Conservative Campaign Ad Features Reagan..(no pre-approval from Nancy)

[SoCalDem]

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/elections/article.adp?id=20040615225109990002

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/elections/article.adp?id=20040615225109990002
Updated: 06:44 PM EDT
Conservative Campaign Ad Features Reagan
By LIZ SIDOTI, AP


WASHINGTON (June 16) --

snip.....

The Club for Growth will spend $500,000 over a week, a moderate amount, to run the ad on national cable networks and in media markets in the contested states of Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. Reagan died June 5 after a 10-year struggle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 93. The nation ended a week of mourning last Friday with a national funeral in Washington and his burial at his presidential library in California.

Kerry campaign spokesman Chad Clanton criticized the use of Reagan. ''It's pretty sad that less than a week after America said farewell to President Reagan, George W. Bush's supporters are politicizing it,'' Clanton said. Steve Moore, the group's president, defended the timing of the ad, saying it was intentional because the public had been reminded for days about ''Reagan's philosophy of peace through strength.''

''We wanted to draw on how similar Bush and Reagan have been in terms of fighting evil,'' Moore said.

He said the group wrote a letter to Reagan's widow, Nancy, informing her of the ad.


06/16/04 14:06 EDT

[DRoseDARs]

1. Well, that was thoughtful of them to write a letter...

...Telling the widow they were using her dead husband's image without anyone's legitimate permission and if she didn't like it she could go f*ck herself.

Kinda gives ya' that warm, fuzzy feeling inside doesn't it?

[punpirate]

2. In the sense that one's name and image can be...

... considered intellectual property, those rights are gone upon his death (since he's not there to suffer harm). And there are court rulings judging that using a public figure's image for non-commercial purposes is permissible in some instances.

All that said, it would still have been common courtesy to call and ask permission--especially since Reagan hasn't been in the ground a week yet.

[lgardengate]

3. I read they talked to Nancy R and agreed to put it off one week

It didnt sound like she objected at all.Remember she has been in the GOP for years and they embraced old Ronnie.THey just last week practaly made him there saint.If the GOP keeps old Ronnie as there idol/saint she wont be to critical anytime soon.

[Piperay]

5. I think it doubtful that Nancy won't object

from what I understand Reagan's and Bushes have disliked each other since GHB was Vice Pres. with Ronnie. Nancy would have to fight both her children on allowing their father to be used.

[Democat]

10. Exploiting her husband's death for Bush's campaign? The family cares!

Bush doesn't care about Reagan or the Reagan family, he cares about winning.

It's disgusting and the American people will be disgusted.

[izzie]

4. not a shock TO me, winning is all that counts with them

Being rich has never been class, it is just you have money. people WILL DO ANY THING FOR MONEY AND POWER.

[radfringe]

6. according to this article....

A Reagan family spokeswoman said the group does not have permission to use Reagan's image in the ad because doing so implies his endorsement.

http://www.wxii12.com/news/3424816/detail.html

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doesn't sound much like Nancy approved to me....

consider this scenario -- GOPer's continue to use Reagan's image for a bush* endorsement on the grounds that Reagan is a public figure and no one "owns" the rights -- far fetched? perhaps, but GOPers have just as many lawyers that are able to find a technicality to justify their position -- just look at the approval of torture memos

nancy could sue -- although it may take months before it reaches the level of acutally going to court - the resulting press may be enough to make GOPers use of Reagan a liability for bush*

of course, bush* is not directly using the image -- it's being used by their very own 'private' citizen's group as a beard. *GASP* and GOPers object to groups such as MOVEON.org running ads...

[Tom Kitten]

7. pretty astonishing, actuallly!

For people who think! How soon before the gop machine starts to denounce her? Are there odds in Vegas yet?

[radfringe]

8. they will probably spin any Reagan family objections as "partisanship"

yeah, I know it sounds far-fetched, but they will be grasping at straws if/when Nancy speaks out and goes on the record to object to Reagan's explotation

on CNN yesterday, they had Phyllis Oakley, one of the members of The group, called Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change (article: http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/06/16/bush.criticism/index.html )
and Representative Stephen E. Buyer

ignoring that many of the members are republican, and had voted for bush-1 and bush-2 -- Buyer accused the group of being partisan

Oakley did state that the group is calling for bush* to be voted out of office, and she did state that this was NOT an endorsement for Kerry and further said support for Kerry is up to individual members to decide outside of the group's purpose.

Buyer just repeated the accusation that the group was partisan

sorry for the ramble - the point is that if Nancy comes out publically and on the record - she too will be accused of being partisan, then look for slime and mud stories/rumors to circulate which questions her credibility.

[rpannier]

9. I Just Wanna See Her Say She's Not Supporting shrub

and she's opposed to what he's doing and ronnie wouldn't have supported him either. They would be hard pressed to run against Nancy or the reagan lovers in the republican party.