Kucinich Seeks to Stop Dean's N.H. TV Ads
What's this about? A publicity stunt? The opening salvo of some new campaign strategy? I have no idea. I just post whatever comes in over the wire
Originally published in the Mercury News
Posted on Fri, Oct. 24, 2003
Kucinich Seeks to Stop Dean's N.H. TV Ads
HOLLY RAMER
Associated Press
CONCORD, N.H. - Democratic presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich is demanding that New Hampshire television stations stop broadcasting ads from rival Howard Dean, arguing that the spots distort the records of both candidates.
Earlier this week, Dean began airing two 30-second spots in New Hampshire criticizing his opponents' record on the war in Iraq and prescription drug benefits. While highlighting his opposition to the war, the former Vermont governor says "the best my opponents can do is ask questions today that they should have asked before they supported the war."
Dean does not name his rivals.
Kucinich, the Ohio congressman and the only candidate who voted against the resolution authorizing the war, took exception to the spots.
"I am proud of my record of opposition to the war on Iraq and the occupation of Iraq, and I will not stand by while a fellow Democrat distorts my record and his own," Kucinich said Friday.
Later, at a news conference in Portsmouth, N.H., Kucinich said he would not let the issue drop "until those ads come off the air and he issues an apology to the people of New Hampshire, as well as to the candidates - not just myself - but all the candidates whom he has misrepresented."
Kucinich's lawyer, Donald McTigue, sent a letter to New Hampshire television stations asking them to pull the ad and give Kucinich's campaign free air time to respond. The campaign said it also plans to petition the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communication Commission.
"This is misguided and unfortunate," said Dean spokesman Matthew Gardner, who added that Dean's position on Iraq has been "crystal clear" but wouldn't comment on Kucinich's consistent opposition to the war.
Jeff Bartlett, general manager of WMUR-TV in Manchester, N.H., said he forwarded the letter to the station's attorney Friday morning. In general, the station has no right to edit or decline ads from federal candidates, he said.
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Howard Dean has a 23-point lead over John Kerry among likely voters in the New Hampshire primary, according to a poll released Friday.
Dean, the former Vermont governor, was at 40 percent in the Zogby poll, while Kerry, the Massachusetts senator, was at 17 percent. Dean led Kerry 30-20 percent in the last Zogby poll in the state, taken in late September.
In the recent survey, Wesley Clark and Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina each got 6 percent, and Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri was at 4 percent. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut was at 3 percent, and the remaining candidates were at 1 percent or less. Nineteen percent were undecided.
The Zogby poll of 500 likely primary voters was taken Oct. 21-23 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.
In four New Hampshire polls released this week, Dean held a substantial lead in three - ranging from 14 to 23 percentage points. Another poll showed Dean with a 6-percentage point lead.
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Democrat Dennis Kucinich won't be joining "Hardball" host Chris Matthews anytime soon.
The Ohio congressman is refusing to participate in a candidate forum hosted by Harvard University and aired live on MSNBC's "Hardball," arguing that Matthews has tainted the show with a conservative and corporate agenda. Kucinich, who voted against the congressional resolution authorizing the Iraq war, also complained that Matthews wrongly said that only Howard Dean opposed the war.
"He's biased in favor of corporate interests over the public's interest," Kucinich campaign spokesman David Swanson said Friday. Matthews "has made false statements about the campaign."
MSNBC spokeswoman Paulette Song said Matthews has no agenda. "Our job is to have all of the candidates on and to accurately reflect the candidates' opinions," she said.
Matthews has worked for former President Carter and former House Speaker Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill Jr., both Democrats.
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Associated Press Writer Will Lester in Washington contributed to this report.
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