Ads by Kerry, Allies Hit Bush on Jobs Front

Democrats are unleashing a new wave of television advertisements attacking President Bush, including a commercial for Sen. John F. Kerry that accuses the Republican incumbent of favoring policies that ship U.S. jobs abroad.

The Bush camp rejected that charge and responded with an ad asserting that a Kerry administration could lead to massive tax increases.

The rapid punch and counterpunch, coupled with new anti-Bush ads launched by the AFL-CIO and another pro-Democratic group, marked the latest escalation in the “air war” between the two political parties.

Kerry’s ad is to begin airing today in 17 states considered the most competitive in the presidential race, including Ohio, Florida, Missouri and Pennsylvania. The ad is the first direct attack on Bush’s policies by Kerry since the Massachusetts senator effectively locked up the Democratic presidential nomination a month ago.

In an earlier ad, Kerry defended himself against a Bush attack on his tax policy. He also attacked the president in commercials during the Democratic primary season.

In Kerry’s new ad, an announcer asserts: “While jobs are leaving our country in record numbers, George Bush says sending jobs overseas ‘makes sense’ for America. His top economic advisors say ‘moving American jobs to low-cost countries’ is a plus for the U.S.”

The announcer adds that Kerry will seek to create 10 million new jobs as president with policies that encourage companies to keep jobs in the United States.

To support its claims, the Kerry campaign cited the annual economic report to Congress that Bush signed in February. The report said that “when a good or service is produced more cheaply abroad, it makes more sense to import it than make or provide it domestically.”

The nation has lost more than 2.2 million jobs in Bush’s tenure, and Democrats see that as a major political liability for him. The new Kerry ad coincides with the release today of national employment figures through March.

Bush aides denied that he supports the “outsourcing” of jobs to other countries.

“The president has been clear and on the record that his goal is to create jobs in this country,” said Ken Mehlman, manager of Bush’s reelection campaign. “His goal is to keep jobs in this country.”

The Bush ad attacking Kerry is scheduled to begin airing Saturday in the battleground states both campaigns have targeted, as well as on national cable television. In the ad, an announcer accuses Kerry of voting multiple times as a senator for higher taxes on married couples and against increasing the child tax credit.

The ad recycles previous GOP assertions that Kerry would have to raise taxes by at least $900 billion to pay for programs he has proposed, including a 10-year healthcare initiative.

Kerry aides have called such claims inaccurate, saying they do not take into account cost savings that the Democrat favors.

The aides also pointed to votes the senator cast in support of reducing taxes on married couples and establishing the child credit. However, Kerry voted against major tax-cut bills in 2001 and 2003 that became law and included those provisions.

The ad is the sixth by Bush’s campaign attacking Kerry. Some analysts and Democratic strategists say the Kerry campaign, which has spent much of the last month focused on raising money, has been slow to respond to the negative ads.

But other analysts dismiss that notion.

“What are we on -- April 1st?” said Jack Citrin, a political scientist at UC Berkeley. “Personally, I think the campaign has begun pretty early on both sides.... I wouldn’t say Kerry has been languishing.”

Kerry also is getting help from other quarters in taking on Bush. On Thursday, the Media Fund, an organization financed by wealthy liberals and other donors, began airing an ad in selected states that questions the administration’s priorities in spending $87 billion to finance military operations and reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The ad suggests that such funds might have been better spent on needs in the United States, such as improving schools and revamping the electrical grid.

Republicans have charged that the Media Fund is coordinating its activities with the Kerry campaign, which is not allowed by federal law. Officials with the Media Fund and the Kerry campaign deny that charge.

The AFL-CIO ad also began airing Thursday in selected states. It juxtaposes Bush speaking about economic priorities and workers wondering where their jobs have gone.