Our piece about the accuracy of the Obama campaign ad questioning whether Mitt Romney would have taken Osama bin Laden out notes that the shaky logic of the spot is a minor concern for Democrats who are sick of being called wimps election after election.
One Democrat told HuffPost: "I was actually quite glad that they hit [Romney] below the belt."
And this morning another Democratic strategist sent along a link to a 2004 ad that they felt did the same thing as the Obama ad, questioning Democratic Sen. John Kerry's (D-Mass.) leadership and courage.
The ad was run by the Progress for America Voter Fund, the campaign arm of a group that had been founded by Tony Feather, political director for George W. Bush's 2000 campaign. Republican operative Brian McCabe headed PFAVF during the 2004 election, and the fund spent around $28 million on the race.
Notably, Ben Ginsberg, one of the most experienced and knowledgeable campaign attorneys in the Republican party, was counsel to PFAVF and is an adviser to Mitt Romney's current campaign for president.
Here is the script of the ad:
"9/11. A leader showed strength and compassion. President Bush. He held us together and began to hunt down terrorist killers. But what if Bush wasn't there? Could John Kerry have shown this leadership? The Kerry who voted against billions for America's intelligence even after the first World Trade Center bombing. The Kerry who voted against 13 weapons systems our troops depend on. President Bush will win this war on terror. Progress for America Voter Fund is responsible for the content of this ad."
A video of the ad does not appear to be online, but another spot from PFAVF is on YouTube, which is equally dramatic. It begins by showing pictures of bin Laden and other terrorists, as a male voice says in a dramatic tone, "These people want to kill us."
After noting that Kerry had "a 30 year record of supporting cuts in defense and intelligence," the ad closes with this line: "Would you trust Kerry against these fanatic killers?"
Watch that video here: