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August 15, 2002
WASHINGTON -- Many political candidates and the national campaign committees are avoiding advertising on Sept. 11, but the way they are handling it provides a reminder that there's politics in how you avoid looking political.
In some cases, one candidate or party announced its moratorium before the other side could. In others, one side said it would take its ads off the air longer.
In Texas, a statewide law enforcement organization recently challenged politicians to avoid advertising for the first 11 days of September as a way to honor the victims of the terror attacks as well as Americans serving at home and abroad.
Ron Kirk, Democratic candidate for the Senate, said he planned to abide by the group's request. The Republican candidate, Texas Attorney General John Cornyn, doesn't plan to advertise on Sept. 10 and 11 and is considering what to do over the longer period.
In the governor's race, neither Gov. Rick Perry nor challenger Tony Sanchez has agreed to the 11-day blackout, though Republican Perry said he would if his Democratic rival would.
Nationally, both parties say they have no current plans to run political ads on Sept. 11.
"Sept. 11 is a sacred day," said Steve Schmidt, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. "We will not be engaging in any political activity."
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee was considering going a step further, staying off the air for more than just a day.
"The committee has made a definite decision not to run 9/11 ads," said Jim Jordan, executive director. "We're giving serious consideration to bumping that back a few days. But it would be presumptuous of us to tell campaigns what to do."
Some individual campaigns were already making that decision, reflecting the sensitive politics around the date.
In Arkansas, Democratic Senate nominee Mark Pryor, who also is the state's attorney general, asked Republican incumbent Sen. Tim Hutchinson in a letter to observe an advertising moratorium.
"A one-day moratorium will not affect the outcome of this election, but it will enhance the commemoration and remembrance of this important period in the history of our country," Pryor wrote.
Hutchinson spokesman Anthony Hulen said Wednesday: "We are not advertising on Sept. 11. We feel politics has no place on that day. We had decided a while back, but didn't feel it was necessary to put out a press release."
In Maine, GOP Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Chellie Pingree have agreed not to advertise Sept. 11.
In New York, state Democratic Chairman Herman Farrell said he was preparing a 30-second television tribute to the victims and heroes of Sept. 11 in which top New York party members would read excerpts from the Gettysburg Address. At this point, the spots are planned to air Sept. 10 and Sept. 12.
Republican Gov. George Pataki will read Abraham Lincoln's famous address as part of the official ceremony on the anniversary.