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Conservative Group Airs Pro-Bush Ad
Thursday, September 7, 2006 7:19 PM EDT
The Associated Press
By JIM KUHNHENN
WASHINGTON (AP) — Dovetailing with President Bush's war-on-terror message, a conservative advocacy group released a television ad Thursday warning that many critics of the war in Iraq "would cut and run in the Middle East, leaving al-Qaida to attack us again."
The ad by Progress for America, a conservative group that gained prominence in the 2004 presidential election, displays images of past terrorist acts against the U.S. by Islamic terrorists and links the war in Iraq to the broader campaign against terrorism.
Its release comes as President Bush is executing an aggressive political strategy nine weeks before midterm elections to draw attention to the continuing fight abroad and at home to thwart terrorists.
"Many times before 9-11, al-Qaida attacked America, and we took little action," the ad's narrator says. "But after 9-11, we struck back, destroying al-Qaida terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq."
The ad is one of a growing number of independent advertising campaigns by advocacy groups that are weighing in with political messages that could influence the vote in November, and thus determine control of Congress.
The Progress for America ad does not mention any candidates, but its first statewide run Thursday was in Missouri, where Republican Sen. Jim Talent is facing a tough re-election challenge from Democrat Claire McCaskill. It doesn't even mention political parties, alluding only to "many (who) seem to have forgotten the evil that happened only five years ago."
The ad is scheduled to air for a week on broadcast television in the major markets of Kansas City, Mo., and St. Louis before moving on to other states, Progress for America spokesman Stuart Roy said. The ad is also running nationally on cable television.
In launching the ad, Progress for America enlisted the help of David Beamer, the father of Todd Beamer, one of the passengers on Flight 93 who tried to wrest the doomed Sept. 11 plane back from hijackers before it crashed in Pennsylvania.
"This enemy is not going to surrender," Beamer said. "The sacrifices that have been made and continue to be made are absolutely necessary."
Progress for America made its mark two years ago when it aired an ad, "Ashley's story," that depicted Bush hugging the daughter of Sept. 11 victim Wendy Faulkner. The group was the best financed Republican-oriented group in the 2004 campaign. Between January 2005 and July of this year, the group has raised nearly $4.7 million according to Internal Revenue Service records.
Meanwhile, a group aligned with former top Democratic officials aired an ad Thursday against Republican Rep. James Walsh of New York, who is in a close contest. Majority Action executive director Mark Longabaugh would not describe the cost of the ad, but Republicans estimated it at $80,000. The group also made a significantly smaller ad purchase against Rep. Deborah Pryce, R-Ohio, also in a tight race.
"Tell Congressman Walsh to stand up to Bush," a narrator says. "We need a smarter plan for national security that keeps us safe here at home."
Majority Action is an independent nonprofit organization whose leaders include former Democratic National Committee chairmen Joe Andrew and Don Fowler. The group has stepped up its fundraising this summer. It had raised $210,000 as of June 30, according to IRS records.
Longabaugh said the group was raising money from labor unions and trial lawyers. He said the group planned to run ads against other Republican incumbents in days to come, but would not say where.
Among other independent ads:
—The political action committee for the American Medical Association is spending more than $100,000 in television ads in Maryland to support Democratic Rep. Ben Cardin in his primary contest for U.S. Senate.
—The Democratic-leaning Public Campaign Action Fund is spending $20,000 to run 331 radio ads in rural southeast Ohio attacking scandal-scarred Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, for a 2002 golfing trip he took to Scotland with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Ney has dropped out of the race. A special election is Sept. 14 to replace him on the ballot.
Thursday, September 7, 2006 7:19 PM EDT
The Associated Press
By JIM KUHNHENN
WASHINGTON (AP) — Dovetailing with President Bush's war-on-terror message, a conservative advocacy group released a television ad Thursday warning that many critics of the war in Iraq "would cut and run in the Middle East, leaving al-Qaida to attack us again."
The ad by Progress for America, a conservative group that gained prominence in the 2004 presidential election, displays images of past terrorist acts against the U.S. by Islamic terrorists and links the war in Iraq to the broader campaign against terrorism.
Its release comes as President Bush is executing an aggressive political strategy nine weeks before midterm elections to draw attention to the continuing fight abroad and at home to thwart terrorists.
"Many times before 9-11, al-Qaida attacked America, and we took little action," the ad's narrator says. "But after 9-11, we struck back, destroying al-Qaida terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq."
The ad is one of a growing number of independent advertising campaigns by advocacy groups that are weighing in with political messages that could influence the vote in November, and thus determine control of Congress.
The Progress for America ad does not mention any candidates, but its first statewide run Thursday was in Missouri, where Republican Sen. Jim Talent is facing a tough re-election challenge from Democrat Claire McCaskill. It doesn't even mention political parties, alluding only to "many (who) seem to have forgotten the evil that happened only five years ago."
The ad is scheduled to air for a week on broadcast television in the major markets of Kansas City, Mo., and St. Louis before moving on to other states, Progress for America spokesman Stuart Roy said. The ad is also running nationally on cable television.
In launching the ad, Progress for America enlisted the help of David Beamer, the father of Todd Beamer, one of the passengers on Flight 93 who tried to wrest the doomed Sept. 11 plane back from hijackers before it crashed in Pennsylvania.
"This enemy is not going to surrender," Beamer said. "The sacrifices that have been made and continue to be made are absolutely necessary."
Progress for America made its mark two years ago when it aired an ad, "Ashley's story," that depicted Bush hugging the daughter of Sept. 11 victim Wendy Faulkner. The group was the best financed Republican-oriented group in the 2004 campaign. Between January 2005 and July of this year, the group has raised nearly $4.7 million according to Internal Revenue Service records.
Meanwhile, a group aligned with former top Democratic officials aired an ad Thursday against Republican Rep. James Walsh of New York, who is in a close contest. Majority Action executive director Mark Longabaugh would not describe the cost of the ad, but Republicans estimated it at $80,000. The group also made a significantly smaller ad purchase against Rep. Deborah Pryce, R-Ohio, also in a tight race.
"Tell Congressman Walsh to stand up to Bush," a narrator says. "We need a smarter plan for national security that keeps us safe here at home."
Majority Action is an independent nonprofit organization whose leaders include former Democratic National Committee chairmen Joe Andrew and Don Fowler. The group has stepped up its fundraising this summer. It had raised $210,000 as of June 30, according to IRS records.
Longabaugh said the group was raising money from labor unions and trial lawyers. He said the group planned to run ads against other Republican incumbents in days to come, but would not say where.
Among other independent ads:
—The political action committee for the American Medical Association is spending more than $100,000 in television ads in Maryland to support Democratic Rep. Ben Cardin in his primary contest for U.S. Senate.
—The Democratic-leaning Public Campaign Action Fund is spending $20,000 to run 331 radio ads in rural southeast Ohio attacking scandal-scarred Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, for a 2002 golfing trip he took to Scotland with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Ney has dropped out of the race. A special election is Sept. 14 to replace him on the ballot.
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