March 04, 2004, 11:46 a.m.
“Rats!”
Not again.

By Robert Moran

So, the new line of attack from the Democrats is that one Bush ad that shows an image of the remnants of the World Trade Center is a cynical and mean-spirited attempt to politicize 9/11.

This is, of course, all too reminiscent of the non-story story over the now infamous "rats" ad from the 2000 campaign. It's an irrelevant and meaningless charge that the media uses to slow down a candidate they hate.

Here are the questions Republicans need to ask Democrats and their friends in the media:

1. Was Bill Clinton's use of the Oklahoma City bombing to attack conservatives and talk radio "politicizing" a tragedy?

2. How about the awful James Byrd ad run by the NAACP against George W. Bush? Was reenacting Mr. Byrd's 1998 dragging death for the camera a politicization of his murder? Was that fair?

3. Is an ad that says, "So when George W. Bush refused to support hate-crimes legislation it was like my father was killed all over again" politicizing a tragedy?

4. How about using church arsons as a political issue? Is suggesting that "when you don't vote another church burns" politicizing a human tragedy?

— Robert Moran is a vice president at Republican polling firm Fabrizio, McLaughlin & Associates. He is an NRO contributor.