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Money quote bolded my me (at the bottom). Just when I thought I was inured to the breathtaking arrogance of BushCo, they go and hit a new low. Check it out.

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Bush ads anger some 9/11 families
Bush adviser: 'It really defined our future'

Thursday, March 4, 2004 Posted: 12:13 PM EST (1713 GMT)

NEW YORK (AP) -- President Bush's re-election campaign on Thursday defended commercials using images from the September 11 terrorist attacks, including wreckage of the World Trade Center, as appropriate for an election about public policy and the war on terror.

Some families of the victims of the attacks are angry with Bush for airing the spots, which they called in poor taste and for the president's political gain.

"I respectfully, completely disagree," Bush adviser Karen Hughes said Thursday on CNN's "American Morning."

"Your viewers saw the ad. I think it's very tasteful. It's a reminder of our shared experience as a nation. I mean September 11th is not just some distant tragedy from the past, it really defined our future."

The first three ads, unveiled Wednesday at campaign headquarters in suburban Washington, will run on broadcast channels in about 80 markets in 18 states, most of which are expected to be critical to the election, and nationwide on select cable networks.

"It's a slap in the face of the murders of 3,000 people," Monica Gabrielle, whose husband died in the twin towers, told the New York Daily News for its Thursday editions. "It is unconscionable."

Two of the spots show the destruction at the World Trade Center and include an American flag flying amid the debris.

They also feature images of firefighters working through the wreckage.

"It's as sick as people who stole things out of the place," said Firefighter Tommy Fee of Queens Rescue Squad 270. "The image of firefighters at ground zero should not be used for this stuff, for politics."

The ads do not mention Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, focusing instead on improving Bush's image after criticism by Democrats in recent months.

"I would be less offended if he showed a picture of himself in front of the Statue of Liberty," said Tom Roger, whose daughter perished on American Airlines Flight 11.

"But to show the horror of 9/11 in the background, that's just some advertising agency's attempt to grab people by the throat."

Hughes said the ads are a tasteful reminder of what the country has been through the last three years.

"I can understand why some Democrats might not want the American people to remember the great leadership and strength the president and first lady Laura Bush brought to our country in the aftermath of that," she said.

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Can you believe that crap? The only reason anyone would object to using the site of 2800 deaths as a campaign prop is because they don't want to remind people of Bush's "great leadership"? That the families of the victims are only concerned with not letting Bush look good and not, say, the dignity of their dead loved ones?

In case anyone needs reminding, this "great leader" is the same one stonewalling the commission investigating 9/11, refusing to publicly testify, refusing to speak to the whole panel, and limiting private unsworn tesitmony in front of only two members to one hour. (Clinton and Gore have agreed to unlimited testimony before the full panel, albeit privately.) Condi Rice is on the verge of getting subpoenaed to force her testimony. They're willing to use the victims as a campaign ad, but not actually help get to truth of what happened that day.

I can't wait until Bush accepts the Republican nomination at Ground Zero, as has been rumored lately. Maybe the country will finally get fed up with this pathetic little man dancing on the grave of terrorism victims.

Ryan

Todays NYDN:



And then there's this:

Fire Fighters President Says Use of Fire Fighter Images in New Bush Ads Smack of Political Opportunism

3/3/04 6:34:00 PM

WASHINGTON, March 3 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters, AFL-CIO (IAFF), Harold Schaitberger, issued the following statement today after President Bush unveiled new political ads that use images of fire fighters in September 11, 2001 attacks for political gain:

-- As Bush Trades on Heroism of Fire Fighters, His Homeland Security Funding Cuts Hurt Fire Fighters and Communities --

"I'm disappointed but not surprised that the President would try to trade on the heroism of those fire fighters in the September 11 attacks. The use of 9/11 images are hypocrisy at its worst. Here's a President that initially opposed the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and now uses its first anniversary as cause to promote his re-election. Here is a President that proposed two budgets with no funding for FIRE Act grants and still plays on the image of America's bravest. His advertisements are disgraceful.

"Bush is calling on the biggest disaster in our country's history, and indeed in the history of the fire service, to win sympathy for his campaign. Since the attacks, Bush has been using images of himself putting his arm around a retired FDNY fire fighter on the pile of rubble at ground zero. But for two and a half years he has basically shortchanged fire fighters and the safety of our homeland by not providing fire fighters the resources needed to do the job that America deserves.

"The fact is Bush's actions have resulted in fire stations closing in communities around the country. Two-thirds of America's fire departments remain under-staffed because Bush is failing to enforce a new law that was passed with bipartisan support in Congress that would put more fire fighters in our communities. President Bush's budget proposes to cut Homeland Security Department funding for first responders by $700 million for next year and cuts funding for the FIRE Act, a grant program that helps fire departments fund equipment needs, 33 percent by $250 million. In addition, state and local programs for homeland security purposes were reduced $200 million.

"We're going to be aggressive and vocal in our efforts to ensure that the citizens of this country know about Bush's poor record on protecting their safety and providing for the needs of the people who are supposed to respond in an emergency."

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The firefighters' union was, of course, an early and vocal Kerry endorser...

Anyone else have the feeling that the Republican convention in NYC is going to be a little interesting?

Ryan

1) I thought Karen Hughes quit.

2) Who needs a "reminder" of what happened? Americans may have short memories (what CIA agent leak scandal?), but I'm pretty sure most remember what happened that day.

Other outlets are describing her as a "former" Bush adviser. I thought she quit, too. Maybe she's back for the campaign.

Ryan

FYI, apparently at least one group of victims has come out in support of Bush. This caught my eye, though:

Americans say 9/11 campaign ads are wrong

WASHINGTON, March 9 (UPI) -- Most Americans think it is wrong for any candidate, including President Bush, to run campaign ads using images from the Sept. 11 attacks, a poll finds.

Survey results released Tuesday by The Gallup Organization found that 66 percent of those polled thought it was inappropriate to use images depicting the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Thirty percent said they thought it was appropriate.

The majority -- 54 percent -- of a second group polled by Gallup said they thought it was inappropriate for the incumbent president to use such images, while 42 percent said they thought it was appropriate.

Democrats and some families of Sept. 11 victims have criticized the president for using images from World Trade Center in television ads that began airing last week.

The polls findings were based on telephone interviews conducted March 5-7 with two separate groups of American adults, one with 503 people and one with 502 people. The maximum margin of error is plus or minus 5 percentage points.