A Bush Ad Will Question Kerry's Commitment to the Troops [View All]

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http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/16/politics/campaign/16ADS.html

A Bush Ad Will Question Kerry's Commitment to Troops
By JIM RUTENBERG

Published: April 16, 2004


WASHINGTON, April 15 — President Bush's re-election campaign plans to begin running an advertisement on Friday that questions Senator John Kerry's commitment to American troops in Iraq.

The spot, first shown in West Virginia last month, is to be shown in the 18 swing states where Mr. Bush has advertised since early March, and on some national cable networks.

Its reintroduction comes at a time of anxiety at the White House caused by two weeks of heavy American casualties in Iraq and hearings at which a bipartisan panel has questioned administration officials about their reaction to warning signs before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The spot seemed intended at least in part to prevent Mr. Kerry from taking advantage of the environment by raising questions about Mr. Bush's wartime leadership, a central theme of the president's campaign. In the commercial an announcer points out that Mr. Kerry had voted against Mr. Bush's $87 billion package for Iraq and Afghanistan despite his support for the war and says he is "wrong on defense."

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