Kerry Ads Draw on Saudis for New Attack on Bushes

The New York Times ^ | Oct. 5, 2004 | JIM RUTENBERG

[blogblogginaway]

In the final month of the campaign, Democrats are increasingly tying the White House to the Saudi Arabian royal family, a line of attack that they say is highly effective, but it has stirred concern among Saudi officials.

Senator John Kerry and the Democratic Party introduced two new advertisements this weekend that criticize President Bush's administration as giving the family "special favors" and as having an overreliance on Saudi Arabia for oil.

And the Media Fund, a Democratic group, said yesterday that it would spend $6.5 million to run advertisements hitting the Saudi theme still harder in Ohio, Florida and Wisconsin during the next couple of weeks.

Officials with the Media Fund said they decided to do so after a test run in St. Louis late last month produced what they said were unexpectedly good results with voters.

The line of attack is reminiscent of "Fahrenheit 9/11," the anti-Bush documentary by Michael Moore that highlights what it call Mr. Bush's ties to the Saudi royal family.

Mr. Kerry's new advertisements imply that ties between the president and the Saudis have caused Mr. Bush to take a slack line against the Saudis on oil prices - a message Kerry aides say they hope will resonate particularly well in the days before Mr. Kerry's Friday debate on domestic issues with Mr. Bush.

"The Saudi royal family gets special favors, while our gas prices skyrocket," an announcer says in one spot as the screen flashes a picture of Crown Prince Abdullah. In another, Mr. Kerry says, "I want an America that relies on its own ingenuity and innovation, not the Saudi royal family."

[Founding Father]

Obviously part of the Jean Francois Kerri strategy of building a coalition.

[isthisnickcool]

John Kerry, a divider, not a uniter!

[montag813]

The video clip showing Bush and Abdullah holding hands makes me want to puke. This could certainly influence some voters.

[GoBucks2002]

The video clip showing Bush and Abdullah holding hands makes me want to puke. This could certainly influence some voters.

Of course it will. Don't expect anyone on our side to come up with a response. They seem to want to keep Kerry's voting record a secret. They also seem to want to keep his historic disdain for our military a secret, too. Frankly, with all of the anti-Bush stuff out there, and the weak and lame ads we are running, not to mention the fact that our people get almost zero TV exposure on Fox, I am surprised this race is where it is.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Bush should answer calling the ad racist, if the shoe was on the other foot the dims would do it in a heart beat.

[A CA Guy]

Well F, they resisted getting Alaskan oil access, now they complain we use foreign oil too much? QUE????

[toolbreaker]

Bush should answer calling the ad racist, if the shoe was on the other foot the dims would do it in a heart beat.

The ad is racist!