8/26/04 Update:
Lawyer Advising Vets Quits Bush Campaign
| One of President Bush’s top lawyers resigned from his campaign Wednesday, a day after disclosing that he had given legal advice to a veterans group airing TV ads challenging Democrat John Kerry’s Vietnam War service.
The sudden resignation of Bush’s top lawyer doesn’t end the extensive web of connections between George Bush and the group trying to smear John Kerry’s military record,” said Kerry-Edwards campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill. “In fact, it only confirms the extent of those connections.” |
Bush denounces anti-Kerry ad
The Bush administration is pulling off an old political trick. They’re using these “outside groups” as intentional attacks on Kerry such that Bush will look good defending Kerry as a seemingly fair and compassionate opponent.
A vast majority of these highly-publicized outside groups (anyone can write a book) are in the pockets of the Bush folks to serve a variety of purposes.
By being viciously anti-Kerry, they massage a far right-wing segment of the population. They provide the villain in the election process that Bush would do anything to make seem fair (as Fox?), such as getting news articles like that published about him and likely forcing an awkward Kerry defense.
These groups also sell a ton of books and get their 15 minutes worth in the eye, generating a ton of semi-subtle publicity and cash for the bland old party.
Not to mention actually persuading would-be Kerry voters to turn against him. Anyone’s guess as to how many. And of course, They provide distraction from the war, at least the bad parts.
It’s no accident these “outsiders” get the limelight. Maybe Kerry will use Hollywood better from here on out.
