Bush, McCain launch air war in South Carolina

By PATRICIA WILSON
Reuters

February 8, 2000
Web posted at: 4:56 p.m. EST (2156 GMT)

GREENVILLE, S.C. (Reuters) - The air war between George W. Bush and Arizona Sen. John McCain escalated Tuesday with a series of tough television ads that the Texas governor said showed his chief rival's "true nature."

The dueling spots, in which each candidate for the Republican presidential nomination attacked the other for going on the attack, are airing in South Carolina which holds its primary Feb. 19, the next big test of the White House race.

Bush released two new ads Tuesday, one chiding McCain for reneging on their gentlemen's agreement to run a positive campaign and the other stressing his new campaign strategy to run on his record in Texas and sell himself as the true reformer in the race.

But a McCain ad that concludes, "Do we really want another politician in the White House that we can't trust?" without mentioning Bush by name, set off a new round of invective between the two camps.

"It's sad, isn't it," Bush said. "The true nature of John McCain is evidently coming out."

"I'm sad he's run this type of ad," Bush told reporters. "The people in my state know I've brought honor and dignity to the office. I'm going to fight for what I believe is right. I'm not going to let my record be distorted."

Asked if McCain, who Bush had been calling his "buddy" until the Arizonan demolished him in New Hampshire's primary a week ago, remained a friend, he replied: "I will still give him the benefit of the doubt and say he's a good man, but this campaign has taken a new twist ... I'm going to vigorously defend myself on the airwaves in South Carolina."

NO EXCUSE

The Bush campaign rolled out one of the biggest guns in South Carolina to defend their candidate -- Sen. Strom Thurmond, a conservative icon in the state for more than five decades -- who called McCain's ad demeaning.

"There is no excuse for the negative ads that Sen. McCain's strategists and politicos are running in South Carolina, they reflect poorly on my friend from Arizona and they are a sad commentary on the contemporary political process," he said in a written statement.

Bush, who debuted his new-look campaign style in Delaware Monday and Tuesday, redoubled his efforts to cast McCain, who has served 17 years in Congress and is chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, as a Washington insider and a hypocrite on campaign finance reform.

"John has made campaign funding reform the cornerstone of his campaign," Bush told a rally at Hockessin fire station in Wilmington, Delaware. "At the same time, he's railing on the special interests and lobbyists and on the other hand he's saying 'Pass the plate."'

Bush, who has stepped up the pace of his campaign adding more stops, speaking less and answering more questions in a town-hall meeting style similar to McCain's held two events in Delaware where voters cast their ballots Tuesday and then flew to South Carolina for three more.

He vowed not to let McCain define him as an insider who lacked the qualifications to be president, saying he would "blow the whistle on people who say one thing and do another."

"A GOOD SCRAP"

"I like a good scrap. I'm going to take my message and I'm going to fight like ... you know, as hard as I can," he said.

McCain bypassed Delaware to focus on South Carolina, a conservative state that often has been pivotal in determining the Republican nominee, a decision Bush noted with irony.

"He's not gaining ground in Delaware because he didn't bother to come and ask for the vote here," he said.

During Bush's lengthy question-and-answer session, a woman beside him fainted, abruptly cutting short his appearance.

The Texan reared back in surprise, but quickly gathered himself, asking photographers, to "back off" while the woman received medical attention.

Taking control, Bush stepped into the audience, began shaking hands saying: "Why don't we just visit. We'll let them take care of the lady." The woman was taken from the room and recovered quickly.