“Rats!”

www.nationalreview.com ^ | By Robert Moran

[bogdanPolska12]

So, the new line of attack from the Democrats is that one Bush ad that shows an image of the remnants of the World Trade Center is a cynical and mean-spirited attempt to politicize 9/11.

This is, of course, all too reminiscent of the non-story story over the now infamous "rats" ad from the 2000 campaign. It's an irrelevant and meaningless charge that the media uses to slow down a candidate they hate.

Here are the questions Republicans need to ask Democrats and their friends in the media:

1. Was Bill Clinton's use of the Oklahoma City bombing to attack conservatives and talk radio "politicizing" a tragedy?

2. How about the awful James Byrd ad run by the NAACP against George W. Bush? Was reenacting Mr. Byrd's 1998 dragging death for the camera a politicization of his murder? Was that fair?

3. Is an ad that says, "So when George W. Bush refused to support hate-crimes legislation it was like my father was killed all over again" politicizing a tragedy?

4. How about using church arsons as a political issue? Is suggesting that "when you don't vote another church burns" politicizing a human tragedy?

— Robert Moran is a vice president at Republican polling firm Fabrizio, McLaughlin & Associates. He is an NRO contributor.

[goldstategop]

IOW, what's sauce for the Democratic goose is sauce for the Republican gander. The Democrats have no moral standing to lecture Republicans on standards of propriety in running a commercial. If they can't stand the heat, they should get out of the race.

[Fenris6]

I think you're making the mistake of using an appeal to reason. Dems know its a bogus complaint, hasn't stopped them. The key is influencing the 4% of Independents left in this civil war. Kerry doesn't want 9-11 in play becasue everyone knows his polciy: supplicate ourselves to the UN and treat the war as a criminal investigation instead. Thats what got us here to begin with (thanks again BJ Bill)

[bogdanPolska12]

I gave up trying to learn the mind of liberals. It is not even worth of a time and space. What happened on 9/11 was real and should not be forgotten. We are at war!! Liberals have one side mentality when you show them the truth they scream but when they attack with their bogus we should just take it. Total crap.

[bondjamesbond]

Of course this is all true. But it is not necessary to say "The 'Rats do it too!" to defend these commercials.

These commercials flash a scene from a crucial point in recent history. They are remarkably restrained in the use of 9/11 imagery. I hope that subsequent commercials will not be. I want to see The President's speech from the top of that debris pile broadcast uninterrupted in prime time on every major network. I want to see The President holding up that Policeman's badge during the 2002 SOTU as the centerpiece of a two-minute spot. I think we will see these things before November.

And that will be acceptable not because the 'Rats did worse with the James Byrd spots. It will be acceptable because it is true. It will be acceptable because it will be a positive reflection on The President. I suspect that Kerry and the 'Rats will not be mentioned such ads at all.

[GoodGrief]

Exactly.....bringing up grudges from four or eight years ago won't be effective. Its 2004, and its Kerry who's running this campaign to keep Bush's triumphs off the air (as Rush said, 9/11's a positive for Bush which is the reason they're howling).

Maybe the Bush campaign advisors should just ask the press, as representatives of the dem's "grievance committee" to give them a list of all areas we need to avoid talking about in an election year. Everything that could "cause pain" to someone....somewhere!

By the way, speaking of causing pain......those 9/11 families who objected to Bush using images and reminders of the twin towers tragedy.........are they the same people who have been lobbying for a "tasteful" memorial, hanging out at the 9/11 commission hearings to make sure all the info gets out, and generally wallowing in the tragedy all day--every day? Are they the ones who object to this "blink of an eye" reminder?

[bondjamesbond]

I would not be too insulting to 9/11 families. The "professional victim" segment of this group is actually very small. Unfortunately, they are the ones that get all the face time on TV. The 9/11 widows that I know are uniformly dignified and determined to raise their families and get on with their lives. I haven't had a chance to talk to them about these TV spots, but I do not think they would have any problem with them at all.

Groups like "The September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows" are a vanisingly small group, and probably contain no 9/11 family members at all.

[tet68]

I could give a rat's ass about the 4% of "independents" too.
If they can't figure it out, to hell with them.
The same goes for the "I voted for GW last time but because
of Blah, blah, this time I'm voting for Aristide!"

This country hasn't forgotten what happened, we can't!
It hit too close to home for us. The terrorists made a
big mistake by killing that many people, almost every
American, knows someone who died. I have friends who lost a
daughter. I met the Olsons.

I am not about to let the likes of J F'n Kerry any where
near the reins of power. If I had my way he'd be booted
out of the Senate!

9-11 was an attack on ME! I don't get over that sort of
thing.

Communists tried to kill me once.
Now Islamic Terroritst are trying.
Democrats want me to make up with them.
Bad Decision guys!

[NaughtiusMaximus]

" The 'Rats are our enemies' enablers." I just read this wonderful line on another thread and it perfectly sums it up.

[boxerblues]

If Bush had not used any reference to 9/11 in any of his ads the rats would still complain that he has forgotten about what happened to this country on that terrible day.

[randita]

When does a 15 second political ad buy turn into hours of FREE political advertising?

When Democrats assisted by their media friends mount a feigned attack on legitimate ads and Bush sends out his associates to blanket the airwaves, further expanding on the positives pointed out by the ads. The initial ads were bought and paid for. The ensuing "ads" are FREE!

[Gritty]

We shouldn't be wringing our hands here. We need to go on offense and show the entire picture.

Bring out the graphic pictures of the planes hitting the buidings, people jumping dozens of stories into the street, the buildings collapsing, New York filled with smoke, dust and ash, and lines of desperate relatives posting walls of pictures.

Painful? Yes. But this entire War is painful. It is also present and unresolved. Now the Dems want to make it "off limits" for discussion as an issue.

Let's get all the horrors of 9/11 back out on the table and ask Americans who they want to run this War - George Bush, who is doing a marvelous job ... or John Kerry, a waffling pr!ck who wants to turn it over to the UN so he can spend more of our tax dollars on (in his view) much more important stuff like Education and The Environment. And play his full, evasive answer when he was asked in the recent debate (sic) if would consider himself a "war President" .

The Dems and Media are squealing like stuck pigs because a nerve has been hit. I say twist the knife and make them squeal even louder!

As far as the "complaining widows", scr*w them too. They don't "own" this issue. Instead, they are willing accomplices of the Democrat effort to shut down debate on the issue!