Posted on 08/23/2004 12:28:53 PM PDT by KQQL
CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - Under pressure from Democrats and Republican Sen. John McCain, President Bush on Monday called for ads attacking John Kerry's record in Vietnam to be stopped along with others run by independent groups, and said Kerry should be proud of his war service.
"That means that ad and every other ad," Bush said when asked if he wanted to bring a stop to commercials by a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which accuse Sen. Kerry of lying about his war record in Vietnam.
Bush said Kerry "served admirably" in Vietnam, adding: "He ought to be proud of his record." But Bush stopped short of directly condemning the charge that Kerry lied about his actions.
Unlike previous statements by the White House, Bush this time referred specifically to the ad attacking Kerry's Vietnam service record, though he did not mention the Swift Boat group by name.
Bush did not specify what actions might be taken to stop the advertisements run by independent groups, except to renew his call on Kerry to join him in condemning all unregulated soft money ads.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
With Bush's comments, Kerry now has soundbites for an ad in which he can say that "even George Bush has attacked the Swift Boat Vets...even George Bush says Kerry 'served admirably...He ought to be proud of his record.'"
By giving Kerry these sound bites, the President has helped marginalize the Swift Boat Vets.
What Bush should have said was "I am calling for an end to all unfair advertising and ask that my opponent do likewise" and shut up.
Good grief. Does this put Kerry in line for antother purple heart??
By giving Kerry these sound bites, the President has helped marginalize the Swift Boat Vets.
What Bush should have said was "I am calling for an end to all unfair advertising and ask that my opponent do likewise" and shut up.
I agree.
First hard money is banned, beyond ridiculously small amounts. Then soft money to parties is banned. Now they want the private groups to be quiet, too. The next step is that no one spends a dime on political speech except the Official Incumbent Reelection Politburo.
This may be a shortterm tactical winner, but signing on to leftist monstrosities like "campaign finance reform" is a longterm loser.
These people will not be satisfied, no matter what! It's damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Only because the MSM is waging its war via misleading headlines.
BUSH IS RIGHT: EVEN IF KERRY PADDED HIS WAR RESUME OR USED "CREATIVE WRITING" ON SOME MEDALS, HE STILL SERVED "ADMIRABLY" AS DID 2.5 MILLION OTHER MEN IN THE MILITARY. HE TOOK OUT SOME ENEMY, DID HIS DUTIES AND DIDNT COMMIT WAR CRIMES.
Oh wait, on that last point, didn't he himself say he committed war crimes and accuse all his pals of the same??? ... I get so confused. Is only Kerry allowed to attack his own military record? :-0
Law of BUSH Responsibility: It's always Bush's fault.
Liberals believe in individual responsibility after all; they think the individual to blame for everything is Bush.
No he isn't. I think it's brilliant. W knows that the SBVT are not going to quit running their ads. This posture insulates him against any further whinning from the dims. John O'Neill has said that even if W personally asked him to pull the ads HE WOULDN'T. To him it isn't political.....it's personal. W knows that.
The usual half-truths from the propaganda wing of the Stalinist liberal party.
Bush didn't say that "that ad" attacking Kerry should stop. He said that all 527 ads should stop.
The President did nothing of the sort. He agreed with Kerry on process but not on substance. He NEVER said the Swifties are wrong. In fact Bush called for end to ALL negative attacks. The Democrats won't agree to halt them, since this means forfeiting Soros' billions. But the point the President made was, I tried my best to extend my hand to bring about a more elevated debate and my opponent spurned me. And the public will agree.
Make that was, past tense, Bush just cut the legs out from under this story. You can now forget the swiftboat vets. Then can now be safely ignored by all major media, just a bunch of right wings nut jobs. Move on folks, nothing to see here.
"FReepers all over the U.S. cried foul, because Bush did not get their permission for today's Strategery moment."
Evil snicker.
"Negative politics" is nothing more than the right to criticize politicians. You do not have to like it or agree with it, but do you really think it should be banned?
About time the traitor started to scream. Or maybe the 'scream' painting being stolen symbolically represented it.
biblewonk:
I've figured this out. Bush is not
stupid, which a shallow analysis
of his reply might suggest. Bush
keeps referring to KERRY'S record
& service, of which HE should be
proud. All Bush means, clearly, is
what KERRY represents as his own
record. NOT what others are saying
that contradicts Kerry's claims -
Bush isn't commenting on that at
all.
I like it. The Media is frantic
to hurt Bush with this Ad War. He
won't let them.
Pay CLOSE attention...very close.
Bush is trusting US to watch so
carefully, & not knee-jerk, that
he believes his backers will stick
with him.
The problem is that Bush has said that on a number of occasions. Now Bush and the RNC have a huge oppurtunity slamming Kerry on his position of 527's.
Imagine a commercial where it starts off with 65 million dollars in negative advertising, flash hitler commercial, The president has called for an end to all 527's, flash quotes from various newspapers, Kerry has embraced them flash graph showing Kerry ties to 527's and he even hired the internet coordinator for MoveOn.org, flash hitler commercial again, end quote"Tell John Kerry to join the President in calling an end to all 527 negative advertising"
"Shooting himself in the foot again"???? No way! He is being very smart. He is saying what he has to say to put Kerry in a corner. Believe me, the vets know exactly what the President is doing.......and approve. Fact is, they know and Bush knows (and, heh! heh!, the Demos know), that because of the stupid McCain/Feingold Campaign Finance "Reform", there is not a thing that legally can be done to stop those ads. The Democrats are kicking themselves for nominating Kerry. They would have been better off with Gore again.....believe it or not.
And if you know that you are going to be misquoted, you shouldn't say anything. Or say something that is less likely to be spun.
the Bush campaign never planned on running any negative ads about Kerry's vietnam era antics. I can't see how this restricts them from doing something they weren't going to do anyway. its like me being restricted from skydiving.
I still say the key now is to shift the focus to the message of the second ad. the first ad is becoming a "we said/he said".
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