Dems Drop A Bundle Answering Dole Attack Ad

By Brooks Jackson/CNN

WASHINGTON (Sept. 5) -- President Bill Clinton's political team will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars responding to a phantom Republican television ad that was little more than a video press release, CNN has discovered.

Dole forces began their campaign prank last month in Chicago. While Democrats were gathered for their convention, Republicans unleashed an attack ad, ripping Clinton's record in fighting illegal drugs. (1.1M QuickTime movie)

"Bill Clinton said he'd lead the war on drugs and change America," the ad charged. "All he did was change his mind."  The Clinton campaign responded quickly, with its own ad defending the president's drug policy. "Dole's attack ad: wrong again," the Dems' ad said.

Following the doctrine of instant and massive political rebuttal, the Clinton camp made a heavy buy. Their response ad is running in 23 states, including California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Iowa and Missouri, according the CNN's consultant, Competitive Media Reporting. The ad ran 390 times in the first few days CNN has monitored, in a total of 43 cities.

But the Dole attack ad they're responding to only ran in two cities -- eight times in Chicago, where the media and Democrats were sure to notice, and once in Los Angeles. And it's no longer running anywhere. Clinton campaign aides deny they were fooled into answering an ad few voters have even seen.

"We can't be held accountable for whether the Republicans want to tell the truth or not on whether their ads are going to run or not run," said Clinton/Gore campaign spokesman Joe Lockhart. "They raised this issue and we think it's an important issue and we think it's important to get the truth out."

Dole has been attacking Clinton's drug record regularly in his campaign speeches. His aides estimate the Clinton campaign spent more than $1 million on its drug response ad and they say that shows how sensitive the president is on the issue.

Dole aides were not willing to gloat on camera. They say they really will resume running their attack ad -- extensively, sometime, later.

Copyright © 1996 AllPolitics
All Rights Reserved

Terms under which this information is provided to you