Political ads or exploitation? (9/11 widow criticizes Bush)

[onehandle]

Is the Bush administration exploiting the 9/11 attacks for political gain?

snip...

"It's a bad, bad move," Monica Gabrielle told Salon.

"It's unconscionable that any political candidate or person would use Ground Zero, the hallowed ground of 3,000 dead, including my husband. It's unspeakable and outrageous that President Bush would choose to use it in his re-election campaign," said Gabrielle, whose husband Richard, died in the World Trade Center. What's especially galling to Gabrielle -- and other 9/11 victims' families have levied similarly blunt criticisms against the president -- is that Bush "did nothing to prevent <9/11>, as far as we know," and is now trying to avoid testifying before the 9/11 commission.

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room//index.html

[dArKeR]

1. It's called, 'Drinking the blood of 9/11 victims' and the Dems are whores

if they don't stand up and call it that! If Nader stands up and says this, I'm going to work for Nader!

[KissMyAsscroft]

2. This could backfire bigtime if Kerry makes it an issue...

Moveon needs to jump on this and Kerry needs to take it head on.

People need to be outraged. This is disgusting.

[emulatorloo]

9. Kerry campaign responds to ground zero in Bush Ad

<snip>

"Most astonishing, George Bush’s ad features a shot of the wreckage of that tragic September day almost 3 years ago, and the firefighters who so bravely worked to save lives.  What he doesn’t tell you is that only 10 percent of fire departments across the nation have personnel and equipment to respond to a building collapse, only enough radios to equip half the firefighters on a shift, and breathing apparatus for only one-third. The only thing steady about this President is his steadily leading our country in the wrong direction.  It’s time for a change in America, and time to get things back on track.”

<snip>

lots more at:

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0303b.html
Statement from Kerry Spokesperson Stephanie Cutter on Bush’s Unsteady Leadership

[proud patriot]

3. Thank You

:loveya:

[boobooday]

4. It's going to backfire

He's been beating it too long, and the families of the victims and the people of NY are sick of his lies and empty promises and evasiveness.

And the firefighters are mad too.

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[jmaier]

5. I agree with the sentiment that explicitly using 9/11

in a political ad is not likely to play to well. Good. I hope he plays this theme continually.

[prodigal_green]

6. I know Monica

She has been the go-to gal for the press when looking for quotes from 9/11 widows. She was against the war in Iraq because it drew attention away from Al Qaeda. She takes this VERY personally.

She is a classic New Yorker. She is smart and funny and angry as shit about 9/11. Trust me, she is not going to let this go without making a LOT of noise.

[leesa]

7. I hope they continue to use it and use it because it underscores ALL

of Bushes failures to protect his country and it underscores his magnificent war crimes in response to a criminal action.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bluestateguy]

8. In the words of ZZ Top

"She's got legs..."

The backlash continues.

[symbolman]

10. BUSH KNEW

and DID NOTHING..

Watch my flash, link below and pass it around.

Ghouls.

[slack]

12. impressive flash

thx

[dArKeR]

13. Good work!

[donhakman]

14. election recipe

[Jax]

22. My god symbolman

Just watched and I am soooo ANGRY. Crying, angry, I hate this lying madman.

Yes, absolutely, I will pass this around. Absolutely.

How did you do this and keep an even keel, awesome. As always with your work, stellar efforts. This one, it hits and hurts.

Thank you symbolman.


Jax

[sampsonblk]

11. I Was Never a Dean Supporter, But...

of all the former candidates, we know for sure that Howard Dean would have gone right after Bush on this one. He would hang this ad around Bush's neck in a NY minute. Dean put the fight back in the Party.

Kerry seems to have adopted Dean's message and some of his fighting-mad persona. I hope Kerry fights back on this one. The War and 9/11 are the only issues the Shrub crowd have. Take those away and we can have our country back!

[Disturbed]

15. Low and lame Ads

911-"What did the Pres know and when did he know it?"

[jbfam4]

16. Bush ad campaign sparks fury

March 04, 2004

Bush ad campaign sparks fury from 9/11 families
FROM TIM REID IN WASHINGTON AND AGENCIES

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1-1025549,00.html


President Bush faced a furious response from relatives of September 11 victims today after launching re-election campaign advertisements featuring graphic images of the terror attacks.


Senior members of Mr Bush's campaign team were forced to take to the airwaves to defend Mr Bush against accusations that he was exploiting the tragedy of September 11, 2001, when around 3,000 were killed by airline hijackers, to win re-election.

Mr Bush is to make his leadership after the September 11 attacks the central focus of his re-election campaign, but he was given stark warning today that the strategy is high risk.

Beginning what is expected to be the most expensive advertising campaign in presidential history, the Bush campaign aired its first four ads today. Three featured images of the charred shell of the World Trade Centre, and one showed firefighters emerging from the wreckage carrying a victim's flag-draped remains.


Instead, Mr Bush ran into accusations that he was exploiting the terror victims for political advantage. The Republican National Convention is also being held in New York, close to Ground Zero, the week before the tragedy's third anniversary, a schedule and location that has evoked similar accusations.

[RamboLiberal]

17. She's supposed to be on Hardball tonight

Good, cause from what little I watched last night Tweety was back to his fawning over the manly Bush and Ronny Raygun last night. From their Hardball email.

A couple of editorial strings we're gathering this morning concern the outrage by some over the new Bush ads...Some firefighters and 9/11 families are objecting to the use of ground zero images as being inappropriate for a political ad...Sr. Bush campaign advisor Karen Hughes was out on the talk shows this morning defending the ads...We'll talk to Monica Gabrielle, whose husband died on 9/11 and Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY) who's speaking for the Bush campaign...Also, John Kerry released a spot last September 9th mentioning 9/11, Howard Mortman reminds us...

[Manix]

19. no surprise here, from this shameless, greedy, corrupt administration.

nt

[Martin Eden]

20. Bush "really defined" by 9/11

Karen Hughes said Thursday on CNN's American Morning:
"September 11th is not just some distant tragedy from the past, it really defined our future."

Without intending to, she pretty much hit the nail on the head. The Bush presidency is "really defined" by 9/11:

9/11 happened on their watch after they ignored the anti-terrorist plan handed to them by the outgoing Clinton administration, instead focusing on Iraq from their very first National Security meeting. They ignored warnings about hijackers using planes as missiles, then afterwards claimed no one ever considered such an attack might occur.

The tragedy was milked for every possible political advantage, using the "war time" president's approval ratings to push through a radical right wing agenda and tarnish opponents as unpatriotic.

The public's grief, fear, and patriotism were manipulated into support for the war in Iraq which had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks, and for a new doctrine of preemptive war that already has enormous costs in human life, government funds, and international relations.

The future of America is being defined by the Bush administration's exploitation of 9/11, including a society more divided than ever between right and left, rich and poor; an economy endangered by huge deficits and loss of employment; and the emergence of a police state at home and an empire abroad that promises perpetual war and increased addiction to fossil fuels that will continue to poison our environment until the wells run dry and everything comes crashing down.

Let us hope this is the message that more and more voters will understand by the time November 2nd is upon us.

[Disturbed]

21. Another brocken promise

These NeoCons promised that they wouldn't exploit 911 as they have been doing ever since it occured. BTW how many people died in the Pentagon Bldg. and the plane that went down in Va.?

[donhakman]

23. 9-11 BUSH ad (my way)

To me he is equating himself with failure, which is quite truthful.