Bush campaign worker linked to SBV ad

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Bush campaign worker linked to SBV ad
6
Sun, 08-22-2004 - 8:19am
Bush Supporter Leaves Campaign Over Role in Ad

Sat Aug 21, 2004 09:47 PM ET

By Jeremy Pelofsky

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - A Vietnam veteran who worked with President Bush's

campaign has left over his appearance in a commercial by a group challenging

Democratic candidate John Kerry's war record, a campaign spokesman said on Saturday.

Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt said Ken Cordier was a Bush supporter during

the 2000 election and served as a member of his a steering committee to help reach out to

veterans during this election.

"Col. Cordier did not inform the campaign of his involvement in the advertisement being

run by (Swift Boat Veterans for Truth)," Schmidt said. "Because of his involvement with

this 527 (group), Col. Cordier will no longer participate" in the steering committee.

The disclosure of Cordier's involvement came one day after White House spokesman

Scott McClellan and Bush campaign chairman Marc Racicot denied the campaign

coordinated with the group on the ads, which claim that Kerry lied about his Vietnam

War service.

Kerry has called the ads inaccurate and accused the group of being a front for the Bush

campaign. On Friday the Kerry campaign filed a complaint with the Federal Election

Commission seeking to force the ads' withdrawal.

New advertisements by the group are set to debut next week in states where Kerry has

touted his military service. Kerry won several medals and his record is often contrasted

with Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard during the war.

McClellan has refused to specifically condemn the ads and instead has urged Kerry to

join Bush in calling for an end to all commercials funded by unrestricted donations.

U.S. advocacy groups can collect vast sums of money to run their own political

advertisements but are barred from coordinating their activities with campaigns or

political parties.

"There seems to be an increasing amount of evidence that the Bush campaign is behind

this," Kerry campaign spokesman Phil Singer said. "So it's no surprise that the president

refuses to condemn these scurrilous ads."

The Bush campaign has said Kerry ignores the fact that his backers run attack advertising

aimed at the president.

Over the last 12 months, groups favoring the Democrats have spent $63.5 million on ads

attacking Bush, according to the Bush campaign, which filed its own FEC complaint

earlier this year alleging coordination between Kerry and the left-leaning groups.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 08-22-2004 - 3:39pm
BUMP (making sure all of those that said there was no connection see this one).
Avatar for tmcgoughy
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-08-2003
Mon, 08-23-2004 - 9:06am
Like it's really going to matter to them.
The first key to wisdom is constant and frequent questioning, for by doubting we are led to question and by questioning we arrive at the truth.  -
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-21-2004
Mon, 08-23-2004 - 9:16am
I don't see the "illegal" part here. Can't you support whatever group and President you want to? As long as the Bush/Cheney campaign did not DIRECTLY fund the ads, I don't see the problem. I'm sure a lot of Democrat supporters are also financing these 527 groups who attack Bush.

That's what you get for "campaign finance reform".

Avatar for tmcgoughy
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-08-2003
Mon, 08-23-2004 - 9:38am

"As long as the Bush/Cheney campaign did not DIRECTLY fund the ads, I don't see the problem.


Now if we could just apply this same standard to Kerry.....

The first key to wisdom is constant and frequent questioning, for by doubting we are led to question and by questioning we arrive at the truth.  -
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 08-23-2004 - 10:23am

"Because of his involvement with this 527 (group), Col. Cordier will no longer participate"


And bravo Bush campaign for stepping up to the plate! They did not know of his involvement, once they found out, they had

------------------------------------


~ ~ Follow your passion!:&n

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2004
Tue, 08-24-2004 - 10:47am
I think the fact that this person was directly related to the campaign was the issue.

Of course you can support which ever candidate you want, but I think that the rules state that if you work for a campaign, you have to keep out of also working for or on behalf of 527's. I could be wrong.