Kerry Says Bush Uses Sept. 11 in Ads to Scare America

[NNN0LHI]

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=a2ldV_fHxySg&refer=us

March 5 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said President George W. Bush is trying to ``scare America'' and ``change the subject'' by using images of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in ads for his re-election bid.

``You understand why he's doing that,'' Kerry said at a rally in New Orleans. ``He can't come out here and talk to you about jobs; he can't come out here and talk to you about protecting the environment,'' said Kerry. ``He can't talk to you about balancing the budget.''

The television ads, which began broadcasting yesterday, signal the start of the general election campaign between Bush, 57, and Kerry, 60, the Massachusetts senator who sealed his bid for the Democratic nomination Tuesday with wins in nine of 10 states. Kerry is making the Iraq war and the 2.3 million job losses during Bush's presidency centerpieces of his campaign.

A group representing 120 families of Sept. 11 victims today called on Bush's campaign to withdraw the ads, which include video of firefighters carrying a flag-draped stretcher through the rubble of the World Trade Center and footage of a fireman's funeral.

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[Jacobin]

1. Bush*s motto:

"We have nothing to fear but the people overcoming their fear"

[Bonhomme Richard]

3. I love it! Right on target.

[LSparkle]

2. God bless Kristin Breitweiser

and the other victims' family members who are speaking out so eloquently on the misuse of those images. The fact *hole's campaign would DARE use 9/11 while he stonewalls the commission is just another demonstration of their hubris maximus.

[NNN0LHI]

23. She does appear to be one tough lady. My hat is off to her n/t

[Not Me]

4. One of Kerry's best campaign strengths...

is his ability to drive the discussion back to his agenda.
In this case, rather than get embroiled in the propriety of the ad, he is bringing it back to issues that he can hammer the little dickwad on.

He did it masterfully during the CNN/LA Times debate (discussion) when they tried to go on and on into a gay marriage rathole.

Very focused...watch for it in the upcoming months and years.

[Stephanie]

5. Bush was AWOL on 9/11

We should remind people about the goatbook-reading & the bunker-hopping. We should have clips of Peter Jennings saying "we don't know where the president is."

They are trying to associate Giuliani's performance that day with Bush's, when in fact Bush was a coward who spent the day on Air Force One "trying to get out of harm's way" while Giuliani gave press briefings in the rubble.

The Bush campaign yesterday issued a statement from Rudolph Giuliani, who was New York's mayor at the time of the attacks, defending the president.

``His leadership on that day is central to his record,'' Giuliani said in the e-mailed statement.

Bush did anything BUT lead.

[Retrograde]

21. you can read that 2 ways....

" The Bush campaign yesterday issued a statement from Rudolph Giuliani, who was New York's mayor at the time of the attacks, defending the president.

``His leadership on that day is central to his record,'' Giuliani said in the e-mailed statement."


Well, in the sense that his goatbook-reading (love that word!) and vanishing in the time of crisis IMHO epitomize his way of handling things, yes, I think his "leadership" on that day IS central to his record, as it shows him for what he really is.

I'm not sure that's how Guiliani meant it though - unless he's being unusually subtle.

linda

[Malva Zebrina]

28. Who is going to do that, if not Kerry?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

31. "His leadership on that day..."

Chimps most highly praised day was not 9-11. It was 9-14. The bullhorn speech. It took him 3 days to crawl out of his hidey hole.

[ldf]

35. didn't clinton make to downtown nyc

before bush? and clinton was in australia when it happened.

[ljm2002]

34. Yes, let's remind people of his "leadership" on 9/11

Yes, a simple ad: 1st tower hit, cut to GWB heading to Booker in his limo. 2nd tower hit, cut to Card whispering in his ear, pause to show his expression, now show him turning back to the class... cut to the towers burning and the clock ticking... A quick clip of the photo op at the school, Bush saying "I'll have more to say later... show him entering AF1, then the plane heading skywards... Cut to Jennings asking "where is the President?"... cut to the video clip of Bush saying "I was trying to get out of harm's way"... Oh and then if you want to, quote Giuliani saying "His leadership on that day is central to his record." Then a dry voice, saying, we agree with Mr. Giuliani's statement. End of ad.

[Richardo]

6. I wish he'd just go silent on this...

the 9/11 families and firefighters are articulating the rage on our behalf. This just opens up the RW to say Kerry's doing the same politicizing. :eyes:

[Sid Demo]

7. How many families?

What proportion of 9-11 families do you think were offended using the imagages in * political ads? It would be great to see them protest in NY during the convention.

