MoveOn Uses Richard Clarke Testimony in New Anti-Bush Ad

Men's News Daily ^ | 3-26-04 | By Jimmy Moore

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Liberal online political activist group MoveOn.org is using testimony from former White House counterterrorism head Richard Clarke in a new political ad to promote their anti-Bush agenda.

In the ad, MoveOn.org accuses President George W. Bush of politicizing September 11 by using images from the World Trade Center Towers in a recent campaign commercial.

"George Bush shamelessly exploited 9/11 in his campaign commercials," the announcer states at the beginning of the ad.

The attention in the ad is shifted to a quote by Clarke expressing his opinion about Bush and his handling of the war on terrorism from testimony he gave this week.

"Frankly, I find it outrageous that a president is running for reelection on the grounds that he'd done such great things on terrorism. He ignored terrorism for months, when maybe we could have done something to stop 9/11," Clarke is quoted in the ad as saying.

The attack ad concludes with, "George W. Bush. A failure of leadership."

MoveOn.org told its members in an e-mail this week that it would like to raise $300,000 by next week to begin running the ad in key presidential battleground states.

Describing Clarke as a "true believer" who doesn't play "partisan politics," MoveOn.org said they believe Clarke's message needs to be released to American voters to inform them of the Bush administration's alleged failure to prevent the terrorist attacks on September 11.

MoveOn.org accuses members of the Bush administration of character assassination on Clarke, whom they identify as a Republican.

"Clarke's words remain a searing indictment of the Bush administration's campaign against terrorism," MoveOn.org writes in an e-mail. "Together, if we act today, we can beat back the spin by widely airing a TV ad which gets these uniquely credible comments directly to TV viewers."

With Bush running as a "wartime President," MoveOn.org said it hopes these ads will "show how deeply flawed that record is."

However, even MoveOn.org admits the story will soon evaporate in the minds of the voters if they do not respond soon.

"But if we don't act fast, the public may not have a chance to evaluate the facts for themselves -- the story could go away quickly," MoveOn.org warns, in a plea for donations. "With an ad, we can take Clarke's comments directly to the public."

Interestingly, although solicitations are made by MoveOn.org for this particular ad, the group states it reserves the right "to use your contribution for other advertising, public relations, and advocacy activities" deemed appropriate.

MoveOn.org is not the only group using the Clarke testimony to appeal for money from its members.

The equally leftist Bush-bashing group America Coming Together (ACT) is also using the Clarke testimony in their fundraising efforts.

In an e-mail sent to their supporters earlier this week, ACT praised Clarke's "convincing proof" of Bush's "failure to focus on terrorist threats."

Pointing to the "terrible job on the war on terrorism" by Bush, ACT said it will be "fighting to get the truth out" to voters before November.

"We are already on the ground in 10 states, educating, mobilizing, and organizing," the group wrote in the e-mail. "Your generous gift today can support new offices in battleground states, and even greater effort in the states where we work."

[CheezyD]

Spreading lies is what they do best so it's no wonder they'd use Clarke's lies in their ads.

[EggsAckley]

"the story could go away quickly"

Desperation is a sad thing to see.

heheheh.

[kevkrom]

Let these morons hang their hopes on Clarke -- they will fall all the harder when Clarke is proven to be the liar he is.

[madison46]

If it hasn't been proven yet, then there is nothing else we can do.

Those ads just may hurt...length of the hurt is yet to be seen...........

[sarasota]

Perfect. He's already confirmed he's a walking contradiction (sometimes truth and sometimes fiction) and will fit right in with Flipflop Kerry.

[finnman69]

I expect to see 911 widows like that partisan hag Kristen Breitweiser who has been hovering around the commission and getting on the talking head shows.

[Arrowhead1952]

"With an ad, we can take Clarke's comments LIES directly to the public."

Clarke will probably eventually charged with perjury and so will MoveOn.org.

[An.American.Expatriate]

To be or support a democrat, you must master the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.

To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them,

to forget any fact that has become inconvenient, and then, when it becomes necessary again, to draw it back from oblivion for just so long as it is needed,

to deny the existence of objective reality and all the while to take account of the reality which one denies—

all this is indispensably necessary.

[GailA]

Some googling dug up these

losing bin laden

Losing bin laden

Gary Aldrich losing bin laden

The next is a 4 part VERY long series by the wash compost

Ghost Wars : The CIA and Osama bin Laden, 1997-1999 A Secret Hunt Unravels in Afghanistan

The CIA and Massoud. Legal Disputes Over Hunt Paralyzed Clinton's Aides

Flawed Ally Was Hunt's Best Hope

[Ciexyz]

I saw this ad on national TV last eve and thought it was sickening. This is a corruption of the political process.

[KellyAdmirer]

The attack ad concludes with, "George W. Bush. A failure of leadership."

It's hard to see how this kind of ad expressing a direct opinion on who should be elected could possibly be considered legal within current campaign finance laws.

[TheBattman]

Obviously the FEC is going to do nothing about this obvious violation of campaign finance law (CFR), when is a conservative group going to come out with it's own commercials blasting Kerry?

I am growing quite weary of these direct attacks on GW with no response whatsoever. It's bad enough that Kerry is blasting his lies and distortions all over the airwaves. Now MoveOn is slinging dung all over the president and nothing is being done to answer.

[CasearianDaoist]

Why isn't the GOP going after these guys in the FEC? Have they dropped this? It is clearly against the 527 rules.

[Bottom_Gun]

to see the real record on Clark and Bin Laden read Mansoor Ijaz's recent aricle here

(Politicized intelligence . . .)

It's a long read, but it brings some good points to light!

[Doug Loss]

"Together, if we act today, we can beat back the spin by widely airing a TV ad which gets these uniquely credible comments directly to TV viewers."

"Uniquely credible comments," eh? An interesting way of phrasing "bald-faced lies."

[excalibur1701]

This is politicizing the 9/11 events......so where are the families that so adamantly opposed Bush when he made this an issue?? Funny, they are no where to be seen.

[OXENinFLA]

DOES ANYONE WANT ME TO POST THE ENTIRE E-MAIL???????

[dirtboy]

Let these morons hang their hopes on Clarke -- they will fall all the harder when Clarke is proven to be the liar he is.

It won't bother them - after all, they were established to downplay and defend presidential perjury.

[Eva]

This is a good thing, because if Clarke is sited for perjury, MoveOn can be sued. Call Mark Levin.