July 7, 2008 11:13 AM
- Text
Independent Group Bankrolls Spot Pushing Success Of Iraq Surge
"We're winning" the war in Iraq, according to a new ad from an independent group called Vets For Freedom.
The group is spending $1.5 million to run the spot, which closely echoes the rhetoric of presumptive GOP nominee John McCain, largely in swing states.
"Casualties are at an all-time low," says one of the eight veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who appears in the spot. "Al Qaeda in Iraq is decimated," he adds, as the words "essentially defeated" appear on the screen.
"These are the facts – they can't be ignored," those appearing in the ad continue. "We changed strategy in Iraq, and the surge worked. Now that's change we can believe in."
"We need to finish the job, no matter who is President," they conclude.
McCain has been a strong proponent of the "surge" strategy, and has promised to largely continue the present Iraq policy if elected; rival Barack Obama has vowed to begin bringing troops home soon after he takes office.
Vets For Freedom cannot legally coordinate with the McCain campaign, and chairman Pete Hegseth said the group was not acting on the presumptive GOP nominee's behalf.
Hegseth told the Washington Post that the spot was running in the swing states of Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia because citizens in those states have a "heightened awareness" of important issues due to their swing-state status.
"It's not an attack on anybody. We're not taking on any presidential candidates," he added.
Watch it:
The group is spending $1.5 million to run the spot, which closely echoes the rhetoric of presumptive GOP nominee John McCain, largely in swing states.
"Casualties are at an all-time low," says one of the eight veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who appears in the spot. "Al Qaeda in Iraq is decimated," he adds, as the words "essentially defeated" appear on the screen.
"These are the facts – they can't be ignored," those appearing in the ad continue. "We changed strategy in Iraq, and the surge worked. Now that's change we can believe in."
"We need to finish the job, no matter who is President," they conclude.
McCain has been a strong proponent of the "surge" strategy, and has promised to largely continue the present Iraq policy if elected; rival Barack Obama has vowed to begin bringing troops home soon after he takes office.
Vets For Freedom cannot legally coordinate with the McCain campaign, and chairman Pete Hegseth said the group was not acting on the presumptive GOP nominee's behalf.
Hegseth told the Washington Post that the spot was running in the swing states of Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia because citizens in those states have a "heightened awareness" of important issues due to their swing-state status.
"It's not an attack on anybody. We're not taking on any presidential candidates," he added.
Watch it:
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Brian Montopoli Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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