Posted on 03/04/2004 12:21:22 PM PST by The_Victor
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Families who lost relatives in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks voiced outrage on Thursday at President Bush (news - web sites)'s first ads of his re-election campaign that use images of the devastated World Trade Center to portray him as the right leader for tumultuous times.
"Families are enraged," said Bill Doyle, 57, of New York, who is active in several Sept. 11 family groups. "What I think is distasteful is that the president is trying to use 9/11 as a springboard for his re-election."
"It's entirely wrong. He's had 3,500 deaths on his watch, including Iraq (news - web sites)," said Doyle, whose 25-year-old son Joseph died at the trade center.
Long time Bush adviser Karen Hughes defended the four commercials -- which began running on Thursday in at least 16 important battleground states -- as "tastefully done."
"September 11 is not some distant event in the past," Hughes told ABC's "Good Morning America."
"It's a defining event for our future and important that we learn the lessons of that day. All of us feel deeply that tragedy but it's also important to recognize the impact it had on our national public policy," she said.
Two ads refer to the hijacked airliner attacks as the Bush campaign seeks to present him as a leader who rose to the challenge. One ad shows World Trade Center ruins behind an American flag. Another shows firefighters removing the flag-draped remains of a victim.
Ron Willett of Walnut Shade, Missouri, said he was disgusted when he saw the ads. Willett, who lost his 29-year-old son, John Charles, when planes hit the trade center, said he is now so upset, "I would vote for Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) before I would vote for Bush."
"I think it is an atrocity," his wife, Lucy, added. "He should not be allowed to use those images at all."
STAY AWAY FROM GROUND ZERO
With Republicans holding their political convention in New York in late August, victims said they hope Bush does not make it worse by speaking at the site now known as Ground Zero, which many view as sacred.
"If he does, there will be a protest and it could get ugly," said Doyle.
Several family members said their annoyance at Bush's using the emotional images stems in part from his refusal to testify in open session before the federal commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
"There is really a hypocrisy here. The Bush administration will not cooperate fully with the 9/11 commission and at the same time they are trying to invoke and own 9/11 and use it for his re-election," said Stephen Push from the Washington office of "Families September 11th." His wife died on the plane that crashed into the Pentagon (news - web sites) that day.
The International Association of Fire Fighters, which endorsed Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites), also denounced the campaign spots as "hypocrisy at its worst."
"I'm disappointed but not surprised that the president would try to trade on the heroism of those fire fighters," the union's general president, Harold Schaitberger, said.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he had not yet seen the ads but had no objections.
"I haven't a problem in reminding people in the country and the world of the sacrifices that the New York City fire department and police department and civilians made," Bloomberg said.
And not all relatives of victims were upset by the ads.
"I don't have a problem with his pointing to his leadership at that time. He helped us weather it. To me it was a tasteful ad," said Patricia Reilly, who sister Lorraine Lee died in the New York attacks. (additional reporting by Larry Fine)
That they care so little for the lives of the Iraqi's freed from torment and torture is a disgrace to the memories of the innocent victims of 9/11
Shame on them.
That so? Why don't you regale us with your "reasoning".
Shouldn’t this say ‘some families’. I seriously doubt that ALL families are outraged, as is implied in this statement.
"Families are enraged," said Bill Doyle, 57, of New York, who is active in several Sept. 11 family groups. "What I think is distasteful is that the president is trying to use 9/11 as a springboard for his re-election."
Translation: “I’m a Democrat and I’m pissed that the highlighting of Bush’s leadership post-9/11 is going to work well.”
"It's entirely wrong. He's had 3,500 deaths on his watch, including Iraq (news - web sites)," said Doyle, whose 25-year-old son Joseph died at the trade center.
Translation: “The fact that I’d even mention Iraq tells you that my objection is a manifestation of political partisanship, and nothing more principled.”
Ron Willett of Walnut Shade, Missouri, said he was disgusted when he saw the ads. Willett, who lost his 29-year-old son, John Charles, when planes hit the trade center, said he is now so upset, "I would vote for Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) before I would vote for Bush."
Um, shouldn’t the title of this article be: Democrats Angry That Bush Earned the Right to Highlight His Effective Leadership Post-9/11?
"I think it is an atrocity," his wife, Lucy, added. "He should not be allowed to use those images at all."
Translation: “I’m an idiot. I get all my news from the Today Show.”
With Republicans holding their political convention in New York in late August, victims said they hope Bush does not make it worse by speaking at the site now known as Ground Zero, which many view as sacred.
Probably good advice, but once again, ALL victims?
"If he does, there will be a protest and it could get ugly," said Doyle.
Translation: “I’m a Baby Boomer protest liberal, and I think these kinds of political demonstrations are effective.”
Several family members said their annoyance at Bush's using the emotional images stems in part from his refusal to testify in open session before the federal commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Translation: We’re partisans and we want to use the commission as political ammunition against Bush. We like to pretend otherwise, hoping that you can’t tell the difference between partisanship and principle.
"There is really a hypocrisy here ….”
No kidding. The pot calling the kettle black.
“… The Bush administration will not cooperate fully with the 9/11 commission and at the same time they are trying to invoke and own 9/11 and use it for his re-election," said Stephen Push from the Washington office of "Families September 11th." His wife died on the plane that crashed into the Pentagon (news - web sites) that day.
Funny. Trying to use 9/11 and your position as head of the “Families of September 11” in order to work AGAINST Bush’s re-election also qualifies as a political machination. As I said, the pot calling the kettle black.
Alternative paragraph: “We liberals are totally unconcerned at worst and unserious at best when it comes to national security post-9/11, but we still think it’s OK to dictate to others which events are suitable for discussion re:politics, and simultaneously it’s OK that we repress any invocation of the Bush Administration’s clear superiority in regards to security,” said Stephen Push. His liberal wife died on the plane that crashed into the Pentagon.
Last year, the county commission made national news when it turned down the request for a memorial plaque for Willett. During his tenure, the young treasurer had stirred up political wrath by accusing other Republican officials of wrongdoing. One of the commissioners, Ron Herschend, relented after a public outcry - and agreed to pay for the plaque from his pocket."
Mr Willett, Sr, looks to be a disgusting partisan hack.
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