Bush-Cheney '04 Launches New Television Advertisement "Intel"

ComPost says this was supposed to be embargoed until Monday, but it was posted on the campaign website on Friday!

The video is not yet posted.

Bush-Cheney Ad Facts: "Intel"

AD FACT

JOHN KERRY: "I will immediately reform the intelligence system."

BACKGROUND

Kerry Pledged At The DNC Convention: "I Will Immediately Reform The Intelligence System." "As president, I will ask the hard questions and demand hard evidence. I will immediately reform the intelligence system, so policy is guided by facts and facts are never distorted by politics." (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks At DNC Convention, 7/29/04)

AD FACT

VOICE OVER: "Oh really…As a member of the Intelligence committee, Senator Kerry was absent for 76 percent of the Committee's hearings. In the year after the first terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, Kerry was absent for every single one."

BACKGROUND

While On Committee, Kerry Missed 38 Of 49 Public Intelligence Committee Hearings. During John Kerry's eight years of service on the Senate's Select Committee on Intelligence, there were 49 open, public hearings. Of these 49, John Kerry attended just 11 (22.4%). Among the most notable of those he missed is the June 8, 2000, hearing on the report of the National Commission on Terrorism, which warned about the terrorist threat we now face and recommended numerous steps to address that threat (few of which were adopted prior to 9/11/01).

In 1994, Kerry Missed Every Committee Hearing (Bob Kerrey Attended All Of The Hearings That Year), Including A Hearing On The Report Of The Joint Security Commission, Which Warned, In Part: "The bombing of the World Trade Center and the assassination of two CIA employees in Virginia heightened our sensitivity to the fact that terrorist activities against Americans can occur domestically as well as abroad." ("Redefining Security: A Report To The Secretary Of Defense And The Director Of Central Intelligence," U.S. Joint Security Commission, 2/28/94)

AD FACT

VOICE OVER: "That same year he proposed slashing America's intelligence budget by 6 billion dollars. There's what Kerry says and then there's what Kerry does."

BACKGROUND

In 1994, Kerry Proposed Amendment To Cut Intelligence Budget By $6 Billion Across The Board. (Amdt. To H.R. 3759, CQ Vote #39: Rejected 20-75: R 3-37; D 17-38, 2/10/94, Kerry Voted Yea; Graham, Lieberman And Braun Voted Nay)

75 Senators, Including Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Voted Against Kerry's Amendment. (Amdt. To H.R. 3759, CQ Vote #39: Rejected 20-75: R 3-37; D 17-38, 2/10/94, Kerry Voted Yea; Kennedy Voted Nay)
Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI) Warned Kerry's Proposed Cut "Would Severely Hamper" Intelligence Efforts. (Sen. Daniel Inouye [D-HI], Congressional Record, 2/10/94, pp. S1330-S1332)
Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ) Said Previous Cuts "As Deep As The Intelligence Community Can Withstand." (Sen. Dennis DeConcini [D-AZ], Congressional Record, 2/10/94, p. S1360)
Sen. DeConcini Claimed Kerry Would Cut Intel By $6 Billion Over Six Years: "Mr. President, the Kerry amendment includes a $1 billion cut in fiscal year 1994 and $5 billion over the next 5 years from intelligence activities." (Sen. Dennis DeConcini [D-AZ], Congressional Record, 2/10/94, p. S1360)

Crosslink.

Bush Ad Attacking Kerry Leaks Out (Kurtz spin till you're dizzy alert!)

I thought maybe they were going to splice the bunny-suited Kerry into one of those old Intel MMX ads.

bump

If I was producing this ad, I'd bend the truth and say that Kerry missed 78% of his meetings, just to bait the Kerry campaing into a public correction.

Ad is here: http://www.bushforpresident.com/

Sen. Roberts was talking about Kerry's dismal attendance in Senate during votes on Intelligence Issues on MTP this morning. I think GOP is going to focus on Kerry's piss-poor Intel support the next 2 weeks.

I would just say the 38 out of 49 meetings or whatever the number is - people don't relate well to percentages...