GOP Candidates Seek Distance From Bush

(AP)  Republicans who were once cozy with President Bush are distancing themselves from both the president and their party in campaign ads.

Consider Rep. Deborah Pryce, the fourth-ranking House Republican struggling to hold onto her seat in an evenly split district in central Ohio, near Columbus.

In 2004, her campaign Web site featured a banner of her and Bush sitting together, smiling. But in her latest television ad, Pryce is described as "independent." The spot also highlights how she "stood up to her own party" and the president to support increased federal funds for embryonic stem-cell research.

As chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, Pryce rallies colleagues to the party message.

With the election in about two months and Bush's approval ratings still low — 33 percent in the most recent Associated Press-Ipsos poll — Republicans involved in tight races are avoiding party labels and playing down their ties to the president. On issues from the Iraq war to Amtrak spending, GOP candidates are trying to argue that they don't follow in lockstep.

Among some of the ads:

In Pennsylvania, Republican Rep. Jim Gerlach tells voters: "When I believe President Bush is right, I'm behind him. But when I think he's wrong, I let him know that, too." Gerlach is in a close contest with Democrat Lois Murphy, who nearly beat him in 2004.

In Minnesota, where an open Senate seat is at stake, Republican Rep. Mark Kennedy has an ad titled, "Crossing Party Lines," in which he says: "I'm a Republican. On issues like taxes and spending, I vote like it. But on other issues, I cross party lines." In 2002, in his run for the House, a Kennedy ad showed him walking and shaking hands with Bush at the White House. Today, he lists the issues on which he has split from the president.

In South Florida, heavily populated by retirees, Republican Rep. Clay Shaw criticizes the president's stalled plans to change Social Security and says in his ad, "I represent the state of Florida, not a political party."

Ed Patru, a spokesman for the House Republican campaign committee, shrugged off the latest ads.

"That's nothing new, that's just being a smart campaigner," said Patru, who argued the candidates were reinforcing the moderate positions that have helped them win in swing districts.

Democrats, naturally, have a different view.

"What we're seeing is a number of candidates who embraced Bush in previous elections are now treating him like a leper," said Phil Singer, spokesman for the Senate Democratic campaign organization.

Shanto Iyengar, a campaign advertising expert at Stanford University, said the 1974 midterm elections, in the immediate aftermath of President Nixon's Watergate-driven resignation, were similar to today's advertising atmosphere.

"In most congressional races the conventional wisdom is it's all local," Iyengar said. "But every now and then, it is possible to nationalize these races, and I believe all the stars are in place for that in 2006."

New Mexico pollster Brian Sanderoff, who is closely watching the re-election campaign of Rep. Heather Wilson, a moderate Republican, said that as the president's approval ratings drop, "incumbents are becoming even more clear in expressing their independence or distance from the White House."

In Pennsylvania, Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, No. 3 in the GOP Senate leadership, has stood with the president on scores of issues, from abortion to same-sex marriage to taxes. Trailing his Democratic challenger Bob Casey in the polls, Santorum brags about breaking with the administration on Amtrak money.

"And the White House probably called me a lot of things when I fought their efforts to cut Amtrak funding," Santorum says.

Another vulnerable Senate incumbent, Ohio Republican Mike DeWine, has welcomed the president for two events that raised $2 million. Yet his ads have touted his independence and ability to work with Democrats.

In Missouri, Republican Sen. Jim Talent's first ad of 2006 said: "Most people don't care if you're red or blue, Republican or Democrat ... They care about getting things done."

Talent's opponent, Democrat Claire McCaskill, argues that Talent is trying to "reinvent himself" from 2002, when an ad showed Bush praising Talent.

[houser123]

This brings new meaning to the catch phrases "Cut and Run", "defeatist" and that favorite one " Appease the Enemy".It is amazing to see how far some GOP candidates will go to distance themselves from this administration.

[newsjeff-2009]

I agree with cincigal74 pretty much, I is too late for republicans campaigning this year to "distance themselves from Bush". With all due to respect,the GOP controls the house and senate and several governor offices of several states and the GOP controls a lot of individual state governments including my own state of Oklahoma where we have Gov.Brad Henry(D) but republicans control the house and senate of Oklahoma's government. If the republicans of individual states, and the entire GOP as a whole want to blame Bush for all the problems they should think again. We as voters are not stupid, I know perfectly well that the GOP controlled house and senate could have raised minimum wage,passed immigration reform,banned flag-burning,heck the GOP could not even get support for a *** Marriage ban (That I think is none of the government's business anyway.) I think the majority of some voters like myself are ageeing somewhat with Howard Dean. In my opinion the GOP controlled house and senate has had plenty of time to bring Bin Laden to justice,fight rising crime rates in America,high unemployment and jobless numbers in parts of America,fight a "war on crime and illegal drug dealing" that is needed badly. The GOP is good at naming of excuses for our problems "too many unskilled workers", "drug and alchol abuse", but the GOP at the same time has offered no solutions to problems that affect America's future.

