Posted on 06/26/2004 7:19:22 PM PDT by cricket
ELECTION 2004 'Kerry wants Bush apology for 'Hitler ad'
But footage came from MoveOn.org piece blasting president
Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign is calling on President Bush to apologize for using images of Adolf Hitler in an Internet ad on the Bush-Cheney 2004 website.
MoveOn.org TV ad calling on Congress to censure the president for allegedly lying about Iraq.
The images, however, originally came from a TV ad posted online by a Democrat party ally, MoveOn.org, which likened President Bush to the Nazi dictator, points out Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt.
Schmidt told WorldNetDaily he considers the call for an apology the "single most deceitful and deceptive release put out by the Kerry campaign."
As WND reported, MoveOn.org, a left-leaning "Section 527" soft-money organization, posted two Bush-Hitler spots on its site as part of its "Bush in 30 Seconds" television ad contest. One of the ads featured images of the German tyrant with the words, "What were war crimes in 1945 is foreign policy in 2003." The final two frames include Hitler with his hand raised and then a shot of Bush with his hand up taking the oath of office.
Nevertheless, the Kerry campaign called on Bush to apologize for folding brief excerpts from the MoveOn.org pieces into an ad of its own that begins with the title: "The Many Faces of the John Kerry Campaign. The Coalition of the Wild-eyed."
The Bush ad then presents footage of former Vice President Al Gore raging against the president in a speech, followed by the first of two sections of footage from the MoveOn.org ads.
Also included are clips of angry Bush opponents Gov. Howard Dean, Rep. Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., filmmaker Michael Moore and Kerry himself.
The spot concludes with: "This is not a time for pessimism and rage ... It's a time for optimism, steady leadership and progress."
Kerry campaign spokesman Phil Singer said in a statement issued yesterday, "The fact that George Bush thinks its appropriate to use images of Adolf Hitler in his campaign raises serious questions about his fitness to spend another four years in the White House."
"Adolf Hitler slaughtered millions of innocent people and has no place in a campaign that is supposed to be about the future and hope of this nation," Singer said. "The president's use of these images during a month that evoked the memory of World War II is remarkably insensitive to the sacrifices of the millions of people who lost their lives during Hitlers reign of terror."
Singer said the Bush campaign, "should immediately remove these hateful images from its website and apologize for using them. The use of Adolf Hitler by any campaign, politician or party is simply wrong."
'Unfair' association
Asked by WorldNetDaily to explain why using images from an ad that originated with a Democrat ally is inappropriate, Singer argued MoveOn.org is not affiliated with the Kerry campaign.
He added that the group – founded by a California millionaire in 1998 to defend President Clinton from impeachment – has repudiated the two ads, as well, making it "unfair to associate those images" with Kerry.
The Bush campaign's Schmidt disagrees.
"All of the images used in the [Bush campaign] video contain attacks on the president that have been aired by John Kerry and his campaign surrogates, including two that MoveOn.org ran," he told WND.
"They are disparaging, and we made the determination that voters should see the disgusting attacks that are made every day," Schmidt said.
He asserted the Hitler references are "part and parcel of the coalition that has formed to elect John Kerry," noting that Gore made the same attacks in a speech Thursday, comparing Bush to Stalin as well as Hitler.
"The effort is filled with hate speech and unsubstantiated attacks that are never repudiated by the Kerry campaign," Schmidt said.
He insisted the Kerry campaign is closely tied to MoveOn.org, to the point where the non-profit group announced Kerry's economic policy before he did.
Zack Exley, who served as director of special projects for MoveOn's political action committee, became the Kerry campaign's director of online communications and organization this spring, Schmidt points out.
The sudden move came at a time when the Bush campaign and the Republican National Committee filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, charging MoveOn.org and other Democratic allies violated campaign-finance law by running $17 million worth of attack ads against Bush.
George Soros
Schmidt also says MoveOn.org's biggest contributor, billionaire financier George Soros, has compared Bush to Hitler.
In an interview with the Washington Post, Soros said he believed the White House was guided by a "supremacist ideology."
