Presidents new campaingn ad comes under contreversy

[Wnghs2007]

Bush Campaign Ad Contains Hitler Footage

Saturday, June 26, 2004

WASHINGTON — Adolf Hitler's (search) image has surfaced again in the White House race. President Bush's campaign contains online video, removed from a liberal group's Web site months ago and disavowed, that features the Nazi dictator.

The Bush Internet video, which was sent electronically to 6 million supporters, intersperses clips of speeches by Democrats John Kerry (search), Al Gore and Howard Dean with the footage of Hitler.

Democrats want the video pulled from the site. Campaign aides said it would remain.

Republicans had criticized the group MoveOn.org (search) in January because it briefly posted an ad contest entry that linked Hitler and Bush. It showed images of Bush with text saying, "God told me to strike at Al Qaeda," before turning to images of Hitler with the words, "And then He instructed me to strike at Saddam." The submission ended with the words, "Sound familiar?" on a black and white screen.

The group later said the entry was in "poor taste" and pulled it from its site.

The 77-second video on the Bush-Cheney re-election site splices footage of Kerry, the presumptive nominee, and his 2004 rival Dean along with 2000 nominee Gore and film director Michael Moore. The spot calls them Kerry's "Coalition of the Wild-eyed." Clips of Hitler's image are seen throughout the spot.

"The use of Adolf Hitler by any campaign, politician or party is simply wrong," said Kerry's campaign manager, Mary Beth Cahill (search), who called on the GOP campaign to remove the Web video from its site.

"We're using the video from MoveOn.org to show our supporters the type of vitriolic rhetoric being used by the president's opponents and John Kerry's surrogates," said Scott Stanzel, a spokesman for the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign.

The online spot begins with clips of Gore assailing the Bush administration. "How dare they drag the good name of the United States of America through the mud of Saddam Hussein's torture prison," Gore shouts during a public speech.

It then cuts to an image of Hitler, followed Dean, Moore and Rep. Dick Gephardt (search), D-Mo., all bashing Bush. There are more clips of Hitler, Gore and then Kerry, before the screen cuts to the words, "This is not a time for pessimism and rage." Video images of Bush follow.

A disclaimer was added to the beginning of the Web spot on Saturday afternoon to explain that the video contains "remarks made by and images from ads sponsored by Kerry supporters." The disclaimer also accuses Kerry of failing to denounce those who have compared Hitler to Bush.




SO WHAT DO YOU THINK. TELL US HOW YOU FEEL Here is the ad

mms://media4.streamtoyou.com/gwb/KCOWE_256k.wmv

[Guest]

If I'm not mistaken, the bits that had Hitler in them were actually ads created by Dems about the President. Bush was simply letting us know what tactics the Dems are using. I didn't see anything wrong with Bush's ad.
...Jennifer...

[j]

me either jenn..they need a reminder because all they can think about lately is prisoners with panties on their heads.

[streetsoldier]

It's acceptable to use Kerry's supporters' own BS to show "we, the people" what sort of eejits DO support his bid...and Kerry's lack of denunciation thereof is louder than the original ads.

[Wnghs2007]

Yes he should have every right in the world is my opion to use this. The ridiculos Shrillness of the Democratic party that is basically falling apart is very concerning and should be pointed out to the american people. Score one for bush here

[Wnghs2007]

Well I think they have edited it now to put a warning on the front.

[rainstorm]

george soros, liberal hate-monger is the one who compared bush to hitler. i think its great they are using the liberal hate-mongers words against them

[rainstorm]

dems are full of hate and bigotry, in my opinion

[GalvestonDuck]

Many (but not all) are. Fred Phelps is a Democrat...'nuff said!

[rainstorm]

Many (but not all) are. Fred Phelps is a Democrat...'nuff said!

no, but the face of the dem party is. george soros, michael moore, ted kennedy, hollywood.

[wx247]

Other than the fact that I think the video is very graphically poor, I see no problem with it.

[GalvestonDuck]

Many (but not all) are. Fred Phelps is a Democrat...'nuff said!

no, but the face of the dem party is. george soros, michael moore, ted kennedy, hollywood.

'Twas agreeing with you and providing an example. But I said "not all" because I know folks like Stephanie aren't bigoted.

[rainstorm]

true, stephanie is cool. but the national dem party has been captured by its lunatic fringe

[Wnghs2007]

The shrill nature of liberals and in fact the democratic party is inaccusable. I dont even turn on the news because they are everywhere. Screaming, Arms flawing. Its scary. Im glad those people are not the image of my party. The dems party has gone down the drain and they know it.