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.