Details about John Kerry's two new biographical ads
sfgate.com
See article for transcript, etc.
Excerpt:
ANALYSIS:
Kerry is using the new ads to flesh out his biography and priorities amid concerns among some Democrats that many voters only know him from President Bush's critical ads.
The ads are heavily focused on his family, Vietnam service and career before the Senate, all meant to show other aspects of Kerry's life, besides his 19 years in the Senate.
One ad features McCain, the maverick Republican senator from Arizona, which could be intended to attract independents and anti-Bush Republicans to Kerry's campaign.
Both commercials mention that Kerry went to Yale, which is typically associated with wealth and privilege, and stress that he volunteered for military service in Vietnam after school. The references could be seen as subtle digs at Bush, who also grew up in a wealthy family and attended Yale but did not serve in Vietnam. Bush served in the Texas Air National Guard, and did not participate in combat in Vietnam. Kerry's advisers say the Yale mention is not a shot at Bush.
One ad says, "In the Senate, he was a leader in the fight for health care for children." That is a reference to passage of a 1996 bill that put money into children's health care services. Kerry worked on it with fellow Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy.
The same ad also claims that in the 1990s Kerry "cast a decisive vote that created 20 million new jobs." That was his vote on President Clinton's 1993 budget, which passed by one vote without any GOP support. Clinton's plan cut the deficit by $469 billion over five years, but it also raised taxes, which Kerry doesn't mention.
The Bush campaign took issue with both the health care comment and Kerry's vote on the economic plan. Bush advisers accused Kerry of exaggerating his role in passing the health care legislation and of trumpeting his support of "the largest tax increase in history." Kerry advisers say the ads accurately portray Kerry's record and life story. |
