Meet the Attack Lads – John Kerry Windsurfing

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


Instructions: Click on the images below to watch the ads and meet the attack lads. Red links will take you to an appendix with more information.

Windsurfing ad (2004): Anti-Kerry spot claimed that senator “surfs every direction on Iraq”.

created by
McCarthy Marcus Hennings

Home to Larry McCarthy, creator of Progress for America Voter Fund’s “Ashley’s Story,” which showed Bush hugging the daughter of a 9/11 victim

corporate clients:
Fox TV, The Washington Post Company

McCarthy Marcus Hennings also created the Willie Horton ad (1988)

this ad was comissioned by

Progress for America/PFA Voter Fund

founded by
Tony Feather

now works for:
Mitt Romney

contracted with
Tom Synhorst

was run by
Chris LaCivita

has worked for:
DCI Group
consults for:
Mercury Public Affairs
was linked to:
Phone jamming (2002)
chris lacivita did consulting for:
Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (2004)

 
 

Transcript:

[Music] Female Announcer: John Kerry’s hobby? Windsurfing huh issues dude. He claims to be the big kahuna on terror but votes to cut defense and intelligence. The Patriot Act? Whichever way the wind blows, Kerry rides the wave. And Kerry surfs every direction on Iraq.

Kerry: I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it.

Female Announcer: Windsurfing: hot on water; bad on issues. Total wipeout.

[SFX: chorus “total wipeout”] Progress for America Voter Fund is responsible for the content of this surfin’ message.


Download the PDF of this chart as it appeared in the magazine.
Click here to see the whole chart











BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

December is make or break for us. A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. A strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength. A weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

The December 31 deadline is closing in fast. To reach our $400,000 goal, we need readers who’ve never given before to join the ranks of MoJo donors. And we need our steadfast supporters to give again today—any amount.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do.

That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

December is make or break for us. A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. A strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength. A weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

The December 31 deadline is closing in fast. To reach our $400,000 goal, we need readers who’ve never given before to join the ranks of MoJo donors. And we need our steadfast supporters to give again today—any amount.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do.

That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate