New Web Ad Asks If John McCain Is Bush, But Worse"

WASHINGTON, DC--Working families who have suffered through eight years of Bush's failed policies - hundreds of thousands of jobs lost, tax cuts for the richest Americans, stagnant wages, record food and gas prices, retirement accounts losing trillions of dollars - face more of the same from a McCain Administration, asserts a new online ad by SEIU.

"[George W. Bush] increased the minimum wage. He [John McCain] voted against it 19 times," the ad states, comparing the two Republicans, suggesting that McCain, and not Bush, may be the "worst ever".

SEIU previewed the ad, "MW," to their online activist list, allowing them to vote for which one is worse for America's working families: George W. Bush or John McCain.

"The change working families need is not coming from someone who stands against increasing the minimum wage or pushing for tax breaks to the very rich," said SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger. "All around this country men and women who get up and go to work every day are adding their support to the candidate who offers real change by cutting taxes for working families, ending tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas and offering affordable health care to every American that will save the average family $2,500 per year. And that candidate is Barack Obama."

The ad, produced by Fenton Communications, can be seen on progressive blogs and daily newspaper sites in the battleground states of Florida, Indiana, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. It comes as more than 3,000 SEIU members, local and International staff are already working full time in swing states - with tens of thousands volunteering on weekends and evenings - to elect Barack Obama on November 4. Members have committed more than $85 million to election efforts around the country.

"MW" can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk92H4M-sOk.

The transcript follows:

MW (:30 Web)

VO: He [George W. Bush] admits the economy is in trouble.

He [John McCain] says the fundamentals of our economy are strong.

He [George W. Bush] created tax breaks for the rich.

He [John McCain] wants to make them permanent.

He [George W. Bush] increased the minimum wage.

He [John McCain] voted against it 19 times.

Worst Ever?

Maybe Not.

John McCain: Bush, but worse.

SEIU COPE is responsible for the content of this advertisement.

Written Disclaimer: Paid for by SEIU COPE, www.SEIU.org, which is responsible for the content of this advertising. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Sources:

The White House, September 19, 2008, http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/09/20080919-2.html

MSNBC, September 15, 2008, http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/09/15/1399191.aspx

The New York Times, June 17, 2008, http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/06/17/us/politics/20080617_POLICY_GRAPHIC.html

The Los Angeles Times, May 26, 2007, http://articles.latimes.com/2007/may/26/nation/na-congress26

Fox News, August 31, 2008, http://thinkprogress.org/2008/08/31/mccain-minimum-wage/

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