The Bush Campaign: A Shameful Beginning

[the gentleman]

It looks like the Bush Administration managed to shoot itself in the foot with its first volley of campaign ads. The ads show images of the World Trade Center devastation, complete with a flag-draped coffin being removed from the smoldering ruins. Victim’s families and first-responders were not impressed.

• “Using my dead friends and my dead brother for political expediency is dead wrong. It's wrong, it's bad taste and an insult to the 3,000 people who died on Sept. 11.”-- Chris Burke, whose brother died in the North Tower

• “Mr. Bush's ad flashes a shot of firefighters removing some flag-draped remains of a victim from the wreckage at ground zero even as he prohibits the filming of flag-draped remains of soldiers coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan.”-- Maureen Dowd, NYTimes, 3/4/04

• “It's so hard for us to believe that it's not obvious to everyone that Ground Zero shouldn't be used as a backdrop for a political campaign. We are incensed and hurt by what he is doing.”-- Rita Lasar, whose brother died in the North Tower

• “As a firefighter who spent months at Ground Zero, it’s deeply offensive to see the Bush campaign use these images to capitalize on the greatest American tragedy of our time.”-- Tom Ryan, a 20-year veteran fireman

• “We're not going to stand for him to put his arm around one of our members on top of a pile of rubble at Ground Zero during a tragedy and then stand by and watch him cut money for first responders.”-- Harold A. Schaitberger, general president of the International Association of Fire Fighters

• “He's trying to cover himself with the flag. He's trying to justify the war in Iraq by saying it had something to do with 9/11.”-- Wright Salisbury of Lexington, Mass., whose son-in-law was killed in New York

The Bush Administration’s use of 9/11 images should not surprise anyone. What else can they run on—record job losses, record deficits, perpetual war? Their one hope is to rekindle the support Bush enjoyed after 9/11, but it’s not going to work. Too many things have come to light about what the Bush Administration did and didn’t do—before, during, and after the attacks of 9/11. The Bush Administration has a lot of explaining to do, and they don’t seem very anxious to explain anything

• “Three thousand people were murdered on President Bush's watch. He has not cooperated with the investigation to find out why that happened.”-- Kristen Breitweiser, whose husband, died in the World Trade Center

• “The Bush administration will not cooperate fully with the 9/11 commission and at the same time they are trying to invoke and own 9/11 and use it for his re-election.”-- Stephen Push, whose wife died in the plane crash at the Pentagon

• “How this administration handled that day as well as the war on terror is worthy of discussion and I look forward to discussing that with the American people.”-- George W. Bush, 3/6/04

• “We've been fighting for nearly 21 months -- fighting the administration, the White House. As soon as we started looking for answers we were blocked, put off and ignored at every stop of the way.”-- Monica Gabrielle, whose husband died in World Trade Center's Tower 2

• “It is a triumph of chutzpah for Mr. Bush to thwart the investigation into 9/11 at the same time he seeks re-election by promoting his handling of 9/11 and scaring us with the specter of more terrorism. He's even using 9/11 memorials as the backdrop for his convention in New York.”-- Maureen Dowd, NYTimes, 2/29/04

• “Lucky me. I hit the trifecta.”-- George W. Bush, mid-September, 2001—describing how he felt after the attacks of 9/11; quoted by his budget director, Mitch Daniels, 10/16/01

Even Bush’s handpicked chairman of the commission investigating the events surrounding 9/11 has said the attacks should have been prevented.

• ”As you read the report, you're going to have a pretty clear idea what wasn't done and what should have been done. This was not something that had to happen.”-- Thomas Kean, Chairman of the federal commission investigating 9/11, CBS News, 12/17/03

If we dismiss the conspiracy theories and ignore all the unanswered questions, we are still left with an account of an incompetent administration that received warnings from the previous administration, a dozen nations, and their own intelligence agencies—but still failed to do anything to safeguard the public. If they want to make that the cornerstone of their campaign, I say, “Bring it on!”

[Membrane]

OK, so..? and SO WHAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR COUNTRY?

For every article you can come up about GWB and the U.S.--given time and the inclination--I could find another, equally as bad about your government.

In case you haven't a clue Gent, it means maybe it's time you used your skills and talents on fighting Al-Quaeda and the terrorists, rather than constantly trying to gnaw away at the U.S.

Regardless of how you feel about G-P and the little back-and-forth games you are playing with him, the United States is your best friend in preserving YOUR way of life, protecting YOUR country--or would you rather have Osama as your best friend?

Gent, all of your posts seem to be directed at demoralizing Americans, shaming them, ridiculing them and the current administration. Just what do you think you're doing, MATE? What the ###### is your AGENDA? You obviously have one! Why not just come clean and share it with all of us? And don't hide behind the facade of "I love America but can't stand George Bush" shit!

[the gentleman]

Hi Membrane, well it isnt Anti American, it is Anti Bush!

You and a few of your mates always try and tell us how good he is and what he has done for us all - pleeeease

So basically you have your thoughts/supports and I have mine.

What you believe to be correct regarding George Bush, is not what a lot of people think.

He is only your President, not your country - so why on earth would you keep supporting a man that took the job, rather than was given it.

As this post states, look what he will stoop to, to get the emotional vote - he only has one agenda and that is his own. How dare he!

[britmaveric]

The ads aren't bad at all. I dare say you've quoted from a few disgruntled familes, there also have been many 911 familes that have supported Bush ads. I'd be prepared for the inevitable re-election because it looks far from a lock for the "International Man of Mystery"!

[Boon Mee]

Boys, it's just "the gent" back to his old tricks again trying to wind us (rational, clear-thinking individuals w/out an agenda) up with the old saw, GWB sucks.

It's a thin disguise for gent's basic underlying anti-American attitude. Whatever that Yank did to him in Africa, he ain't gonna forget...

[Georgie-Porgie]

It's a thin disguise for gent's basic underlying anti-American attitude. Whatever that Yank did to him in Africa, he ain't gonna forget... 

He pulled out before the PUD was ready!

[Boon Mee]

Beautiful!!!

Yeah, he's probably the kind of guy who won't even give his partner a "Reach-Around!!!

[the gentleman]

- your a bit off topic boys - , you guys should be in politics

[the gentleman]

Boys, it's just "the gent" back to his old tricks again trying to wind us (rational, clear-thinking individuals w/out an agenda) up with the old saw, GWB sucks.

That should be in the joke section

[the gentleman]

Boys, it's just "the gent" back to his old tricks again trying to wind us (rational, clear-thinking individuals w/out an agenda) up with the old saw, GWB sucks.

That should be in the joke section

did I mention that should be in the joke section

[Boon Mee]

Boys, it's just "the gent" back to his old tricks again trying to wind us (rational, clear-thinking individuals w/out an agenda) up with the old saw, GWB sucks.

That should be in the joke section

did I mention that should be in the joke section

A slight retention problem Gent?..