Bush - a new low in bad taste, uses 9/11 victims as a springboard for his campaign. What a disgusting pig: STAY AWAY FROM GROUND ZERO BUSH!
With Republicans holding their political convention in New York in late August, victims said they hope Bush does not make it worse by speaking at the site now known as Ground Zero, which many view as sacred.
"If he does, there will be a protest and it could get ugly," said Doyle.
Several family members said their annoyance stemmed in part from Bush's refusal to testify publicly before the federal commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
"The Bush administration will not cooperate fully with the 9/11 commission and at the same time they are trying to invoke and own 9/11 and use it for his re-election," said Stephen Push from the Washington office of "Families September 11th." His wife died on the plane that crashed into the Pentagon that day.
The International Association of Fire Fighters, which has endorsed and campaigned for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, denounced the spots as "hypocrisy at its worst."
"I'm disappointed but not surprised that the president would try to trade on the heroism of those fire fighters," the union's general president, Harold Schaitberger, said.
U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, a New Jersey Democrat, said the use of the images "demeans and dishonors those who died."
"I urge you to direct your campaign to immediately withdraw these advertisements," Lautenberg wrote in a letter to Bush.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he had no objections. And not all relatives of victims were upset by the ads.
"I don't have a problem with his pointing to his leadership at that time. He helped us weather it. To me it was a tasteful ad," said Patricia Reilly, who sister Lorraine Lee died in the New York attacks. (Additional reporting by Larry Fine)
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