Oh-eight (R): Rudy's provocative ad
Posted: Thursday, January 03, 2008 9:11 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under:
Republicans, Ads
GIULIANI: The candidate is up with a new national television
ad that uses images of Osama bin Laden and fighting in Middle East streets, NBC/NJ’s Matthew E. Berger notes. It is part of an effort to focus on combating terrorism in the closing days before the New Hampshire primaries, including a call for a military "surge" in Afghanistan. “In a world where the next crisis is a moment away, American needs a leader who’s ready,” the ad says. But it is the quick flashes of disturbing images -- including bin Laden firing a machine guns, recently assassinated Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto speaking into a microphone, and other symbolic terrorism images -- that will get most of the attention.
“An enemy without borders. Hate without boundaries. A people perverted. A religion betrayed. A nuclear power in chaos. Madmen bent on creating it. Leaders assassinated. Democracy attacked. And Osama bin Laden still making threats,” an announcer says on top of the images.
Berger adds that Giuliani's latest campaign ad paints a haunting picture of terrorism in more than one language. To most, it is the images of Osama bin Laden and other Muslim terrorists firing machine guns that stand out. But to those who speak Arabic, the song playing underneath the ad might also grab attention. The lyrics, according to a translation provided by the campaign, are as follows:
"Instead of me, you carried a bomb in your hands.
My love will not be merely words.
I am following in Mommy's footsteps.
I am following in Mommy's footsteps."
HUCKABEE: Instead of being in Iowa last night, the candidate was on
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night, the first show back for Leno since the writer’s strike began.
The Huckabee campaign is
alleging dirty tricks galore right now. Time has a report about pastors supposedly getting threatened over losing their tax-exempt status for getting involved in Huck's campaign.
Huckabee's campaign also shared with NBC News evidence they say shows their supporters getting incorrect caucus location postcards. Look for the day to be filled with rumors about dirty phone calls, etc. And with so many national reporters looking for something to report about before the caucuses start, they'll be plenty of outlets at the ready.
MCCAIN: When is a win a win? McCain's recent parade of endorsements and bumps in primary-state polling have many pundits buzzing about his comeback candidacy. But, according to NBC/NJ’s Carrie Dann, the Arizona senator is being cautious about defining exactly what success and Iowa in New Hampshire might be. "'Win' is in the interpretation of the media," McCain told reporters last night after a rally in Davenport.
But, asked to predict the outcome of the primary in New Hampshire, where some recent polls see him in first place, McCain said that he thinks he will "win." Pressured to define those expectations, he repeated that "a win is a win." But in the same breath, McCain went on to downplay his own prediction, adding that "it is by no means clear that I will." He emphasized that the number of undecided voters in primary states makes the race extremely difficult to predict.
The Washington Post’s Cillizza reports, “Buoyed by new poll numbers in New Hampshire that show him at the verge of victory, Sen. John McCain will take to the television airwaves in Michigan on Friday as he seeks to build his own path to the Republican presidential nomination.”
ROMNEY: NBC/NJ’s Erin McPike reports that the candidate’s big family showed up in full for a rally last night. Seated on the stage behind the large, catwalk-like runway where he spoke and underneath a big screen with “Iowa For Mitt” emblazoned on it were his five sons, three of his five daughters-in-law and several of his grandchildren. And when Olympic gold medal-winning speed-skater Dan Jansen introduced the candidate, he pointed to the family and said, “When they do get to the White House, we will have the best-looking first family in history.”
Romney’s remarks weren’t much different than what he’s been giving recently, and he didn’t make a longer or more impassioned appeal than he’s given on the stump all week when asking supporters to go out and caucus. Much of what he said was plucked right out of his standard stumping kit, and he acknowledged just about each time he told an anecdote that the crowd has heard him tell it before.
“Romney expressed confidence Wednesday that he would claim his party's presidential nod even if he fails to win tonight's Iowa caucuses. The former Massachusetts governor said supporters ‘have touched our lives in very real ways.’ But a disappointing finish in Iowa would not destroy his campaign, Romney said.”
Does Romney have a major brand problem or what? Joe Klein is the latest national columnist to question who Romney is. "As George H.W. Bush learned, you can't run for President pretending to be one thing and succeed in office as someone else (Bush ran as a viciously negative, antitax populist instead of the thoughtful, tax-raising moderate that he actually was). Romney reminds me a bit of Bush the Elder. He seems very intelligent. His candidacy had real potential. But I don't think Romney believes a word he says on any of the red-meat issues that he's been using to bludgeon his opponents. Which is why he says those things only on television, where he doesn't have to look anyone in the eye."
The Boston Herald has a gotcha story of sorts this morning, finding that under Romney's watch, 118 "killers and rapists were sprung early from prison." Spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said Romney did nothing to deliberately release inmates early and was only following the law by granting them good time they were able to claim under state regulations. “Governor Romney did not issue any pardons or commutations as governor,” Fehrnstrom wrote in an e-mailed statement. “Mike Huckabee issued 1,033.”
THOMPSON: Perhaps
a story like this was inevitable. Some aides are speaking on background, hinting that Thompson could exit this race quickly if he doesn't do well tonight.