"America, under Bush, is a danger to the world," he said. "... When I hear Bush say, 'You're either with us or against us,' it reminds me of the Germans. ... My experiences under Nazi and Soviet rule have sensitized me."
In January, Soros told an audience at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace no less than the future of the planet hinges on the results of the presidential election.
WND reported Soros seeks to raise up to $75 million and has pledged more than $15 million of his own money to prevent Bush from staying in the White House.
Although MoveOn.org issued an apology for the Bush-Hitler ads, one week later it staged an event to announce contest winners in which participants stayed on the Nazi theme.
Comedian Margaret Cho said, in part:
"Despite all of this stupid bull---- that the Republican National Committee, or whatever the f--- they call them, that they were saying that they're all angry about how two of these ads were comparing Bush to Hitler? I mean, out of thousands of submissions, they find two. . .
They're like f---ing looking for Hitler in a haystack. You know? I mean, George Bush is not Hitler. He would be if he f---ing applied himself. (big, extended applause) I mean he just isn't." Related stories:
How do these people sleep at night; or maybe they don't; maybe they just hang upside down in a tree; and dive for food. maybe.
Moveon.org is not the only group working campaign angles for the dems. The communications director for ADA was up on the hill meeting with folks this week. That same director is a proud member of moveon. The ADA is nothing more than a dem mouthpiece.
When this election is over, regardless of how it turns out, there is going to be a lot of getting even to do!!!
Dishonest, disgusting and traitorous garbage such as displayed by the dims is beginning to make me think that we have our Troops attacking the wrong group of morons!! The Terrorist will NOT ruin this Country, but the Kerry/ Kennedy Traitor Klan sure as heck might!
the American Dental Association? Really?
"How do these people sleep at night; or maybe they don't; maybe they just hang upside down in a tree; and dive for food. maybe"
Probably more like suck for blood
Love it.
Zack Exley is an internet dweeb wanna be.
How do the Dems spell heartburn?
A-C-CO-U-N-T-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y.
...Some of these folks, Miss Cho, in particular make Hitler look like an under achiever...
This proves a point I have been making for months. Nobody gives a hoot right now. Nobody cares at this point in the race. Its Summertime, Summertime, SumSum Summertime.
that's a different ada...
What a crock on behalf of the Kerry campaign. MoveOn.org has with no doubt has helped the Kerry campaign raise millions.
This is *so* rich. I'm looking for the White Rabbit and the Red Queen.
Kerry's campaign never has anything to say about the 527s, or against these substitute preachers (Gore, Soros, Dean, Kennedy, Pelosi, etc.) when they whale on the President. But use their images and audio to frame their negativity and hatefulness? Uh-uh-uh. Not allowed. Not cricket, you know.
How incredibly, breathtakingly intellectually dishonest!
Who are the other people who can't look in the mirror? Vampires?
The Dems never counted on being held accountable for everything they and their mouthpieces have said about Bush these past few years.
Check and mate, guys.
"but what a great idea on behalf of the Repubs!"
I agree!
so whine some more you cry babies!!!!!!
Unfortunately the scumbag press has been running headlines on the internet as of yesterday stating "Bush runs ad with images of Hitler."
The Republicans should have a formal response. They start by saying they understand John Kerry wants them to apologize. Then the campaign chairman starts laughing and says they were simply showing American what the dems were using in their ads. Then the chairman says if John Kerry can't figure out what's going on then maybe he isn't up to the job of being President.
And it's beautiful to see Kerry and the Dems trying to disassociate themselves with all the looney leftist organizations that are supporting them.
I think we need ads with Howard Stern, George Soros, Michael Moore, MoveOn.Org etc. etc. to show the character of the pro-Kerry forces.
I believe these fringe nut cases can loose the election for Kerry..and I think Kerry knows it.
...I disagree. This nations "uncivil war" started long ago, and I think it never ending. The only virtue left is hope...
This is a perfect gotcha. Dems complain about images and RNC gets to remind everyone of the source. sKerry should go demand apologies from moveon.org. Don't hold your breath.
One more flip flop from Kerry.
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