How to combat the ads? My suggestion: Call Stephen Marks at 703-731-3539 and let him know what you think. Who knows, maybe his phone line will get tied up with having to listen to all of you. You can email him at info@moveonforamerica.org, maybe his emailbox will overflow from all of your thoughts. Tell the radio station that hosts his show what you think, and that you plan to boycott his show.
KFNX
2001 North 3rd Street
Suite 102
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Telephone
(602) 277-1100
Mike Barna, VP and General Manager
His show airs 10 - 11 pm Sunday nights. Listen live and call in.
What do the ads say? You can watch them here.
The first ad will feature John Kerry’s role as a private attorney in 1982, when he secured freedom and parole for his client George Reissfelder who pled guilty to attempted murder of a police officer, bur never served his 15-year sentence because Kerry successfully secured his parole. The parole was in Florida because Mr. Kerry’s client had escaped during a furlough, just like Willie Horton. Once a free man, thanks to John Kerry, Kerry’s would-be cop killer client brazenly continued his life of crime as part of a Mafia-controlled drug ring.
The second ad, which will be aired at a later date, will feature the political alliance John Kerry has forged with Al Sharpton, focusing on Mr. Sharpton’s history, which was rarely mentioned during his 2004 run for president. Instead of the charismatic and witty Sharpton seen during his presidential bid, Americans will be educated about the real Al Sharpton, who recently blamed America for the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Sharpton who called Adolph Hitler “a great man”; the Sharpton who urged college students to kill police officers; and the Sharpton leading the picketing of a white-owned store in Harlem [calling the Jewish owner a ‘white interloper”], resulting in the store being burned down by one of Sharpton’s followers, killing seven people. The ad will include footage of Sharpton in his own words, and Mr. Kerry’s hinting of Shartpon becoming part of a Kerry administration.
Left Coaster gives his recommendations for a response and reports on what Susan Estrich, Michael Dukakis's campaign manager recommends. Atrios brings out this Bush abortion story, as does TBogg, who asks, when is someone going to interview Robin Lowman Garner (now married to an FBI agent.)?
We all know that if you play in the mud, you're going to get dirty. But this sounds like filth. If Marks thinks he's helping Bush, he ought to think again. Bush's boozing, alleged drugging and alleged aid of an illegal abortion, if true, are character flaws. If the Dems or an independent liberal group fight back with them, Bush will land in the gutter faster than Kerry. If Karl Rove and Bush have any sense, they will do what they failed to do with the Swift Boat ads: stop them. disavow them. disavow Marks.
More on Marks. He was a staffer to former Presidential candidate Pat Buchanan. He lauched a hate ad against Gore involving Al Sharpton. (Oct. 26, 2000 Daily News):
As the presidential campaign gets nasty in its final days, a shadowy group calling itself Americans Against Hate has started airing an attack ad that hangs the Rev. Al Sharpton's worst excesses around Al Gore's neck. The ad says Gore and Sharpton held a "secret meeting" and questions whether they would have an "unholy alliance" if the veep is elected. Complete with horror-movie music and a picture of Gore that dissolves into a picture of Adolf Hitler, the ad charges that Sharpton supports the Fuhrer, rapists and cop killers.
The ad was created by New Yorker Stephen Marks, a GOP political operative and former Pat Buchanan staffer, who said it will air in the battleground states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Gore's home state of Tennessee. "We want to hold Al Gore's feet to the fire, just like George Bush got nailed for going to Bob Jones University," he said, referring to the firestorm over Bush's visit to an anti-Catholic, South Carolina school that had banned interracial dating.... Marks' Web site touts the spot as "the most powerful television ad of the 2000 presidential campaign."
After leaving Buchanan, according to a Nov. 9, 1999, article, Marks wrote an article for Penthouse alleging Pat and Bay Buchanan were involved in dirty campaign finance tactics. Marks is referred to in the Voice article as "renegade ex-operative Marks."
Can't find much else on the guy. The Penthouse article seems to be his claim to fame.
Update: Readers have convinced me I should have said Bush or Republican attack dogs instead of Kerry attack dogs, so I made the change. I was thinking of dogs who attack Kerry. Since I don't know that Bush is behind the attacks, I replaced the Kerry with Republican instead of Bush.
Update: Will Bunch at the Philly News Campaign Extra also asks, "Who is Stephen Marks?"
