We received a number of letters this week on President Bush's new campaign commercial.

Bush's new ads are hypocritical

I was appalled at the new ads for George W. Bush showing the wreckage of Ground Zero and a firefighter's funeral for political gain. The firefighters' union has called for the ad to be pulled. I have been told that the Spanish-language version includes a flag-draped stretcher being carried from Ground Zero. I find that hypocritical, since the administration has avoided images of flag-draped coffins coming home from Iraq.

Let's start the official election season focusing on issues in an appropriate manner for once.

Nancy Gack, Anderson Township

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Dems' views on ads are not surprising

So Democrats don't want 9-11 used in campaign ads? Not surprising.

Sept. 11 showed an American president acting decisively, courageously and heroically - characteristics foreign to the vernacular of Democratic presidential candidates of the past 30 years.

As for Sen. John Kerry, he'd still be trying to make up his flip-flopping mind if we should do anything.

And the National Firefighter's Union is calling for the ad to be pulled? Again, not surprising, because all the major union bosses have been with the Democrats for decades.

If Charlie Manson was the Democratic nominee, the union boys would be whistling "Helter Skelter."

Rick Wesley, Saint Bernard

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Using towers footage is simply appalling

I saw my first George W. Bush political ad. I was disgusted and appalled that he would dare to use footage of the destroyed World Trade Center towers in a political ad. I can only imagine how heartsick the victims' families must feel as they watch their loved ones' deaths turned into ad copy for political gain, shame, on you, Bush.

Kathleen Riehle, Anderson Township

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On ads, liberals seem hypocritical

I extend my deepest sympathies to all those who lost relatives and/or friends in the 9-11 act of war committed against the United States. I do feel that the same outcry should come from the families and friends who lost someone in the Vietnam War.

Somehow it is right to criticize President Bush, but it is not all right to remind people that Sen. John F. Kerry spoke out about the evil deeds of our service personnel in Vietnam. He even testified before Congress that our service personnel were murdering women and children, looting and raping the Vietnamese people. We lost about 2,700 good Americans in the 9/11 tragedy, and we lost somewhere around 57,000 in Vietnam.

I do not understand why the liberals on the left are able to criticize the president but the conservatives are not allowed to speak the truth about Kerry et. al. This seems to me to be the supreme and ultimate hypocrisy. "It is OK for me to put you down but don't you dare to respond or say something against me." This is the philosophy of the liberal left.

Ed Willwerth, Western Hills

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Invoking 9-11 into campaign insensitive

The use by the Bush election campaign of stark 9-11 images to advance their political agenda is, at best, insensitive, and, at worst, cynical and calculated. They will gladly use footage of firefighters carrying flag-draped remains of their comrade, but refuse to allow film of flag-draped remains of servicemen and women arriving at Dover air base. Our country has been denied the opportunity to honor these brave young men and women who have given their lives for us.

The administration should be ashamed of themselves, but apparently they have no sense of honor and integrity.

Shirley Pritchard, Lebanon

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War on terror fought under false pretenses

Why now, more than three years after 9-11, does the Bush administration go after Osama bin Laden on a 24/7 basis? Why wasn't this the all-consuming order of business from the start? It was bin Laden's al Qaida who attacked the World Trade Center, not Saddam and not Iraq.

Almost 600 Americans have died, thousands of Americans have been wounded and many more thousands of innocent Iraqis have died thus far in the misguided diversion into Iraq. Bush now runs ads touting his leadership of a needless invasion waged under false pretenses; leadership that stonewalls and refuses to cooperate with the 9-11 commission.

Gerald Kerns, Loveland