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Health Care Reform Dominant As Final Debate Looms
Meg Kinnard and Jennifer Koons, NationalJournal.com
© National Journal Group Inc.
Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2004
The nation will be watching as President Bush and John Kerry talk economics in their final debate tonight. In anticipation, several third-party groups are on the air weighing in on the topic, while the candidates are sniping at one another over health care reform.
The Bush campaign launched two nearly identical 30-second ads on Tuesday, both attacking Kerry and the "liberals in Congress" for supporting "big government-run health care."
In "Complicated Plan," an announcer says the Democratic nominee's plan will result in "less access," "fewer choices" and "long waits" as "Washington bureaucrats, not your doctor make final decisions on your health." "Your Doctor" tells viewers that a physician's role in the senator's plan fits in somewhere between "the IRS, Treasury Department and several massive new government agencies." Maverick Media produced the spots, which are running on national cable and in select local markets.
Kerry responded several hours later with his own "Rx Drugs," saying that during his tenure, Bush "has stood between America and lower-cost prescription drugs." Kerry then pledges to fight for importing rights, as well as allowing Medicare "to make bulk purchases of drugs, guaranteeing a better price for Americans."
And today, Kerry launches "Leading," in which an announcer references Bush's "Complicated Plan." A clip of the spot rolls as the voice says Bush lets "insurance companies overrule your doctor," while under Kerry's plan, "you make medical decisions, not the government." Shrum Devine & Donilon and Squier Knapp Dunn are Kerry's media consultants.
On Saturday, the Democratic National Committee launched "On the Road," its first youth-focused ad this cycle. Funky music plays as a voice asks "what makes George Bush tick" on issues like "corporate tax breaks for shipping jobs overseas" and says viewers can vote in an online-survey at WhatMakesGeorgeTick.com. According to USA Today, the spot ran during NBC's "Saturday Night Live" in 13 states, as well as New York City and Washington, D.C., and is airing this week during Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" and on VH1.
The DNC is also on the air with two more traditional spots. "Many Lives" hones in on Bush's plans to privatize Social Security, asking, "Shouldn't we all have learned how risky the stock market is by now?" The other 30-second TV ad, "Stare," argues that Bush's "tax and economic plans have given us the largest budget deficit in American history." All three ads were produced by Murphy Putnam Shorr & Partners.
Meanwhile, The Media Fund concludes its Ohio-centric economic ad run with "Testimonial," in which several Buckeye State natives complain that their jobs have "been outsourced" under the current administration. One man says Kerry has a plan "to keep jobs in America," and another muses that the Democrat "will bring jobs back home." McMahon, Squier & Associates produced the spot.
Ad Spotlight has the latest commercials from the 2004 campaigns and issue/advocacy groups, as well as searchable archives dating back to 1997.
Script of Bush's "Complicated Plan" (TV)
ANNOUNCER [v/o]: John Kerry and liberals in Congress have a health care plan for you. A big-government take-over. $1.5 trillion. Rationing. Less access. Fewer choices. Long waits. And Washington bureaucrats, not your doctor, make final decisions on your health.So if you need treatment, all you have to do is...
(On screen: Image of complicated flow-chart)
You get the picture. John Kerry and liberals in Congress. Big government-run health care.
PRESIDENT BUSH [v/o]: I'm George W. Bush, and I approve this message.
(On screen: Paid For By Bush-Cheney '04 Inc. And The Republican National Committee And Approved By President Bush)
Script of Bush's "Your Doctor" (TV)
ANNOUNCER [v/o]: John Kerry and liberals in Congress have a health care plan. It includes the IRS, Treasury Department and several massive new government agencies. Your doctor? In here somewhere. But not in charge.This $1.5 trillion government program puts bureaucrats, not your doctor, in charge of your health care decisions. One more reason we can't risk the liberals in Congress and John Kerry.
PRESIDENT BUSH [v/o]: I'm George W. Bush, and I approve this message.
(On screen: Paid For By Bush-Cheney '04 Inc. And The Republican National Committee And Approved By President Bush)
Script of Kerry's "Rx Drugs" (TV)
JOHN KERRY: For the last four years, one man has stood between America and lower-cost prescription drugs: George Bush. As president, I'll fight to allow Americans to import lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada. And I'll make it legal for Medicare to make bulk purchases of drugs, guaranteeing a better price for Americans.We can have lower-cost prescription drugs in America. All it takes is a president who will fight to make it happen. I'm John Kerry, and I approved this message.
(On screen: learn more at johnkerry.com; Kerry Edwards; Approved By John Kerry & Paid For By Kerry-Edwards 2004, Inc.)
Script of Kerry's "Leading" (TV)
ANNOUNCER [v/o]: The George Bush attacks on John Kerry's health care plan are called "not true." "Outright fabrications." Listen for yourself.(On screen: "not true" -- ABC Nightly News, 9/13/04; "outright fabrications" -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 9/27/04)
ANNOUNCER [in Bush's "Complicated Plan"]: Rationing, less access, fewer choices, long waits.
