy leveled his baseless charges: "Sources familiar with Kennedy's reasoning say he stepped up his attacks on the President in an effort to get the country to pay more attention to a situation in Iraq that he feels is catastrophic."
Jennings introduced the September 19 World News Tonight story without any of the negative judgments he brought to bear on Bush this past Friday night: "Senator Kennedy of Massachusetts has launched a major attack on the President's war policies. He gave an interview yesterday, which certainly got a lot of attention, and today we asked ABC's John Cochran to check out what the Senator had said and whether he had his facts right."
See the September 22 CyberAlert for more on how ABC handled Kennedy's scurrilous charges: http://www.mediaresearch.org/cyberalerts/2003/cyb20030922.asp#3
Contrast that to how Jennings, anchoring from Dallas, didn't hide his hostility towards the GOP ad on Friday night, November 21, as he set up the Reynolds story:
"National politics today. There's been a significant development in the presidential politics today. The Republican National Committee has produced a very tough political ad which will, potentially, make an already bitter debate about war in Iraq and the campaign against terrorism, even more so. The ads are going to run first in Iowa, where the Democrats have their first presidential contest for the nomination. The ad seems to suggest that if you are tough on the President, or criticize the war in Iraq, you may be soft on terrorism."
From Des Moines, Reynolds began his piece: "For months, the airwaves here in Iowa have been flooded by messages like this one."
Kerry TV ad: "He's fighting for you against the Bush tax giveaways."
Reynolds: "When they aren't bashing each other, the Democrats running for the White House have been pounding George W. Bush."
Dick Gephardt during a debate: "He's a miserable failure on this issue and he must be replaced in the election."
Reynolds: "But the Republicans are about to launch a counter- attack."
Bush's voice in ad: "Our war against terror is a contest of will in which perseverance is power."
Reynolds: "This advertisement will blanket Iowa, a state Bush lost to Al Gore by only four thousand votes. It stresses what Republicans believe to be the President's strong suits: National security. And while he never mentions his political adversaries, the President's message, and the printed words -- [ABC video zooms in on word "retreat"] 'retreat,' for example, is written in blood red -- leave little doubt that the Democrats are his targets and that those who oppose his policies are soft on terror."
[Brief full screen shot of black text on white background:
"Some call for us to retreat, putting our national security in the hands of others" Both "retreat" and "others" in red, rest in black]
Bush voice in ad: "Some have said we must not act until the threat is imminent. Since when have terrorists and tyrants announced their intentions?"
Reynolds: "The Republican National Committee, which is sponsoring the commercial both here and in New Hampshire next month, is insisting that the Democratic attacks have not hurt the President and that this new ad is merely designed to point out policy differences. But others believe a Republican response on behalf of the President is now an urgent necessity."
David Yepsin, Des Moines Register columnist: "Republicans have to stay in this fight or Democrats are just going to give him black eye that he can't recover from."
Reynolds: "The Republican ad won't even start running here until Sunday, but the Democratic candidates were responding today."
John Kerry: "We don't need commercials, we need leadership."
Howard Dean: "This President's really put this country in danger by reckless foreign policy. The RNC ad is not going to change that."
Reynolds concluded: "While such responses indicate the ad may strike a nerve, it is also clearly a use of the Iraq war and 9-11 for political purposes. Broadcasting it now may well set the election agenda a full year before the nation votes."
As Reynolds wrapped up, ABC showed this text from the ad: "Some are now attacking the president for attacking the terrorists."
The word "terrorists" was in red.
The RNC has posted a script for the ad. Judge for yourself if it matches the underhandedness suggested by ABC News:
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: "It would take one vial, one canister, one crate slipped into this country to bring a day of horror like none we have ever known."
CHYRON: Strong and Principled Leadership
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: "Our war against terror is a contest of will in which perseverance is power."
CHYRON: Some are now attacking the President for attacking the terrorists.
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: "Some have said we must not act until the threat is imminent. Since when have terrorists and tyrants announced their intentions, politely putting us on notice before they strike?"
CHYRON: Some call for us to retreat, putting our national security in the hands of others.
CHYRON: Call Congress Now
CHYRON: Tell them to support the President's policy of preemptive self-defense.
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN ED GILLESPIE: "The Republican National Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising."
CHYRON: Ed Gillespie
CHYRON: Chairman, RNC
CHYRON: The Republican National Committee paid for and is responsible for the content of this advertising. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee. www.gop.com
END Reprint of script
http://rnc.org/Newsroom/Releases/nov03/IowaAds.htm
To watch the ad via RealPlayer:
http://www.rnc.org/Newsroom/RNCResearch/Reality.htm
Unfortunately, though they may fix it, the RNC didn't bother to make sure it worked with Netscape, so if you want to play it you'll have to be using Internet Explorer. The Washington Post, however, has posted it in a way also compatible with Netscape:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/mmedia/apdaily/112103-2v.htm
Aptly put. They seem to think we don't check on their stances vis a vis Iraq back in 1998.
The lies just won't work anymore.
It's fascinating that liberals label their 'alleged' discussion of "Terrorism" as a debate. There is nothing to debate about Terrorism, there are only facts and one fact is, is that the horrible LEFTIST Demoncrats will do anything to gain their POWER back in Washington. Can anyone actually fathom the devastating effects that would occur, in military terms alone, should a Rat be elected back into the White House?The mere thought of that is as disturbing as the hate that breeds among the 'sleeper' Muslims on 'Jihad' who live and work around us here in the USA, every single day.
I thought it stood for Al-Jazeera Broadcast Conspirators ...
Jennings is one sharp tack!
"You're either wit us or agin us!" says the ignorant, southern, confederate flag-waving redneck, Nascar lovin, bigot, bible-thumper!
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