New TV Ad Slams MoveOn.org

Andrew Hagen monitors the weather while working at ImpactWeather Friday, April 27, 2012, in Houston. Hagen was growing up in the Miami area when Hurricane Andrew hit in 1992. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) / David J. Phillip

A political group supporting President Bush's Iraq war strategy with a multimillion-dollar ad campaign is airing a new TV ad denouncing a liberal group's sharp criticism of Gen. David Petraeus.

The campaign is the second rollout of ads by the group, Freedom's Watch, and capitalizes on Democratic Party unease over a newspaper ad run this week by MoveOn.org, one of the leading anti-war voices among liberal activists.

The MoveOn ad appeared Monday in The New York Times on the morning of Petraeus' first appearance before Congress to testify about conditions in Iraq. The ad accused Petraeus of "cooking the books" for the White House. "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?" it asked, playing off his name.

The ad has become a rallying point for Republicans, who have demanded that Democrats disavow it.

Some Democrats have voiced concern. On Monday, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., called the ad "over the top."

The Freedom's Watch ad states: "Name calling, charges of betrayal it's despicable. It's what MoveOn shamefully does - and it's wrong. America and the forces of freedom are winning. MoveOn is losing. Call your Congressman and Senator. Tell them to condemn MoveOn."

Freedom's Watch also plans to run a print ad in The Times responding to MoveOn.

"It's not surprising that a White House front group like Freedom's Watch would come after us," said Eli Pariser, executive director of MoveOn.org Political Action. Pariser defended the MoveOn ad, saying, "when you have the Bush administration spinning the facts about what is happening in Iraq, that's a betrayal of trust."

Bradley A. Blakeman, president of Freedom's Watch, said MoveOn was employing "outrageous tactics."

"To question the character and patriotism of brave men and women who combat terrorism everyday is too much, it's in poor taste and it will not go unchallenged," he said.

Meanwhile, The Hill reports that presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, who criticized the ad as "abominable," is asking The Times for the "same heavily discounted rate they gave MoveOn.org" for an ad.

The New York Post has reported that The Times charged MoveOn $65,000 instead of its standard $181,000 for the ad. The Times, according to Reuters, responded that there are many different categories of ads, with varying rates depending on variables such as multiple buys.

Freedom's Watch launched a $15 million advertising blitz last month to pressure lawmakers, including Republicans, whose backing of the war was seen as wavering.

The group is financed by former White House aides and Republican fundraisers and was organized as a nonprofit organization under IRS rules. It is not required to identify its donors or the amounts they give.

Among those who have been publicly identified with the effort are billionaire Sheldon Adelson, a fundraiser for Bush and chairman and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corp., and conservative philanthropist John M. Templeton Jr. of Bryn Mawr, Pa. Both men have been major contributors to conservative causes.

Also backing Freedom's Watch are top Republican donors Anthony Gioia, Mel Sembler and Howard Leach, all former ambassadors in the Bush administration. Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer is a founding member.

[conserva-2009]

EXACTLY why I made the country''s first and only CONSERVATIVE MUSIC CD. Someone had to do it! (''Blaming America First!'')
www.conservativemusiconline.com

[bluestardad]

GOD BLESS MOVEON.ORG!

THEY STAND FOR ALL THE MILITARY FAMILIES THAT WANT OUT OF THIS IRAQ DEBACLE!

[kansas1946]

Bradley A. Blakeman, president of Freedom''s Watch, said MoveOn was employing "outrageous tactics."

"To question the character and patriotism of brave men and women who combat terrorism everyday is too much, it''s in poor taste and it will not go unchallenged," he said.
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Hmmmm....you mean, kinda like John Kerry, John McCain, Max Cleeland?? You guys started it, now live with what you have wrought.

[ioweign]

The dems demanded this Petraeus report; it didn''''t turn out the way they wanted so they denounce it. PATHETIC. This FOUR STAR GENERAL has more honor in one of his hairs than the entire democratic party. The dems are nothing but a mouthpiece for moveon.org, bought and payed for. SELL OUTS. It''''s a pity that the once great democratic party has now become the party of defeat. Doesn''''t matter how badly they''''ve tarnished our reputation with the world as long as it gets them the election. Really sad.


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Posted by katg21 at 06:55 PM : Sep 14, 2007

Where did the term "Swiftboating" come from ?

[pastdue1]

It''''s a pity that the once great democratic party has now become the party of defeat. Doesn''''t matter how badly they''''ve tarnished our reputation with the world as long as it gets them the election. Really sad.
Posted by katg21 at 06:55 PM : Sep 14, 2007

America''s reputation has become so tarnished under this presidency. Not being able to raise a modicum of a coalition for a war in Iraq would have given a more equipped president pause, but not Bush. Most world leaders snicker at Bush, and why not, after the show he has put on in Iraq, the generals he has gone through, the troops he has gone through, and the money he has gone through and he still has to give the same worn out excuses to justify the operation. He again proved that he is incapable of being a world leader.
Putin shows Bush little respect and backs him into a corner every chance he gets. He has put us so in debt to China , that they have him under their thumb. If the world shows him any respect, it is only because he is President of the United States of America.

[libsluvsuvs]

Does the liberal media..radical left winged liberal organizations..liberal activists such as sean penn, cindy sheehan, harry belafonte SHOULD LEARN THE MEANING OF REPSONSIBLE JOURNALISM AND THE RESPINSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY THAT COMES ALONG WITH FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION. or else if we do not understand this,, we would have every crazy fu ckers having thier say i.e. the KKK, the Black Panther Party, NAMBLA..COME ON PEOPLE!!!

watch your mouth!!!

[pastdue1]

The indignation is political. Petraeus lost his chance to be a "hero" general when he bowed to whatever the Bush administration wanted from him. Moveon.org has no more to apologize for than does Freedom''s Watch. Both are political, trying to influence and plant guilt trips. Get real, America, do not be manipulated by the wealthy of the country.

[ioweign]

3 Years ago - And we are still waiting for the Iraqis to stand up - What was he doing besides loosing 190,000 weapons ??

In June 2004, Petraeus took the assignment of organizing training for all Iraqi military and police forces following their collapse during the Shiite and Sunni uprisings two months earlier.

During this period he was instrumental in forming government-sponsored militias throughout Iraq that operate as anti-Sunni death squads to this day, and which have plunged the nation into civil war. In the fall of 2004, Petraeus was arming, equipping and funding the Special Police Commandos, calling them "a horse to back."

Petraeus said he aided them because, "I want to get the hell out of here."

But rather than taking over the fight, the commandos (renamed the national police) have become another side in the war, operating as Shiite-run death squads. By early 2005 the 10,000-strong Special Police Commandos were reportedly disappearing, torturing and murdering Sunni men. His role in the $15 billion U.S. effort to train the 350,000 Iraqi security forces on the books is even more dismal.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=GUP20070912&articleId=6755

[one_american]

When Directly Asked, Sen. Clinton (D-NY) Failed To Condemn The MoveOn.org/NY Times Attack Ad On General Petreus:

SLATE: "Did you think the Moveon.org advertisement about Gen. Petraeus was either appropriate or necessary?"

CLINTON: "You know, I think that we should focus on what the problem is here. The problem is a president who has a policy that flies in the face of reality." ("Clinton: Health-Care Plan Will Cover Everyone," Slate, 9/12/07)

Dispicable, and dodging the question.

She gets that trait from Bill Clinton, no doubt.

[emma915]

General Petraus has no choice. Like a good General, he''s following the commands of his Commander-in-Chief. It''ll be interesting to hear what he has to say when he''s retired and no longer in that position.