[cditr]

Its seems easy to blame someone else for the ills of society, but perhaps we should look in the mirror and blame ourselves . The government owes us nothing we are our own keepers and have responsibilities to provide for ourselves and families....Promises by any political party to take that burden from you rob you of your freedom......

[newsjeff-2009]

I have just read a news article on this network how both highly-skilled workers and un-skilled workers of this country are feeling put under more pressure. The highly-skilled,high-demand workers are feeling over-worked,underappreciated. Hard-working unskilled manual laborers are having trouble find full time jobs. I would think that the entire GOP party would get a clue by know as to why Bush approval ratings are low and Democrats have the edge in some elections coming for November. Voters like me are tired of Republican (GOP) excuses for high unemployment numbers,gas prices, illegal immigration,low minimum wage levels,rising crime, child abuse, illegal drug abuse rates, etc. If the Democrats can offer solutions, not excuses for problems like I have suggested like: Job-training and career education for unemployed,jobless Americans,tougher crime laws,enforcing illegal immigrant hiring laws,raising minimum wage,making education and vo-tech training affordable,etc. If democrats can offer some of these things if not all of them and other things to help America's future, maybe the future of America would be better with Democrats in charge. Republicans have been griping about a lack of skilled,educated,well-training people in the workforce, maybe they should offer American workers a better chance for vo-tech training or job training education programs.

[emhawks]

I agree with rharrin1;if we vote the GOP incumbents back into office in Nov., it'll be the same as the last 4-6yrs. For any American that wants a change in our gov., we must vote out the Repub. incumbents in Nov. I'm an Independent& I'd say the same thing if the Senate & House of Rep.were controlled by the Democrats.
If there's a "clean sweep" in Nov., we need to write letters & emails to our Congressmen urging the impeachment of Bush. I'd like to see Cheney impeached even more than Bush. Would it be possible for impeachment charges to be brought against both of them @ the same time? Cheney has always been the real President; he is the mastermind behind nearly all of this adm. policies/actions.
I too want to say thank-you to johnhardy21 for his outsider's perspective. I'd also say to you that there are many thousands of Americans who never voted for Bush/Cheney. We've worked (& are working) to press our Congressmen to have both of them impeached.
We're not afraid of any of them & we're not afraid to speak out against them! So much of what we're trying to accomplish has been blunted by the Repub. dominated Senate/House. That's why it's so important to vote out the Repub. incumbents in Nov.; they're a "rubber stamp" for the policies of this adm.
I would urge johnhardy21 to read "The United States of Cheney". It's posted @ this CBS website under the Opinion section.
Also , look up the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) & The Caryle Group.

[djean102]

Sorry johnhardy! You can't paint all Americans with the same brush. I and many like me have opposed this regime, the war in Iraq and every other rotten thing they, and all the rest of the traitors who've aided and abetted them, have done in the last 6 years. After two generations of dumbed down kids, it's amazing that it's as good as it is. Activists and activism has quadrupeled in the time since Bush stole the office, so there is hope. With luck and God's good grace, come November there will be a sea change in this country, with Democrats whose voices have been stifled in position to take down this government. Some of the Dems are poised to begin investigations and impeachment proceedings on this gang of theives who have stolen our country. Cross your fingers that they won't be able to steal this election too.

[whactel]

America- Land of the free or so I thought. Bush has made a mockery of American values. He has destroyed the American image abroad. I know I live in Sweden. I am A viet Nam Vet. I pay attention to what is happening in my country. Sad he can (BUSH) stand up and say we are or Americans are safer for what he has done. Is that so. Whay then is every month another country added to the list Americans are advised NOT to visit? I dont feel safer but I do feel ashamed that the American people have allowed this phoney to get away with this stuff for so long. Clinton was almost crusified for having a girl friend. Bush has eradicated every sense of moral decency and nothing is said ---- WHY? Whactel

[tengu53]

This is all very cute. Rarely, if ever, has a party been more centrally controlled than Bush's Republicans in recent years. To a truly disastrous effect, the degree and range of which we don't even yet fully see. If these apparatchik conservatives succeed in convincing anyone that they have been in any way independent then one can only conclude that the American electorate is one big, lazy, medicated dope!

[creeper00]

to johnhardy21:

While your statement that "Many multiples of Christian Allied Soldiers died saving persecuted Jews than actual Jewish victims" seems to have been painted with a broad brush, your comments otherwise are fascinating. Despite all evidence to the contrary from this White House, the opinion of the world does matter.

We Americans have gotten lost in the chaos and hubris of the last six years. Thank you for putting an outsider's perspective on our experience. I wish every citizen could read what you wrote.

[cincigal74]

If these candidates hadnt voted for all the bills and everything Bush wants,this country would not be in the mess it is now.It is a little late to distance themselves from him now.President Bush didnt do all the damage by himself.If congress had done the job they were elected to do the country wouldnt be suffering their mistakes.We need people in congress wo will vote for the benefit of their constitutients,not President Bush,nor any other President.We need a clean sweep in congress,most of all we need term limits in congress just as we have in the executive.