Rallies staged in protest of Bush ads

Kirsten Searer

Friday, March 5, 2004 | 9:48 a.m.

More than 100 Democrats rallied in Las Vegas and Reno Thursday to protest the new national Bush-Cheney advertising, which is getting more air time in Nevada than in most of the rest of the nation.

The ads, which combine images of Bush with pictures of firefighters and the World Trade Center, seek to capitalize on the emotions of Sept. 11, 2001, complained Nevada Democratic Party spokesman Jon Summers.

"First-responders as a whole, and families of the victims who died as a result of the attacks on 9-11 are all just mortified and offended that George W. Bush would use this for political gain," Summers said. "It's very tasteless."

On the contrary, Republican leaders said. They said the ads show more class than previous Democratic ads because, rather than attacking presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry, they focus on Bush's work in fighting terrorism and his vision for the future.

"We all mourn what happened that day, and we especially mourn the victims, but Sept. 11 basically changed the policies of our nation," said Nevada Republican Party Executive Director Chris Carr.

"In many ways, the president's decisions in the days and weeks after that event have become part of his record," Carr said. "The next president is going to have to again focus on the global war on terror."

The rally in Las Vegas was attended by more than 60 people, including former Governor Bob Miller, state Democratic party chairwoman Adriana Martinez, state Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, and Rusty McAllister, vice president of the Professional Firefighters of Nevada.

On Thursday, the International Association of Fire Fighters Union approved a resolution asking for the ads to be pulled, saying they insult the memories of firefighters and the victims of Sept. 11, 2001.

McAllister said Bush has cut financial support for firefighter training and equipment, yet now is trying to embrace firefighters.

"Essentially he purveys the image that he's really concerned and cares about the firefighters and first-responders when in reality his actions have not necessarily backed up that position," McAllister said.