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Anti-Obama group ventures into 9/11

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor October 17, 2008 07:43 PM


By Brian C. Mooney, Globe Staff

Another new Republican player has emerged late in the presidential campaign, hammering the same terrorist themes as John McCain and the national GOP.

Established only a few weeks ago, the National Republican Trust Political Action Committee has created a new TV ad that attempts to link Democrat Barack Obama's support for states issuing driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants as a public safety measure to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The ad shows the Florida driver's license of Mohamed Atta, one of the hijackers who commandeered a plane from Boston and flew it into the World Trade Center, and claims that the success of the plot depended on "easy-to-get" licenses. It says Obama is "too radical, too risky."

However, the 9/11 Commission's investigation found that a failure of US intelligence, not the issuance of driver's licenses, made the attacks possible and that all of the attackers had entered the country legally, though the visas of some had lapsed by the time of the attacks.

Scott Wheeler, the PAC's executive direct, said the ad was to begin airing last night in Ohio and would run through next Tuesday. However, the group had not yet filed a report with the Federal Election Commission as of late yesterday. The PAC has reported spending more than $200,000 in opposition to Obama over the past two weeks, almost all of it on emails or Internet ads designed to raise funds.

Wheeler said he and others established the PAC last month because the news media "have told us very little about Barack Obama ... People just feel Senator Obama is a mystery .. and has a history of associations with people who have an agenda."

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This is really getting out of hand and the Repubs need to stop. Disgusting!

Posted by Sam October 17, 08 07:56 PM
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This latest attack ad by the republicans shows just how low they have sunk. They are a pathetic bunch of losers.

Posted by Al October 17, 08 09:11 PM
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Pathetic, absolutely pathetic. Another Swift-Boat Rovian attack...no mystery there.

As President Bush says, "There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again."

Posted by Dogpound October 17, 08 09:29 PM
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Sam @ 7:56 PM, I agree. I listened to a Minnesota Representative (Bachman, I believe her name is) earlier today calling for the press to do some in depth investigation of Democratic or Liberal House Representatives to find out which ones are anti-American or hates America - Strange. Who decides who loves America more? If you don't agree with Republicans will you be branded as being anti-American? This is getting really crazy.

Posted by Pam October 17, 08 11:02 PM
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#4, Pam, I saw that very same program and I was shocked at what the Minn Rep said. It reminded me of the Red Scare and McCarthyism of the 50's. The Republicans have stepped into dangerous territory with these slanderous talking points and are driving this country further apart. I completely agree, Pam, this is getting crazy.

Posted by Sam October 18, 08 11:27 AM
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Minnesota Rep. Michelle Bachmann is up for re-election. I'm thinking she probably said a big, "oops!" after her MSNBC performance on Hardball yesterday. There is a major movement amongst Dems, across the country, to contribute to her opponent, Elwyn Tinklenberg. You can contribute at his website:

tinklenberg08.com

People like Ms. Bachmann cannot be sent back to Congress.

Posted by Sam October 18, 08 12:55 PM
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When Republican-biased PAC groups refer to the "mystery" of Barack Obama and say that he is to "risky", aren't they really playing the race card.. intimating that he is too different to be good for the country.

Posted by Robert Spencer October 18, 08 02:05 PM
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Type your comment here...
Five years fron now the history test question will be "who was the comander and chief on 9/11? Who was the President when Wall street came crashing down? What President started the longest running war on mis-information?

Posted by Ronald Simmons October 18, 08 07:16 PM
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