ANNOUNCER [v/o]: Wait a minute. That's what we have now under George Bush. It's Bush that let insurance companies overrule your doctor; costs have skyrocketed. The Kerry plan lowers costs. You choose your doctor, you make medical decisions, not the government. It's time for a new direction.
JOHN KERRY [v/o]: I'm John Kerry, and I approved this message.
(On screen: learn more at johnkerry.com; Kerry Edwards; Approved By John Kerry & Paid For By Kerry-Edwards 2004, Inc.)
Script of DNC's "On the Road" (TV)
(On screen: www.WhatMakesGeorgeTick.com)ANNOUNCER [v/o]: We're on the road asking folks what makes George Bush tick. Like why does he support corporate tax breaks for shipping jobs overseas?
(On screen: Source: National Journal's Congress Daily, 4/13/04)
MAN NO. 1: He just doesn't care.
WOMAN NO. 1: He doesn't get it.
ANNOUNCER [v/o]: We've lost a million jobs to other countries, and George Bush thinks outsourcing is a good idea.
(On screen: Source: Economy.com, 2/04; Economic Report of the President, 2/04)
MAN NO. 2: He sure isn't on my side.
ANNOUNCER [v/o]: Log onto WhatMakesGeorgeTick.com and vote: He Doesn't Get It, He Doesn't Care or He's Not on Your Side. You could win a backwards-running watch.
The Democratic National Committee is responsible for the content of this advertisement.
(On screen: John Kerry for President; www.WhatMakesGeorgeTick.com; Paid For By The Democratic National Committee. www.Democrats.org. Not Authorized By Any Candidate Or Candidate's Committee. The Democratic National Committee Is Responsible For The Content Of This Advertisement.)
Script of DNC's "Many Lives" (TV)
ANNOUNCER [v/o]: Social Security. So many lives depend on it. But President Bush is determined to privatize Social Security(Headline on screen: "Bush Renews Call for Privatization of Social Security" -- USA Today, 5/3/04)
Shouldn't we all have learned how risky the stock market is by now? The Bush privatization plan would take a trillion dollars away from the Social Security trust fund, threatening the benefits of today's retirees.
(On screen: Source: Boston Globe, 5/15/04)
Trusting George Bush with Social Security? America can't afford four more years.
The Democratic National Committee is responsible for the content of this advertisement.
(On screen: John Kerry for President; www.WhatMakesGeorgeTick.com; Paid For By The Democratic National Committee. www.Democrats.org. Not Authorized By Any Candidate Or Candidate's Committee. The Democratic National Committee Is Responsible For The Content Of This Advertisement.)
Script of DNC's "Stare" (TV)
ANNOUNCER [v/o]: George Bush's budget deficit will leave our children with debt for decades to come. The president's tax and economic plans have given us the largest budget deficit in American history. In just three years, America has gone from a surplus to a $2.7 trillion deficit, and it's our children and grandchildren who will have to pay the bills.America and our children can't afford four more years.
The Democratic National Committee is responsible for the content of this advertisement.
(On screen: John Kerry for President; www.WhatMakesGeorgeTick.com; Paid For By The Democratic National Committee. www.Democrats.org. Not Authorized By Any Candidate Or Candidate's Committee. The Democratic National Committee Is Responsible For The Content Of This Advertisement.)
Script of The Media Fund's "Testimonial" (TV)
ANNA BOROUGHS: I'm a resident of Ohio, and I'm unemployed.(On screen: Anna Boroughs; Westlake, Ohio)
ROBERT FOTHERGILL: There's a lot of people leaving this state because there's no jobs anymore. They've been outsourced.
(On screen: Robert Fothergill; Massillon, Ohio)
MICHELE ANDERSON: We've seen so many jobs leave this state.
(On screen: Michele Anderson; Cleveland, Ohio; Ohio has lost 230,000 jobs under Bush and Cheney.)
NANCY HOLCEPL: I feel that small businesses like myself will be gone.
(On screen: Nancy Holcepl; Cleveland, Ohio)
ROBERT FOTHERGILL: John Kerry has a plan to do that, to keep jobs in America.
(On screen: Kerry and Edwards will reward companies to keep jobs in Ohio.)
JENNIFER CARTER: I believe that American jobs should be here for American people.
(On screen: Jennifer Carter; Shaker Heights, Ohio)
GARY MUETZEL: John Kerry will bring jobs back home.
(On screen: Gary Muetzel; Parma, Ohio)
ANNOUNCER [v/o]: Learn more about the Kerry and Edwards plan at facts4ohio.com. The Media Fund is responsible for the content of this ad.
(On screen: Kerry & Edwards; facts4ohio.com; Paid for by The Media Fund. mediafund04.org. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. The Media Fund is responsible for the content of this advertisement.)
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