Bush Attacks Kerry’s Missed Votes

This 60-second radio commercial began airing this week in Spanish and English in several contested states.

Script:

Bush: “I’m George W. Bush, and I approve this message.”

First voice: “John Kerry is a very busy man.”

Sen. John F. Kerry: “This is wreaking havoc with my schedule.”

First voice: “So busy that while campaigning, Kerry missed over two-thirds of all votes in the Senate.”

Second voice: “Kerry missed a vote to lower healthcare costs by reducing frivolous lawsuits against doctors.”

First voice: “Kerry missed a vote to fund our troops in combat.”

Second voice: “Yet, Kerry did find time to show up to vote against the Laci Peterson law, the law protecting pregnant women from violence.”

First voice: “And when you find out about Kerry’s extreme voting record, it makes you wish he never showed up to vote.”

Second voice: “Because Kerry voted against parental notification for teenage abortions ... “

First voice: “Taking control away from parents ... “

Second voice: “Taking away their right to know.”

First voice: “And Kerry even voted to allow schools to hand out the ‘morning-after’ pill without parents’ knowledge.”

Second voice: “If these are John Kerry’s priorities, let’s hope there is a lot of havoc in his schedule.”

Analysis: This ad echoes charges Bush made against the presumed Democratic presidential nominee in a 30-second television commercial that debuted last week. The charge that Kerry has missed many votes as he has campaigned for president for more than a year is accurate. But the use of a snippet of Kerry’s voice from a television interview in December 2003 raises questions. An excerpt of that interview provided by the Bush campaign indicated Kerry was lamenting the length of the interview in his comment on his schedule, not referring to his campaign limiting his time at the Capitol. The radio spot expands on Bush’s criticism of Kerry’s stands on abortion-related matters. On the issue of whether to require parental notification when minors seek an abortion, Kerry has opposed Republican legislation that he said would place heavy limits on abortion rights. The Kerry camp said the senator supported involving a responsible adult, preferably a parent, when minors face decisions about terminating a pregnancy. On distribution of the “morning-after” pill, Kerry aides said a vote he cast in 2000 on the issue merely would have let states decide whether to offer emergency contraception to minors.

Compiled by Times staff writer Nick Anderson