GOP Candidate On NRCC Bin Laden Attack Ad: Not My Problem
The other day I told you about Jim Tedisco, the Republican candidate in the nationally-watched special election in New York’s 20th District, who grew so exasperated with the national GOP’s ads attacking his Dem opponent that he basically asked for a halt to them. Seems the national party’s ads had been hurting the GOPer in the polls.
Now, HuffPo reports, the National Republican Congressional Committee has released perhaps its most negative ad yet in the race. It features Osama Bin Laden and hits the Dem, Scott Murphy, for opposing the death penalty for the 9/11 attackers:
This would seem to belong in the category of the previous ads Tedisco wanted stopped. So does Tedisco want the NRCC to stop with this one, too? I asked the Tedisco campaign for comment, and spokesperson Adam Kramer emailed:
Unfortunately, Jim can’t control what the Washington groups do. Jim is staying focused on his positive message of fighting for Main Street jobs and against the AIG-style greed on Wall Street and waste in Washington.
Tedisco’s refusal to condemn the Bin Laden ad comes on the same day that a new poll finds Dem Murphy creeping into the lead for the first time, with only five days left until Election Day. There’s a great deal riding on this one for both national parties, so keep an eye on it.
Update: It’s true that the above is a Web ad. But I think the claim made by some that paid ads are news and Web ads aren’t is bogus. After all, reporters routinely write about “paid ads” with no proof whatsoever that they are actually running. And reporters will write about a press release from one side attacking the other if it’s deemed to have news in it.
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Perhaps Tedisco prefers to rebuff the national ads only when he thinks he’s winning.
How long are the Republicans going to use OBL, 9/11 and the GWOT as a crutch?
Thanks for the post Greg…this one has me hot under the collar and NOT in a good way!!!!
~Jenn
@JennD – You’d think after the 2008 elections that they would know that these types of attacks don’t work. The people are hip to the deliberate use of fear as a campaign tactic.
“It features Obama Bin Laden”? How’d they manage that, video morphing technology?
I am with you DJShay – not sure what they are trying to accomplish…the way I look at it…this ad would be speaking to the people that are going to vote for Tedisco anyway…if the GOP is trying to convince the Indy’s/Mod’s, I don’t think this is the right way to go…like you said, if 2008 election didn’t get that message across to GOP, I’m not sure what will!
Speaking of attack ads check out this one from the DNC PWNING the House Repubicans over their “budget”
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuAstDdFA2M&feature=player_embedded
EL: Bin Laden’s agent couldn’t wangle a starring billing from the GOOPers, so they settled for featuring. Something to do with residuals.
Wait a minute dude, I thought Saddam was responsible for 9/11 and we already killed him. Obviously Republicans don’t know what they are doing.
If Tedisco cannot control the “Washington groups” in this case the NRCC, what does he plan to accomplish should he get there? If they have so little respect for him that they brush off his requests to let him run his own campaign, they’ll have little use for him should he win.
Tedisco wants it both ways, he wants the Murphy attacked with smears, but he wants to keep his hands clean and seem above it all. Murphy should use it against him – if “Washington” is going to ignore Tedisco’s requests now, how can Tedisco expect to get them to listen should he win? The NRCC has so little respect for Tedisco that they run ads he’s asked them not to – he could then even highlight this Osama ad to get it some coverage. Whereas on the other hand Murphy has President Obama interested in working with him.
Using Scott Murphy’s own words is somehow not allowed???? Since when was that a rule to fair campaigning?
You people are pathetic morons.
Um…regarding the death penalty for the 9/11 attackers…it *was* a suicide attack, was it not?
It was suicide for the actual attackers, not for those higher in the food chain. The death penalty would allow them to become martyrs. If they’re allowed to rot in prison for the rest of their natural lives, they’re nothing more than common criminals.