Early Ads Depict Crime-Fighting Clinton

More than seven months before the first presidential primary, President Clinton’s reelection campaign has spent $1 million on television ads in a novel attempt to reshape his image around what aides believe to be one of his most politically appealing themes.

The campaign has bought spots that will run next month in a dozen states, including California, to drum up public support for the year-old assault weapons ban and the Administration’s program to add police in communities nationwide. Republicans and the National Rifle Assn. are trying to roll back the ban, which affects 17 makes of weapons, and to cut funding for the additional police officers.

“Two of the President’s major programs are under attack,” said White House spokeswoman Ginny Terzano.

Political analysts portrayed the decision to run the ads as a marked departure from past political practice, both because of the early timing and the way the commercials aim to reshape the presidential debate on terms that are favorable to Clinton.

Clinton could strengthen his position substantially, the analysts said, if he suddenly became the crime-fighting candidate, rather than the one whose leadership, and even relevance, was a regular subject of discussion.

“This is a dramatic departure from what you expect a White House to do, and when you expect them to do it,” said Stuart Rothenberg, a nonpartisan political analyst. The tactic was also, he said, an indication of “some weakness on the President’s part.”

Analysts said the risk was that the public, focusing on July vacations, would not absorb the message and the money would be squandered.

One of the 30-second ads describes Clinton’s program to add police, while the other depicts how assault weapons have injured and killed Americans.

Along with California, states in which the ads are to air include Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin. They are to run between July 5-24.