Posted on 08/13/2004 4:12:49 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - President Bush (news - web sites) assails rival Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) on intelligence reform, arguing in a new television ad that the Democrat's pledge to fix the system is at odds with his record and concluding, "There's what Kerry says, and then there's what Kerry does."
The commercial, which begins airing Monday, claims that Kerry promises to "immediately reform the intelligence system" but was absent for many of the intelligence committee's public hearings and proposed cuts in the intelligence budget after the first World Trade Center attack in 1993.
Kerry, like other Senate Republicans and Democrats, had sought reductions in intelligence spending after the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Democrat also has pushed for Bush to adopt immediately the recommendations of the Sept. 11 commission, which highlighted failures in the U.S. system.
Chad Clanton, a Kerry campaign spokesman, accused Bush of resorting to "the politics of fear and distortion" because "the president lacks a plan."
The Bush-Cheney campaign has committed a staggering $28 million to advertising in August, a sum that could still grow as strategists hone the campaign's state-by-state game plan heading into the fall election.
Bush's ad criticizing Kerry will run in local media markets in 19 battleground states and nationally on cable networks.
To counter Bush's advertising effort when Kerry is off the air to save money, an affiliate of the Democratic National Committee (news - web sites) has bought about $20 million worth of airtime, including a new $7 million expenditure to continue running ads next week that assail Bush on the economy. The Media Fund, a group of Democratic insiders, also has spent $6 million on anti-Bush ads over the first two weeks of August in nine key states.
When combined, the two groups have run even or higher levels of ads than Bush in many local media markets in key battleground states in the first two weeks of August.
On Friday, the Bush campaign previewed an Olympics-oriented ad that notes there are "two more free nations and two fewer terrorist regimes" during the Summer Games, a reference to new governments in Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites).
The ad will run on national cable networks, and in a first for a presidential campaign, on a television network at 250 fitness centers in battleground states, a novel appeal to busy professionals who typically only watch TV from treadmills or stationary bikes. The Summer Games started Friday and end Aug. 29.
To more precisely target his message, Bush has turned to ClubCom Inc., a Pittsburgh-based company whose health club TV network reaches 8 million people a month who exercise at facilities including Gold's Gym and PowerHouse Gym.
The ad will run on the network for two weeks starting Aug. 17 in clubs in 21 media markets in eight swing states — Arkansas, Florida, Nevada, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon and Pennsylvania — as well as in Washington, D.C., and New York City.
Judging by the demographics of commercial health clubs, the ads will reach a very targeted cliental — mostly urban and suburban affluent and highly educated professionals age 25 to 44.
____
On the Net:
Bush-Cheney campaign: http://www.georgewbush.com
ClubCom Inc.: http://www.clubcom.com
Jenna, left, and Barbara Bush, right, daughters of U.S. president George W. Bush, chat with an unidentified athlete as they visit the American college in Athens, Friday, Aug. 13, 2004. Jenna and Barbara along with their grand parents George and Barbara Bush will visit the Athens 2004 Olympic Games (news - web sites) starting in the evening. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
Well, at least he didn't 'attack' him. ;-)
Boom! 5 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires
why cant I see the ad on his website?
I saw it, it was GREAT
Democratic presidential nominee Senator John Kerry (news - web sites) (D-MA) tosses a copy of his and his running mate John Edwards (news - web sites)' book 'Our Plan for America' into the audience as he spoke at a campaign rally in Portland, Oregon, August 13, 2004. Kerry was campaigning in Oregon Friday on the final day of his 'Believe in America' coast to coast tour which started in Boston following the Democratic National Convention. REUTERS/Mike Segar US ELECTION
I could swear that I saw this on Fox News Channel in Philadelphia this afternoon.
Jenna looks more like her Grandma, doesn't she?
About time that he started hitting back. I do like the Olympics commercial though.
another Great Ad..."Victory"
uh huh,, and if she is half as spirited, look out.
Me too! I thought it was excellent.
Is this add on line? what is it called?
You go, girls!
"mostly urban and suburban affluent and highly educated professionals"
This is not Bush's demographic, I don't get it. Lower-Middle class voters will be much more swayed by the "weak on defense" argument.
Lower-Middle class voters will be much more swayed by the "weak on defense" argument.
Not to mention they are much less expensive to reach.
wait a minute - isn't there a prohibition on giving out items of value to potential voters --- unless it's under a certain $ amount? I can't find the max amount online.
The book is selling for $10.36 at amazon ($12.95 list).
Yeah, but Kerry served in Vietnam.
There's campaign finance reform for you. And the only angle of the Swift Boat Veterans story the media has "run with" is the claim that they are violating election law with their $200,000 in ads.
No one was around to catch the book as all the crowd had been forced to the side to 'fill-in' the crowd for the photo op.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.