Bush Says 'That Ad' Attacking Kerry Should Stop

http://www.reuters.com ^ | Mon Aug 23, 2004 02:53 PM ET | Adam Entous

[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.

[faithincowboys]

Reuters is acting like this is new. He has always denounced all 527 ads. Reuters is disgraceful!!

[edsheppa]

Calling for an end to 527 advertising is (politically) OK but Bush made two mistakes here. First, he should not have said that Kerry should be proud of his service. This was unnecessary and does make it seem like he thinks the sbvft are wrong. Second, he should have said that, in his opinion, these controversies about what may or may not have happened 35 years ago are not very important and what is important is what the president for the next four years will do. The Bush campaign should continue comparing his and Kerry's public records and achievements and policies. This is highly favorable to Bush since Kerry doesn't really have any.

Of course I also think the sbvft will and should continue their ads.

[WOSG]

maybe you are right there. I support the mitch mcconnell view, that the best campaign law is the 1st amendment.

my point is that without CFR, 527s wouldnt be around.
another point is what someone (Abe Lincoln ?) said: The best way to get rid of an unjust law is to enforce it.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Now I love your post #183!

[deport]

Click

When asked specifically whether the ads by the group "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" should be halted, Bush said: "All of them. That means that ad, every other ad. Absolutely."

"I can't be more plain about it," Bush said. "I hope my opponent joins me in condemning these activities of the 527s (political groups that sponsor to ads). I think they're bad for the system."

[WOSG]

dittos on your points - i wrote similar verbiage to

"these controversies about what may or may not have happened 35 years ago are not very important and what is important is what the president for the next four years will do"

earlier in the thread.

[F.J. Mitchell]

You are asking the wrong guy to stop the Swift Vets Ad, Mr Kerry, it's your side that fears the truth.

[jpsb]

Wrong, very bad move, the media and Kerry supporters have been trying to change the story to one of a GOP dirty tricks story, Bush just gave THAT story legs and discredited the swifties.

Now the story is, since you disapprove of these ads, and concider Kerry service honorable, that are you going to do to silence these ads? Are you going to at least condemn the swiftboat vets for their smear tactics? Bush has given the enemy a big stick to beat the swifty with.

Huge mistake, this morning the story was Bob Dole calls on Kerry to apoligise, now the Story is Bush says Kerry's service honorable and calls on swifties to stop ads. Only kool-aid drinkers think that is good news.

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

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.

The phrase "stopped short" implies that he came close. Bush doesn't even come close to condemning Kerry for his sketchy war record.

[carl in alaska]

McCain is the Bush campaign chairman for Arizona. He better not show up in any Kerry campaign ads. That would be way out of line if you ask me.

[ApesForEvolution]

"I thought we dealt with these things when I signed the McStain-Findgold Campaign Finance Reform bill (that lost me a bunch of votes)?" Next...

I have no doubts the illegal coordination between Moveon.commie, Michael Moore, the DNC and John Kerry...

[ApesForEvolution]

Sad but true...the Stupid Party strikes itself yet again.

[e_castillo]

Bush has never run a really tough campaign like some people here expect. What's the saying If you wrestle with a pig you end up covered in mud and the pig's just happy! even if you don't jump in the mud, the pig will still accuse you of getting mud on him! In Texas he beat Ann Richards by running on his ideas and I don't really see him changing his style much these days.

I was reading an article on the Internet which stated that over half of the Internet users in the US are now on broadband connections. This has enabled a huge audience for the Swiftvets and they are taking advantage of it. The second ad will have it's effect pretty soon just like the first one did.

[NCSteve]

VERY SMART MOVE BY W, because the ads will keep running and Kerry can't BLAME W for them

Hey great. That's what I want in a Republican President: Someone who is every bit as devious and ethically bankrupt as Bill Clinton.

Some of you GOP cheerleaders really go beyond the pale. If Bill Clinton changed his registration and claimed to be a born-again conservative, the rationalizations on FR would be something to behold.

[TheLawyerFormerlyKnownAsAl]

An ad of the sort you envision could be made from just about anything somebody has said at various times. Hell, clever editing could probably produce a ransom note from what W said.

[kabar]

McCain is the Bush campaign chairman for Arizona. He better not show up in any Kerry campaign ads. That would be way out of line if you ask me.

McCain is already in one Kerry add. It shows McCain confronting Bush during the South Carolina primary over what McCain perceived to a Bush-supported smear campaign about McCain's performance in the Senate on the MIA issue. Pretty effective.

[kabar]

No editing necessary on this one. It would be hard to refute.

[Paul_B]

It actually was one of his better conferences; excellent flow, good grammer. But he did leave himself open just a bit on that point.

[txrangerette]

The book banned??? No, he smiles
at the thought of all those book
sales, I'm sure.

[txrangerette]

See #136