Kerry wants end to ad war

2004-09-27 22:16

Spring Green - Democratic presidential challenger John Kerry on Monday appealed for an end to the advertising war that has pitted his supporters against those of President George W Bush.

Kerry said the avalanche of negative television spots and attacks being shown on US screens was scaring off voters.

"Americans need a real conversation over our future," Kerry said in a speech at a school in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

"What they don't need is all these trumped up advertisements, they just make people curl up and walk away," added the Massachusetts senator.

The Democrats have complained bitterly about an advertisement that showed Osama bin Laden, September 11 hijack leader Mohamed Atta, Saddam Hussein and the ruins of the World Trade Centre ... and questioned whether Kerry was up to dealing with them.

A statement called the spot, run by the Republican group Progress for America Voter Fund, the latest in a series of "desperate and despicable attack ads" aimed at diverting attention from Bush's record.

The Democrats have rolled out a new advert of their own - titled "Despicable" - in which they accused the Bush administration of "playing politics with terror" and dividing the country to win a second term at the White House.

Both 'privileged'

Kerry also made a personality attack, saying that he and his rival are both children of privilege, but Bush considers his comfortable position an entitlement.

Kerry said "he and I, we went to the same university, we're both very privileged". Both men attended Yale University.

The Democrat added that from his education "came a sense of fairness and responsibility" while Bush "thinks it's entitlement".

Kerry said America's middle classes had suffered from the huge tax cuts that Bush had presided over and which Democrats say mainly benefit the most wealthy.

"He doesn't care, he's out of touch," said Kerry.

Kerry also launched a new attack Bush's campaign in Iraq, a topic where Republicans have accused him of continually changing position.

"I've been right on Iraq all along," said Kerry.

"I said yes, we ought to hold him (Saddam Hussein) accountable, but let's do it the right way, and I showed what it was, step by step.

"And step-by-step the president chose the wrong way."

- SAPA