[NNN0LHI]

9. One is enough for me bud. It should be enough for Chimpy too n/t

[pinto]

14. what they might be offended at is B*sh's use of their families deaths

for his own personal gain or his own agenda...when a survivor hears "their" death co-opted by another, it is a clear message - "your pain doesn't count", "your loss doesn't count". I didn't make this up, years of hospice work, and the many stories of un-famous survivors. B*sh hasn't a clue.

And as the previous post mentioned, one is enough.

[alcuno]

17. Welcome to DU, Sid Demo.

Some of the 9/11 families have already said that they will protest if there is not cooperation with the 9/11 commission.

This administration truly digusts me; not only have they divided the nation, but now they are pitting 9/11 families against one another over a political ad.

[newyawker99]

20. Hi Sid Demo!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[DoYouEverWonder]

24. Heck why wait till the convention

Bu$h is going to LI next week to the WTC memorial there. As many people as possible need to get out and let Bu$h know we are sick of his shit.


BTW: Welcome to DU. :hi:

[Stephanie]

8. John Kerry should read this

http://www.hillnews.com/morris/030404.aspx

Dick Morris
The Political Life
How Bush can destroy Kerry fast

<excerpt>

But now, Kerry is a fair and inviting target. Bush has to zero in on him and push him to the left right now. Whether Kerry ever consorted with Jane Fonda is beside the point, but Kerry’s voting record is not.

Second, while his anti-Kerry ads are running, the president himself needs to make Americans understand that the war on terror is still atop our national agenda. He needs to elevate the sense of threat so that his advantage as a war president begins to count.

[NNN0LHI]

11. Really doubt that Kerry cares what a guy who likes sucking on prostitutes.

...toes for his jollies has to say. I feel the same way.

Don

[coloradodem2005]

10. Kerry couldn't be more right about that.

Bush duped a lot of people in regards to 9/11 while he has stonewalled the investigation at every turn.

[BootinUp]

12. Yes quite right, but these statements

and bringing up domestic policy failure alone is not enough. We also need to attack on National Security failures!

[BR_Parkway]

27. Such as * bringing up the illegal immigrants and granting them status

of some sort - it's a play to the Hispanic community - but if they can keep sneaking across the border, so can all these terrorists Shrub keeps saying he's protecting us from - so when he plays the whole "do you feel safer than you did 4 years ago?" angle - the answer is a resounding NO! You failed at that TOO! Go home to Crawford. You're Fired!

[Malva Zebrina]

30. I think so also

It is taking the focus off of Bush's terrible behavior on 9-11, by running away, and his crass treatment of the 9-11 families in refusing to pull the ads. It seems more like a diversion, than a statement from an opponent about Bush's running away, using photos for monetary profit and then hypocritically trying to give the impression that he was and is a steady leader.

It is just off the mark--although on those subjects it is on the mark. Kerry is repeating talking points that may already be old.

[MarianJack]

13. 65% to 85%...

...of moron's advertising will be either attack ads on JK or plain old fashioned fear mongering!

The fear mongering worked in'02. The sliming is just natural for this bunch of rethuglican slugs!

[WTC Survivor]

15. It's all about the families.

I escaped, but am firmly allied with the families and friends of those who had no chance that day. Please let them continue to be at the forefront of the efforts to find out why it happened, and to honor the memory of those who perished.

[pinto]

16. thanks for the post....n/t

[NNN0LHI]

18. We are going to find out why it happened. That is a promise

Thanks for your post and welcome to DU.

Don

[Room101]

19. 2.3 million? I thought it was over 3 million

:shrug:

[Nlighten1]

22. I love it! Go Kerry!

This should be shouted off the rooftops in America.

[DoYouEverWonder]

25. Actually I don't mind if W or anyone else uses 9-11 in their ads

What I do mind is using the picture of a FLAG DRAPED BODY. That body was a fallen hero, a firefighter, he was someone's, father, husband, brother, son. Images such has this, where you can identify individuals should not be used without the permission of that person or their family.

For W to use this image in his first campaign ad shows how desperate he is. All he knows is 9-11, terra, al Qaeda, war, terra, war, 9-11, Saddam, Saddam.... W is a one trick pony and his big trick is getting old. People can't live in constant fear with a leader whose only solution to every problem is pre-emptive war. There's got to be a better way.

[Crachet2004]

26. This is what to do...call it what it is!

This is why I like John Kerry. He's combative, organized and unafraid!

He just needs more money to fight back!!!

[slinkerwink]

29. that's a good way to point out that bush doesn't have anything but 9/11

[Layman]

32. Suggestion for renaming this thread

Retitle it, "Cutting the strings of the fearpuppetmeisters"

[LibDemAlways]

33. Kerry needs to go a step further and

educate the public about the chimp's actual actions on 9-11. The media and the repukes have successfully perpetuated the myth that he was some brave leader that day. Amidst all the horror and confusion, people weren't paying attention. Kerry needs to set the record straight.