The Hindu : Bush-Cheney campaign creates furore

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 06, 2004

International

International

Bush-Cheney campaign creates furore

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, MARCH 5. The Bush-Cheney campaign and the White House are clearly on the defensive following expressions of outrage that footages of the wreckage of the World Trade Centre would be used in political advertisements to reinforce the notion of Presidential `leadership' at a time when America faced a series of challenges.

"It is a slap in the face of the murders of 3000 people. It is unconscionable," remarked a person whose husband died in the twin towers. The political advertisements which have started airing in key battleground states also show images of fire-fighters at the scene working through the rubble in the aftermath of the terror attacks of September 11,2001. "It is as sick as people who stole things out of the place. The image of fire-fighters at ground zero should not be used for this stuff", a fire-fighter of a rescue squad in Queens has been quoted. In fact at least one fire-fighters union that has endorsed the Democratic candidate John Kerry has demanded that the White House pull out the advertisements and apologise to the families of the victims.

The advertisements in question refer to the terrorist attacks on America and the recent economic recession and are intended to project the image of George W Bush offering "steady leadership" in times of change.

But the White House and senior advisors to the President are defending them. "I respectfully, completely disagree...I think it is very tasteful. It is a reminder of our shared experience as a nation...September 11 is not just some distant tragedy from the recent past, it really defined our future", remarked Presidential advisor, Karen Hughes.

"September 11 was a defining moment for our nation. It was an experience that all Americans shared. It is the reason we are still at war on terrorism...And it is vital to our future that we learn what September 11 taught us" said the White House Spokesman, Scott McClellan.

"There's a clear choice for Americans in how we confront the threats of terrorism", he added. Even as this controversy is going on Mr. Bush took aim at his Democratic rival in a campaign swing through California and also making the point that he was looking forward to setting out the "alternatives squarely" before the American people. And the President also had a dig at Senator Kerry.

"This should be an interesting debate on the issues. He has spent two decades in Congress. He has built up quite a record. In fact, Senator Kerry has been in Washington long enough to take both sides on just about every issue", the President remarked.

"The man who sits in the Oval office will set the course of the war on terror and the direction of our economy...So far, all we hear from that side is a lot of old bitterness and partisan anger", Mr. Bush remarked.

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