GOP plays terrorism card in ad against Dave Ross

By Warren Cornwall
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

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A new television spot by the National Republican Congressional Committee cites Ross' statement that he opposes a $100 billion missile-defense system sought by the Bush administration.

The ad accuses Ross of wanting to cut defense spending $100 billion without mentioning that his objection is to missile defense.

It superimposes the words "empower terrorists" following images of children and terrorists. A voice then states that Ross is "waving the wrong flag" as the ad shows a U.S. flag turning white behind an image of Ross.

Ross dismissed the ad as a smear that won't pass muster in the suburban 8th District, which includes much of east and south King County and east Pierce County.

"They're so over the top, I doubt that any serious-minded person is going to pay attention to them," Ross said of the new ad and others by the Republican committee.

Republican committee spokesman Bo Harmon stood by the ad, saying it showed Ross' position on a critical issue.

"Any time that somebody suggests cutting $100 billion from the defense budget when we're at war is grossly irresponsible," he said.

Ross has said he would address the budget deficit partly by cutting the high-tech intercontinental missile-defense system, which he said would save $100 billion over a number of years. Ross says the feasibility of the program has been questioned even by some involved in building it.

The missile-defense system has been promoted by the Bush administration as a way to defend the country against nuclear missile attacks, or against blackmail by aspiring nuclear powers such as North Korea. The government is slated to spend roughly $10 billion in the project this year.

Regardless of the merits of the program, defense experts said it was a stretch to link missile defense to radical Islamic terrorists, as the ad suggests.
 
"Clearly a ballistic missile is one of the least likely ways a terrorist would attack the United States with weapons of mass destruction," said Steve Kosiak, director of budget studies for the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a non-partisan defense think tank.

Ross' Republican opponent, King County Sheriff Dave Reichert, has said he wouldn't support any defense spending cuts while the country is at war.

Reichert, at one point, promised to call on the Republican party to stop any negative ads. But yesterday, Reichert spokesman Josh Mathis said the campaign couldn't comment on independent ads by the Republican committee because it could be interpreted as illegal cooperation between the party and Reichert's campaign. The Ross campaign has taken a similar position on Democratic ads critical of Reichert.

Reichert was not available for comment, Mathis said.

Warren Cornwall: 206-464-2311 or wcornwall@seattletimes.com