Posted on 08/05/2007 7:35:40 AM PDT by Valin
MINNEAPOLIS -- In counterpoint to recent ads attacking U.S. Norm Coleman, a veterans' group that supports the U.S. troop surge in Iraq will run a 60-second "Thank You" spot for his stance on the war.
The group, Vets for Freedom, would not say how much it is spending on the ads.
"It thanks him for his support thus far for the mission in Iraq," said Pete Hegseth, who heads the national group of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans and is a Minnesota native.
Minnesota GOP spokesman Mark Drake said the ad will provide balance in the public discussion of the war.
"After a barrage of negative attack ads from far-left special interest groups against Senator Coleman, a new voice with a new perspective isn't a bad thing," Drake said. "While some like Al Franken want to recklessly cut off funding for our troops, Senator Coleman's principled and thoughtful leadership is the right approach."
Democrats, on the other hand, were happy the ad campaign would reinforce Coleman's support for President Bush's war strategy.
"This is what we've been trying to do for a long time," said Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez. "It's an honest ad. I won't say I couldn't have put together a better ad if I'd wanted to, but I almost would have paid for this."
Coleman has opposed Democratic plans for setting a withdrawal timeline. However, he has argued for a new strategy of training and counterinsurgency which he said would allow a large drawdown of U.S. troops by next year.
Hegseth said his group has bought spots on This Week, Fox News Sunday and Meet the Press this coming Sunday.
He declined to say how much the group is spending on the ad buys in Minnesota.
Those ads follow two ad buys criticizing Coleman's position on the war. One was paid for by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and the other by Americans United for Change, a labor-backed group that said it spent upward of $100,000.
To see the Ad
http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/multimedia/
Great ad!
Thanks!
This is what we need to see more of!
BTTT!
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