We need you to help create a buzz around the online ad that we released yesterday, "Old Tricks," featuring John McCain asking George Bush to apologize for smearing his heroic military record during the 2000 primaries. The American public needs to know that every time George Bush's campaign has faltered, he has turned to smearing the military service records of his opponents. He did this to John McCain in 2000 and now he's doing it again to John Kerry.
The truth is, Bush's smear campaigns reveal nothing true about John McCain or John Kerry - instead they reveal the desperate tactics used by the Bush campaign when they don't have a record to run on.
We asked you on Friday to write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Now we need you to help spread the word about the ad we sent you.
Here is what you can do:
- Visit online news sites, online journals, chatrooms, and blogs and copy the link below with a short statement about why people should view this ad.
- Email your friends, family, and coworkers the link with a short note and ask them to view the ad.
- Email the link to the editor of major and local newspapers and quickly explain why they should write an article about George Bush's smear tactics.
Here is the link: http://www.johnkerry.com/oldtricks
Why are we asking you to do this? We want as many people as possible to see this ad and understand that the attacks on John Kerry are part of a smear campaign by a Bush front group. These people are relentless -- with the backing of Bush family friends, they will unleash one attack after another until Election Day.
Starting in the beginning of August, the Swift Boat Veterans group launched a series of ads in key states smearing John Kerry's record in Vietnam. The Swift Boat Veterans have pushed their baseless allegations and lies in appearances on all the big news networks. One of their leading spokesmen, Larry Thurlowe, even accused John Kerry of lying about the fact that his boat came under fire -- Thursday's Washington Post discredited Thurlowe's recent statements with his 1969 testimony that John Kerry's flotilla was, in fact, under fire. This week, two of the Swift Boat Veterans released an anti-Kerry book, Unfit for Command. And on Friday, the Swift Boat Veterans released yet another ad filled with more lies about John Kerry's record.
It is not enough that the Swift Boat Veterans for Bush' accusations have been contradicted by official Navy records, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, and every man who served with John Kerry. We need to make sure that the American public knows that the Swift Boat Veterans are a front group for George Bush - they are doing the dirty work for him.
George Bush must stop his smear campaign and return the election to the important issues: health care, education, and the economy.
George Bush likes to say, you're either for us or against us. Let's hold George Bush accountable to the standards he set for everyone else. Tell George Bush that when it comes to these ads, he either needs to be for them or against them -- he can't have it both ways. Ask him -- Why won't you condemn this terrible smear of John Kerry's military records? Why are you having trouble speaking up about this? It's wrong and you know it.
Hold Bush accountable - spread the word. Let's post this link on as many websites as we can: http://www.johnkerry.com/oldtricks
