New Jersey: New Site Seeks to Link Andrews, Bush on Iraq
In the four weeks since Rep. Robert Andrews announced his intention to challenge Sen. Frank Lautenberg in the Democratic primary, the Senator’s campaign team has gotten a good deal of mileage out of trying to tie the Congressman to President Bush and the Iraq War.
Now with the launch of bushandrews.com, the Lautenberg campaign this week has given an online home to a wide array of video clips, news reports and pictures tying the Congressman to the president and Iraq.
Central to the new Web site — which is built to look like a campaign site for an imaginary Bush/Andrews ticket — is a timeline of the Congressman’s role in helping to pass the 2002 resolution to authorize the use of force in Iraq and his public statements of support for the war in the months and years after the invasion.
“The record is very clear: Rob Andrews helped write, promote and enable George Bush’s war,” Lautenberg spokeswoman Julie Roginsky said in a statement on the Web site’s launch. “This Web site allows voters to see for themselves that Rob Andrews has been a consistent rubber stamp for the Bush Administration.”
Andrews’ campaign countered Tuesday with a new Web site of their own, Frank DoesntGetIt.com, which according to a release showcases “the many inconsistencies, flip flops and contradictions of the incumbent Senator who once retired but now just can’t let go of the seat he wants for life.”
“Nothing speaks louder than a man’s own words and actions,” said Mike Murphy, chairman of Andrews’ campaign. “This website lets Sen. Lautenberg’s record speak for itself.”
After Andrews’ repeated attempts over the past month to get Lautenberg to meet him in a debate, the Senator accepted the invitation on Tuesday by New Jersey Network to appear at a debate on May 30.
— John McArdle