Well, well, well. The BC04 ads haven't even hit the airwaves, and they're already drawing heavy criticism, and not just from the usual suspects. One of the spots includes a clip from ground zero and another shot of a couple of firefighters, ostensibly to try and convince the good people of America that Dubya is on the side of first responders. The General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters (not exactly a radical fringe group) issued this statement today calling the commercial "hypocrisy at its worst....For two and a half years he has basically shortchanged fire fighters and the safety of our homeland by not providing fire fighters the resources needed to do the job that America deserves." The full press release is worth a full reading.
If the Bushies think that they'll be able to swaddle themselves in the flag, 9/11, and the FDNY this election season, they've got another thing coming.