Dems under fire for using pictures of soldier's coffins in campaign video

[Regis Philbin]

http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/p.../APP/607130947

Spratt asks Democrats to pull video


By SEANNA ADCOX
Associated Press Writer


COLUMBIA, S.C. | U.S. Rep. John Spratt has asked the House Democrats' campaign arm to pull a fundraising video that shows caskets draped with American flags and a soldier standing at a grave.

"I strongly recommend that you pull this ad and delete both of these clips before running it again," Spratt wrote Rahm Emanuel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, in a letter dated Thursday.

In the two-paragraph letter, Spratt said he would discuss his feelings about the ad in greater detail later, "but I urge you to pull the ad immediately."

The letter was sent one day after the video's release prompted Spratt's Republican challenger, state Rep. Ralph Norman, to ask South Carolina's longest-serving congressman to "repudiate the new lows your party leaders have sunken to."

Norman, a freshman lawmaker, is backed by state and national GOP heavyweights in his bid to oust Spratt. First elected in 1982, Spratt is the leading Democrat on the House Budget Committee and sits on the Armed Services Committee.

"Our service men and women deserve our utmost respect," Norman wrote in a letter sent out late Wednesday. He urged Spratt to tell Emanuel "it is despicable that he is choosing to seek campaign cash through exploiting the sacrifices of our fallen heroes. He is disgracing their memory."

[pinky]

Yes, we couldn't actually have Americans seeing the reality of this war, could we?

[db44]

I listened to Bohnner's presser today, and the press hounded him on this... Mainly becuase when they asked him what the difference was between this and Bush's "artistic" use of 9/11 images (which, incidently, Bush said he wouldn't do), Bohnner stumbled all over the place like he'd spent the night out with Ted Kennedy. Telling the press the difference was obvious.

Uh, no.

[Regis Philbin]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/07/...fri/index.html

Edwards and Spratt call on DCCC to pull down web video


By Mark Preston
CNN Political Editor


Friday, July 14, 2006; Posted: 3:35 p.m. EDT (19:35 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Democratic Reps. Chet Edwards (Texas) and John Spratt (S.C.) have called on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to pull down a controversial web video that uses images of flag-draped coffins and a grave of a fallen soldier.

The two Democrats sent letters to DCCC Chairman Rahm Emanuel (Illinois) asking him to remove the video, "America Needs a New Direction,"from its website after Republicans accused Democrats of trying to gain politically from the pictures. Emanuel urged political supporters in a fundraising e-mail sent Tuesday to view the video on the DCCC's website.

"I would not have included the clip showing the flag-draped caskets or the clip showing a soldier standing at the grave of a fallen comrade," Spratt wrote Thursday in his letter to Emanuel. "I strongly recommend that you pull this ad and delete both of these clips before running it again."

Chris Turner, Edwards' campaign manager, told the Grind that the Texas Democrat wrote a similar letter to the DCCC chairman.

A DCCC spokesman told the Grind this morning they had no comment on the letters. But House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California) defended the video yesterday and pointed out that President Bush's top political adviser Karl Rove has spoken about how the GOP needs to capitalize politically on the war.

"I don't know why they are making an issue of this except that, again, it speaks truth to power about what is happening in Iraq," she said.

The video has raised new questions about how the Iraq war can be discussed in the November elections. Privately, Democrats acknowledge that Spratt and Edwards must condemn the video because they represent Republican districts.

Originally Posted by db44

Bohnner stumbled all over the place like he'd spent the night out with Ted Kennedy.

Hey, don't forget Pat Kennedy. Make it a father-son outing...




http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060715/...emocratic_ad_1

Democrats pull ad with flag-draped coffins

By SEANNA ADCOX, Associated Press Writer
Fri Jul 14, 8:45 PM ET

ROCK HILL, S.C. - Democrats pulled an Internet ad that showed flag-draped coffins Friday after Republicans and at least two Democrats demanded it be taken down on grounds the image was insensitive and not fit for a political commercial

The ad by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee called for a "new direction" and displayed a staccato of images, including war scenes, pollution and breached levees as well as a photograph of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay doctored to look like a police mug shot.

The campaign committee replaced the ad with a radio commercial that targets Rep. John Hostetler, R-Ind., for opposing an increase in the minimum wage. Democrats have made a minimum wage increase a central theme of this year's election.

Democrats had featured the video ad for nearly two weeks on the DCCC Web site where it had gone largely unnoticed until Republicans began objecting to it this week. On Thursday, more than a dozen Republicans, many with military backgrounds, called on DCCC Chairman Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., to apologize. Democratic Reps. John Spratt of South Carolina and Chet Edwards of Texas asked Emanuel to pull or alter the ad.

"We're moving to another major effort that we're highlighting on our Web site," DCCC spokesman Bill Burton said.

In South Carolina, Spratt's Republican challenger, state Rep. Ralph Norman, commended the removal. It was "the right thing to do for the state, country and especially the brave men and women who serve in our military," said Norman's spokesman, Nathan Hollifield.

[*Candy*]

At least it lets people see the results of war.