Congress Campaigning With Cartoons
Back to the Democratic Hate Speech Page
washingtonpost.com
By David Espo
AP Special Correspondent
Friday, October 4, 2002; 4:32 AMWASHINGTON –– Click on a Democratic National Committee Web site and watch an animated image of President Bush pushing a wheelchair-bound individual off a cliff.
Not once, but twice.
Designed as a combination attack on Social Security and fund-raising appeal, the cartoon says, "Bush and Republicans still want to push their privatization plans through Congress." The narration is audible above the noise of a woman shrieking in horror as her wheelchair crashes.
Republicans, who deny they favor privatizing Social Security, swiftly attacked the move by Democrats.
"Democrats typically resort to scaring seniors through half-truths and outright lies in an election year, but creating videos that depict the President rolling wheelchair-confined seniors off of cliffs is absolutely reprehensible, even for them," said Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., chairman of the House GOP campaign committee.
A spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, Bill Buck, called the cartoon a "humorous take on a serious issue."
Another official, Maria Cardona, said it "absolutely" would remain on the Web site. "The truth hurts," she said of the GOP.
––
If Republicans are complaining about a political cartoon, it's a Democratic campaign's turn to express outrage over a television commercial featuring pictures of terrorists and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
Aired by the campaign of GOP Rep. John Thune, the ad attacks Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson as an opponent of a national missile defense system and raises the question of his patriotism.
"Al-Qaida terrorists. Saddam Hussein, Enemies of America. Working to obtain nuclear weapons. Now more than ever our nation must have a missile defense system," the television commercial says as images of Saddam Hussein and terrorists appear on the screen.
It goes on to say that Johnson voted 29 times against a missile defense system, then asks, "Is this a question of patriotism? No, it's a question of judgment."
Military readiness has been an issue in South Dakota's persistently close Senate race, a battle waged across the generations.
Ads so far have mentioned the fact that Thune's father was a World War II fighter pilot. And that Johnson's son, Brooks, is in the 101st Airborne Division and served in Kosovo and Afghanistan.
"By all accounts, Thune is the first political candidate in the nation to go so far as to use Saddam Hussein in an attack ad," said Dan Pfeiffer, a spokesman for Johnson.
Pfeiffer said Johnson supports "a practical missile defense and has announced that he will support President Bush's resolution on Iraq."
Christine Iverson, an aide to Thune, said she did not know whether the campaign was the first to invoke the Iraqi leader in a campaign commercial.
––
President Bush and Republicans historically have done poorly among black voters, and the party is embarking on an advertising campaign in hopes of improving on that record.
The Republican National Committee has been airing commercials on radio stations with black audiences, touting the education legislation that the president signed into law earlier in his term.
"The biggest education reform and biggest increase in education funding in 25 years," says a woman's voice in one of the commercials.
"Republicans are working for better, safer schools," a man says in reply.
"So no child is left behind," she says.
"That's right ... Republicans," he concludes.
Pamela Mantis, an RNC spokeswoman, said the commercials are airing in several cities around the country, including the Washington area. There was no immediate information on how much the advertising was costing the party.
––
On the Net:
Democratic National Committee: http://www.Democrats.org
Republican National Committee: http://www.rnc.org/
© 2002 The Associated Press