Bush campaign launching video message against Kerry

[Feanorcurufinwe]

In a new video message being sent to millions of people, President Bush's re-election campaign casts Sen. John Kerry as a tool of the special interests he regularly denounces. The spot, titled "Unprincipled," has the flavor of a political campaign ad but is customized for the Internet users who were receiving it Thursday night. An advance copy was provided to The Associated Press. The one-minute spot depicts a woman surfing the web. She finds a clip of Kerry, the Democratic front-runner, railing against "the influence-peddlers and the special interests. We're coming, you're going!" Kerry declares.

<snip>

The video spot was to be sent out late Thursday to about 6 million Bush supporters. It makes clear that Bush's re-election campaign believes Democrats have all but settled on Kerry as their nominee, and it previews a line of attack the Bush campaign will use to exploit what it believes is a vulnerability. It also is an inexpensive way to hit back at Kerry and other Democrats who have been pummeling Bush for months.

Kerry's spokeswoman, Stephanie Cutter, said the video "demonstrates two things: the Bush White House is going to run a gutter campaign, and their worst fear is a Democratic nominee named John Kerry." Bush's camp should stop "wasting time sticking their nose in a Democratic primary and engaging in smear tactics," she said.


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/02/12/politics1902EST0820.DTL

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. The spot titled "UNPRINCIPLED" is brought to you by Josef Mengles.

:thumbsdown:

[YouMustBeKiddingMe]

2. BUSH denouncing special interests?? Now THAT'S funny!

[Feanorcurufinwe]

4. Notice they are only sending it to Republicans

the 'already-brainwashed' as it were.

[rucky]

3. I wonder which special interest group bankrolled that one.

:eyes:

[Sensitivity]

5. Hope they don't start using Gov. Dean in their ads

[bigtree]

6. Looks like they are starting to 'piggyback' on Dean's complaints

about special interests somehow influencing Kerry. :scared:

Kerry's 'Special Interests' over 20 years compared to Bush's 10 years

According to the Center for Public Integrity:

Kerry's Career Patrons:
http://www.bop2004.org/bop2004/candidate.aspx?cid=4&act=cp

Based on contributions to the federal and nonfederal committees of Citizen Soldier Fund, Kerry's senate campaigns from 1984-2002, and Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign through Sept. 30, 2003.

Organization Total:

Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo $230,796
FleetBoston Financial Corp. $182,387
Time Warner $140,710
Hale and Dorr LLP $128,258
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom $123,400
Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos Inc. $122,300
Harvard University $118,200
Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson & Hand/Piper Rudnick $117,800
Citigroup $111,356
Goldman Sachs Group $110,500

Personal Finances:
http://www.bop2004.org/bop2004/candidate.aspx?cid=4&act=pfin

Details:
http://www.bop2004.org/bop2004/candidate.aspx?cid=4&act=details

Asset Detail Records
http://www.bop2004.org/bop2004/candidate.aspx?cid=4&act=details#asset

Income Detail Records
http://www.bop2004.org/bop2004/candidate.aspx?cid=4&act=details

Kerry Committee (Senate)
Periodic filings of campaign contribution and expenditure data.
http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00177147

John Kerry for President Inc.
Periodic filings of campaign contribution and expenditure data.
http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00383653

John Kerry for President Inc. Compliance Fund
Periodic filings of campaign contribution and expenditure data.
http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00385070

Citizen Soldier Fund
Periodic filings of campaign contribution and expenditure data.
http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00370916

John Kerry Releases Fundraiser Names in Effort to Improve Transparency
Challenges Democratic Rivals to Follow His Lead
October 21, 2003
http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2003_1021b.html

Donor List PDF Format:
http://www.johnkerry.com/pdf/donors.pdf

Democratic Presidential Candidate John Kerry today released the names of supporters who raised over $50,000 for his presidential campaign. The list has been posted for the public on his web-site at www.johnkerry.com

John Kerry said, “Throughout my career I have fought for reform in the campaign finance system and I believe strongly that voters should know who is funding campaigns. There is no better reason for transparency than the Bush Administration’s blatant reward of campaign contributors with tax breaks and special favors at every turn.”

“I hope that every Presidential candidate will show their commitment to transparency by releasing the same information from their campaigns.”

The Washington Post said, “Mr. Kerry's release of the names puts him in the forefront of meaningful disclosure
______________________________________________________________

Bush's Career Patrons (10 years)
http://www.bop2004.org/bop2004/candidate.aspx?cid=1&act=cp

Enron Corp. $602,625
Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. $505,500
MBNA Corp. $498,291
Vinson & Elkins $466,400
Credit Suisse First Boston $444,700
Bass Brothers Enterprises $397,427
International Bank of Commerce/Sanchez Companies $371,200
UBS Paine Webber Inc. $353,350
Goldman Sachs Group $342,949
Pricewaterhouse Coopers $340,948

Bush's Personal Finances:
http://www.bop2004.org/bop2004/candidate.aspx?cid=1&act=pfin

Details:
http://www.bop2004.org/bop2004/candidate.aspx?cid=1&act=details

Bush for President Inc.
Periodic filings of campaign contribution and expenditure data.
http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00343509

Bush-Cheney 2004
Periodic filings of campaign contribution and expenditure data.
http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00386987

Previous Center Reports:
http://www.bop2004.org/bop2004/dw.aspx?cid=1

Enron Executives Who Dumped Stock Were Heavy Donors to Bush:

Twenty Four top executives at Enron made thousands of dollars in political donations, much of it going to President Bush.
http://www.publicintegrity.org/dtaweb/downloads/Feb2002newsletter.pdf
The Bush Team Packed with Industry Insiders:

Many of the Bush Administration's key appointments are people who worked for or are closely affiliated with large corporations that often seek to lobby the government.
http://www.publicintegrity.org/dtaweb/downloads/June2001newsletter.pdf

[Endangered Specie]

7. Let the Games begin

[Julien Sorel]

8. When I first saw Kerry's special interest blather,

I knew this would happen. It seems to work great in the primaries, when few people have time to actually compare Kerry's history to his rhetoric, but the general election is 8 months away.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

9. Let me get this straight

You are actually saying that in Bush :vs: Kerry, Kerry is the one beholden to special interests? Please read this.

[Toucano]

10. Is that a road Bush really wants to go down?

I don't think it is.

This is the best laugh I've had all day. Thanks.