Correct way to handle the 9/11 ads?

[mrgorth]

To be honest, I was suprised by the hullabuloo about the ads. Not that I didn't think it was cheap. It was that I expected it. In fact, I expect much worse. I don't think having Bush accept his nomination at Ground Zero is out of the question. 9/11 is their whole campaign. They don't wrap themselves up in the flag as much as they do 9/11. All day long on Reich wing radio all you hear is 9/11 this, 9/11 that. They like the fear. It excites them. Anyway, rather than go after them and force them to actually produce a message I figured we just let them use 9/11 to death. Let them run it into the ground. Give them all the rope they want to hang themselves with. After 6 months of shoving 9/11 down their throats I figure the whole populace will have figured out that that's all they have. That was until I read this article about Max Cleland in the Inquirer:

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/8123304.htm

Which included this snip:
Cleland didn't think he needed to launch a full counterattack in 2002. Georgians knew his heroism, and he had backed Bush's war resolution. So when the GOP aired that TV ad implying he was soft on terrorism - because he had disagreed with Bush over work rules for the Homeland Security department - he thought people would dismiss it as preposterous.

Do we need to protest everytime they use 9/11? The problem with saying "this offends 9/11 families" is of course that some 9/11 families want Bush to nuke the middle-east and they're happy to go on Faux and say so. So, what do you think the right way to handle GOP use, and overuse, of 9/11 is?

Thanks

[Qutzupalotl]

1. Maybe a few Public Service Announcements from

Kristin Breitweiser, denouncing the administration's use of 9/11 to garner sympathy for re-election. She could add that they could do a lot more to make America safe by ending their practice of withholding information from the 9/11 commission. "Write to President Bush and tell him we need his sworn testimony on this matter."

[sangh0]

2. Yes, its the correct way to handle 9/11 ads

People's perception of politicians are formed as the result of thousands, if not millions, of images and sound bites. The attacdks on Bush*'s 9/11 ads will not win the campaign, but they will help develop and maintain an image of Bush* as someone who exploits tragedy for political gain. Combined with Kerry's attacks on how Bush* is shortchanging our first responders and Homeland Security, it will definitely hurt Bush*, IMO

[mikehiggins]

3. I really don't think we have to worry overmuch about that.

Whether you like Kerry or not (surprise! I don't) you have to give him credit for having a staff that is willing to go toe-to-toe with the BushCo liars at a moment's notice.

The GOPers complain that the complaints by 9/11 families were orchestrated by the Kerry camp. Maybeso. Bush's camp would sure be in a position to recognise that sort of thing. They just can't believe anyone would use it against them.

Hey, what did we use to say in the 60's? What goes around comes around? I helped run a campaign years ago in Brooklyn, and our slogan was "Whatever It Takes". Looks to me like Kerry's people could do well in Brooklyn and that's a lot harder place than Crawford.

Its a new day.

[LuLu550]

4. I expected pictures from the WTC site

what I did not expect was the flag draped body. Yes, 9/11 was a a national tragedy, but it was also a very personal tragedy for the families who lost loved ones. I think if even one victim's family was upset, out of respect, they should have been pulled.

But the Republican's don't have respect for anyone: everything is a prop for their re-election.

[never cry wolf]

5. Point out that shrub's handling of 9-11 was a miserable failure

Before, during AND after. He cut DoJ funding on terrorism to chase porn, he changed the military funding to push star wars, he completely ignored all the info on al quaida the Clinton admin passed along, his actions on that day show absolutely NO leadership, he squandered the sympathy of the world soon after 9-11 in what could have been used for unprecedented international cooperation, he has since overtly alienated many nations, osama is still out there, he diverted the resources of the intelligence community and the military to concentrate on sadaam instead of terrorists, and they are still tied up in iraq, he has created whole new generations of muslims that hate us and will be future terrorists.

These ads are aimed to show "steady leadership" and impress how he has made us all safe from those scary brown people. The truth is evident, everything he touches turns to shit. USE THE TRUTH, IT IS OUR BIGGEST ALLY!!!