GOP Candidates Claim Degrees Of Separation From President

[Demeter]

GOP Candidates Claim Degrees Of Separation From President

By Michael Abramowitz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 5, 2006; A01



On Capitol Hill, Rep. Mark Kennedy (Minn.) and Sen. James M. Talent (Mo.) are known as loyal Republican soldiers, reliable votes for President Bush on tax cuts and the Iraq war. In elections past, they have aired advertisements featuring the president and have stumped with him at public rallies.

This year, both are running for Senate seats, but their television ads have made no mention of Bush -- and have been conspicuous in distancing the candidates from their partisan affiliation. "Most people don't care if you're red or blue, Republican or Democrat," Talent's ad states. A recent ad from Kennedy says, "He doesn't do what the party says to."

For months, political analysts have waited to see how GOP candidates would navigate the challenge of running in the face of what polls show are dismal approval ratings for Bush and the Republican-led Congress. The ads give an answer: Endangered candidates are presenting themselves as independent-minded problem solvers who are not part of Washington's partisan wars.

Even Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds, who heads the National Republican Congressional Committee, has run TV ads in his Buffalo area district that do not identify his party affiliation.

Political researcher Zachary A. Goldfarb contributed to this report.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/04/AR2006080401807_pf.html

[kurth]

1. Dems must point out (1) they're Republican, (2) they voted for Bush

9X% of the time. Fucking weasels.

[Moderator]

2. duplicate

posted on the 4th ( date of article is August 5th)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2437099