17TH DISTRICT RACE Top Democratic officials blast the use of 9/11 in anti-Ryan ad

A spokesman for Ann Womer Benjamin said her campaign was not responsible.
STAFF/WIRE REPORTS
The head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee called on Ohio Republicans to pull a television ad against Ohio Democratic congressional candidate Tim Ryan that uses images of the destroyed World Trade Center, calling it "disrespectful" to those who died on 9/11.
And in a press conference today, a former state Democratic leader and local firefighters condemned the ad and called for it to be pulled.
The political ad is believed to be the first in the country to use images of the destroyed towers, where 2,795 people died after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, in a negative political ad, Ryan said.
It was not clear when the ad started running, but two television stations in Youngstown said they had aired it.
About the ad
The issue ad, paid for by the Ohio Republican Party, starts out with a satellite shot of the ground zero area with the familiar plume of smoke rising in the air. A female voice narrates "Americans are targets across the world: shootings, bombing, murders."
The ad then dissolves into a ground level shot of the destroyed towers, as the voice continues: "America must fight back with the strongest military possible, yet what does Tim Ryan say?"
The rest of the television spot complains about Ryan's positions with an image of Ryan and a changing placard. It wraps up with "Tim Ryan is dead wrong on homeland security. Call Tim Ryan. Tell him it's about time he stood up for America."
Ohio Republican Party spokesman Jason Mauk said he could not make a copy of the 30-second spot available to the press Sunday but did not deny responsibility for its production. Saturday, Mauk told The Vindicator that the party stood behind the ad "100 percent," and that the images symbolized President Bush's war on terror.
Democrats continued to attack the spot.
"To use such a horrible tragedy in a political way is disrespectful to all those affected by the terrible events of September 11th and has no place in politics," said Rep. Nita M. Lowey, D-N.Y., head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
"I call on the Republicans to stop airing this ad immediately," Lowey said. "It is unconscionable that the Republicans feel the need to stoop to this level to try to win an election they weren't going to win in the first place. They should stop airing this ad right away and they owe the voters and Tim Ryan an apology."
Ryan's reaction
"This is a new low," Ryan said. "Apparently, my opponent has no shame and will do anything to get elected, including exploiting the saddest day in our nation's history, its victims and their families."
Ryan and GOP candidate Ann Womer Benjamin are battling former Rep. James A. Traficant Jr., for the seat in Ohio's 17th Congressional District. Traficant is running his election campaign from prison after being ousted from Congress and being sent to prison for bribery and racketeering.
Traficant is running as an independent.
Womer Benjamin spokesman David All stressed that her campaign had nothing to do with the ad, which he hadn't seen.
"However, she didn't agree with the creative aspect of it," All said. "She didn't think it was appropriate to use the Twin Towers, but she stands firm on the message it talks about. He's extremely soft on terrorism and he's out of touch with this district and the rest of America."
Harry Meshel, a former Ohio Democratic Party chairman, said at the press conference today that the ads are despicable and need to be pulled from the air immediately.
"The Ohio Republican Party is famous for this," he said. "When they are in trouble, they use scurrilous ads that have no basis."
Seven firefighters from departments in Youngstown, Warren and Campbell also condemned the ads, saying it was tasteless to include pictures from ground zero in a political commercial.
"It's disgraceful; you're not dealing with issues, you're dealing with tragedy," said Greg Rosile, a Campbell firefighter. "It stinks. It's so low."