NYT: In Campaign Ads for Democrats, Bush Is the Star

[Mark E. Smith]

WASHINGTON, Sept 16 - From Rhode Island to New Mexico, from Connecticut to Tennessee, President Bush
is emerging as the marquee name in this fall's Congressional elections - courtesy not of his Republican
Party but the Democrats.

A review of dozens of campaign commercials finds that Mr. Bush has become the star of the Democrats'
advertising war this fall. He is pictured standing alone and next to Republican senators and members of
Congress, his name intoned by ominous-sounding announcers. Republican candidates are damned in the
advertisements by the number of times they have voted with Mr. Bush in Congress.

Not surprisingly, given that Mr. Bush's job approval rating continues to drift around 40 percent, it is hard to
spot the president in any of the Republican advertisements that were reviewed. In what may be taken as a leading
indicator of changing Republican tastes, Senator john McCain of Arizona is popping up everywhere.

There is Mr. Bush on television screens in Colorado, but in an advertisement urging the election of Angie
Paccione, a Democrat, the president is shown leaning over to plant a big kiss on the forehead of Representitive
Marilyn Musgrave, a Republican. There is Mr. Bush again on television screens in New Mexico, standing on a
stage shoulder-to-shoulder with Representitive Heather A. Wilson, a Republican struggling to keep her seat.
"Heather Wilson supports George Bush on the war in Iraq with no questions asked," the announcer says, in an
advertisement for Patricia Madrid.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/17/us/politics/17ads.html?ex=1316145600&en=bbd2e3bef81e75c1&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Albatross Georgie. One big rotten old bird hanging around the neck of the GOP.

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. He's radioactive. Dopes like Santorum still think he's OK, though.

The Dems may as well use his mug to tie as many RW fools to him as possible. It can't hurt.

[Zorro]

2. George W. Bush....George W. Bush...

In California we're seeing commercials with der Gropenator chanting this over and over, with the Chimp in the background.

It's probably the most effective thing the Dems can do to resuscitate the Angelides campaign.