Posted on 05/15/2002 2:35:20 AM PDT by kattracks
WASHINGTONA partisan political war erupted last night after Republicans revealed plans to raise campaign cash by charging $150 for photos of President Bush from the day of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
As part of last night's record-setting $30 million fund-raising bonanza in Washington, Republicans began taking orders for copies of a photo of Bush talking to Vice President Cheney as Air Force One flew to a military base hours after the terror attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
Democrats and campaign finance advocates immediately called the sale of the photo "blood money" and "incredibly disrespectful to the families" of the victims of 9/11.
"For the Republican Party to use this event and all the related sense of pain for financial gain is possibly one of the most morally reprehensible political tactics I have ever seen," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan).
The charge that the sale of photo amounted to "blood money" irked the White House.
"Blood money? And how is that blood money?" said a stunned Ari Fleischer. "I'm hard-pressed to see how that characterization can be anything even closely resembling anything accurate or fair."
Set of Shots
The photo part of a three-picture package that includes pictures from Bush's inauguration and this year's State of the Union address was shot by a government-paid photographer.
It was distributed on the Reuters wire service and the Corbis photo agency. The GOP bought it from Corbis and used it with the blessing of the White House.
Campaign reformers compared it with then-President Bill Clinton's 1996 fund-raising scandal in which Democrats sold a night's stay in the Lincoln Bedroom for $100,000.
"It's in the same realm as the Lincoln Bedroom scandal. They're using an image aboard Air Force One on one of the most tragic days in American history to raise money for the Republican Party," said Steven Weiss of the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.
Clinton also took photos with fat-cat supporters as a fund-raising tactic.
Last year, the GOP sold access to Cheney and the vice president's residence at the same annual fund-raising gala.
Even former Vice President Al Gore, who had to fight accusations he attended an illegal fund-raiser at a Buddhist temple while in office, said he "cannot imagine that the families of those who lost their lives on Sept. 11 condone this."
"While most pictures are worth a thousand words, a photo that seeks to capitalize on one of the most tragic moments in our nation's history is worth only one disgraceful," Gore said.
President Bush talks to Vice President Cheney on Air Force One hours after the attacks on the Trade Center and Pentagon.
I don't see anything in this picture regarding the WTC or the Pentagon.
FOB and FOFOB... the clinton friend files |
Trailer-park trash goes to Washington...
When it comes to reprehensible acts, Jabba would know. He's done them all.
If this upsets the RATs, it must be a good thing. (Logic 101)
The 8 years that this great nation had to suffer through while willie, the slime, klinton was in office there was not a peep out of these Dumb-O-Creeps.
He and his scummy wife (sic) knew no limits to the morally corupt actions that they performed. Dumb-O-Creeps response, NOTHING
Lying by willie to the American public on T.V., Dumb-O-Creeps response, NOTHING
Anyway you get the idea, 8 years, Dumb-O-Creeps response to all the morally corupt actions, response, NOTHING
If his no morals scummy wife (sic) gets elected, it won't be a house of bimbos it will be a house of lesbos.
I do have a problem with the liberals accepting campaign money from communist countries and having them treat the White House like it's a motel on Airline Hwy.
Remember that photo of Clinton with his hand up some flight attendant's dress on his campaign plane? Now THAT'S a picture we can all be proud of.
The reaction to this is incongruous. The picture looks like something that would be in a textbook, dignified and respectful. Have we heard from any of the real victims about it? Or will it just fade away?
The Bush administration needs to vigorously defend the use of this historical photograph and contrast it with the sleaze and corruption of the Clinton/Gore era.
Their attention to it, framed with competent and witty ridicule by the GOP, would be a plus.
That's about the only thing I see that one could conceivably object to. Easy to fix however - let the Dems sell these pictures too.
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