Not all attack adds stopped on 9/11

Several politicians couldn't resist attacking their political opponents on
Thursday, despite pledges for a ceasefire on the seventh anniversary of the
September 11, 2001 attacks.
 
While most campaigns honored a period of détente, some fired out releases
criticizing their opponents. 
 
{mosads}Rep. Dave Reichert¹s (R-Wash.) campaign sent out three releases on the
anniversary of 9/11 in response to the release of Democratic challenger
Darcy Burner's economic plan.

In one of its releases, the Reichert campaign called Burner's release a "plan to punish the middle class" that is "composed largely of political sleight-of-hand she hopes voters won't recognize."  The backgrounder release for members of the media, like the two other releases, took aim at elements of the Burner plan.

"Ms. Burner clearly believes that the money hard-working Americans earn is better sent back to Washington DC rather than kept at home where it can be saved, spent, or invested as taxpayers see fit," the release said.

“We felt like that was not something that we would have wanted to with
on 9/11,” said Reichert campaign spokeswoman Amanda Halligan, “but her
[Burner's] plan was so hurtful to our district that were given” no choice.”
 
Reichert's office had announced in a release on Wednesday that they would
suspend campaign operations on September 11. “Staff will not be contacting
voters, raising money, or engaging on other such campaign-related efforts,”
the office said in a release.
 
Halligan said the campaign had not contacted voters or raised money, as
pledged, and had planned on working on service projects to honor 9/11
victims until they were contacted by members of the media that wanted
comments on Burner's economic plan.
 
Reichert's office had “no choice” but to respond, Halligan said.
 
The Burner campaign released its economic plan, “Putting the Middle Class
First,” on Thursday, and held a conference call with local media to walk
them through the plan, spokesman Sandeep Kaushik said. The five-page plan
references President George W. Bush twice in the text, and mentions Reichert
twice as well, both times in footnotes.
 
Kaushik said the campaign never said it would formally suspend its
operations.
 
“It's obviously important for people to take time and reflect on what
happened on 9/11,” Kaushik said, “but most Americans were working [on Thursday]
and we're no exception.”
 
At the same time, it did place a statement on its website to commemorate the
anniversary.
 
“I hope we can all take a moment today to remember those who lost their
lives in the tragic events of September 11th, 2001,” the statement from
Burner said. “Now is a time to renew our commitment to the values and
freedoms that make our country great.”
 
Halligan laid the blame for breaking the truce at the feet of the Burner
campaign, and said the campaign had to “weight the greater good” between
sending out a release and being late to address the “hurtful” Burner plan.
 
In an e-mail, she emphasized the Reichert campaign felt it had no choice to
respond, and that the campaign followed through on its pledge to not engage
in “intrusive” campaign tactics, like voter outreach and fundraising.
 
In New Jersey, the campaign of Republican House candidate Chris Myers sent a
memo to reporters slamming Democratic opponent John Adler for politicizing
9/11 while touting the suspension of their campaign-related public events on
Thursday.
 
Unlike the Reichert campaign, the Myers campaign did not formally choose to
suspend the campaign, campaign spokesman Chris Russell said. Myers, who is a
veteran, attended memorial services Thursday, and ordered that his website
be replaced with an “in memoriam” message.
 
The Adler campaign, along with the Democratic Congressional Campaign
Committee (DCCC), released a mailer attacking Myers for being too closely
aligned with President Bush, a move which drew the ire of the Myers campaign
nonetheless.
 
 “John Adler and the DCCC have sunk to a new and despicable low,” Russell
said in an email. “Their decision to continue the barrage of negative attack
mailers against Chris Myers on 9/11 shows their callous disregard for the
sanctity of this day.”
 
“I think Republicans and Democrats think sending out negative mail on
September 11 is just in poor taste,” Russell said in an interview Friday.
“We're not going to let it go by without saying something.”
 
A spokesman for the Adler campaign was not immediately available for comment
Friday afternoon.
 
Other campaigns elected to suspend responses to their opponents until
September 12.
 
For example, first-term Rep. Harry Mitchell's (D-Ariz.) campaign deferred a
response to a press release from Republican challenger David Schweikert.
 
“We believe September 11 is a time to remember and honor those whose lives
were lost on this day seven years ago,” wrote Mitchell campaign manager Seth
Scott in an email to members of the media. “We look forward to continuing
normal campaign operations tomorrow.”
 
The Mitchell campaign did not hesitate to hit back at Schweikert on Friday,
however, saying that the Schweikert ad was "classless," and demonstrated
"his lack of character."
 
Elsewhere in Arizona, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, another first-term Democrat
facing a tough challenge, issued a joint-statement with her Republican
challenger, state Sen. Tim Bee, marking the anniversary. The statement
echoed the tenor of the joint appearances by their respective parties'
leaders, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
 
“Today we stand together, with all Southern Arizonans, in solemn remembrance
of the thousands of Americans who lost their lives during the terrorist
attacks of Sept. 11th, 2001,” Giffords and Bee said. “The past seven years
have not diminished the painful memories of that tragic day in our nation's
history. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims' families. Their
losses are ours as well.”