Thursday, November 02, 2006
Pull Coffins From Ads
NewsMax - A Republican congressional candidate on Wednesday condemned a TV ad by his own party that uses images of soldiers' flag-draped coffins to attack his opponent, but the committee that paid for the piece said it will continue to air.
"It is unacceptable for them to use American soldiers' coffins in any advertising," Max Burns told The Associated Press. "They need to remove those immediately."
The National Republican Congressional Committee ad, which attacks Rep. John Barrow on homeland security issues, shows numerous television screens displaying rows of coffins draped in American flags.
An announcer says, "Barrow is funded by an organization that used coffins of dead American soldiers in a fundraising ad."
It's a reference to a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee video posted on the Internet in July. The Democratic group, which denies it was produced to raise money, took down the video after several Republicans and Democrats - including Burns and Barrow - complained that it exploited the deaths of American service members in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Burns, a former GOP congressman who lost to Barrow in 2004, asked the NRCC to take down the ad or edit it to remove the caskets, but the committee refused.
"Our production of the ad is completely independent of former congressman Burns and we have no plans to take it down," said NRCC spokesman Jonathan Collegio.
Barrow called it "utter hypocrisy" that Republicans would attack him with images they considered off-limits months ago.
"They're not trying to insult the memories of fallen soldiers to raise money, they're doing it to get votes," Barrow said. "It's just as insensitive either way."
The ad began airing Tuesday in Barrow's eastern Georgia district. Both the NRCC and the DCCC have been spending heavily on attack ads in the final week of the Barrow-Burns race.
"It is unacceptable for them to use American soldiers' coffins in any advertising," Max Burns told The Associated Press. "They need to remove those immediately."
The National Republican Congressional Committee ad, which attacks Rep. John Barrow on homeland security issues, shows numerous television screens displaying rows of coffins draped in American flags.
An announcer says, "Barrow is funded by an organization that used coffins of dead American soldiers in a fundraising ad."
It's a reference to a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee video posted on the Internet in July. The Democratic group, which denies it was produced to raise money, took down the video after several Republicans and Democrats - including Burns and Barrow - complained that it exploited the deaths of American service members in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Burns, a former GOP congressman who lost to Barrow in 2004, asked the NRCC to take down the ad or edit it to remove the caskets, but the committee refused.
"Our production of the ad is completely independent of former congressman Burns and we have no plans to take it down," said NRCC spokesman Jonathan Collegio.
Barrow called it "utter hypocrisy" that Republicans would attack him with images they considered off-limits months ago.
"They're not trying to insult the memories of fallen soldiers to raise money, they're doing it to get votes," Barrow said. "It's just as insensitive either way."
The ad began airing Tuesday in Barrow's eastern Georgia district. Both the NRCC and the DCCC have been spending heavily on attack ads in the final week of the Barrow-Burns race.
