TV ad blames Bush
for isles’ income,
gas woes

The Democratic National Committee is now running an ad attacking President Bush customized for Hawaii.

The new ad follows Republican Gov. Linda Lingle's criticism of the Democrats' first television spot saying "they are out of touch with what is happening in our state."

The new ad claims "family incomes in Hawaii have fallen at twice the national average" and that "gas prices are at a record high" under Bush.

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The ad then says, "Hawaii can't afford four more years of Bush as president."

Josh Earnest, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, speaking from Washington, D.C., said the "Hawaii-specific ad would be in rotation" along with the other ad.

The DNC also arranged to have former President Clinton give satellite interviews from his home in suburban New York to the four TV network affiliates in Honolulu. When asked why the presidential race in Hawaii had grown so close, Clinton said, "I don't think the candidates have had a great presence there, and the issues haven't been fully debated."

The DNC announced earlier this week that it would spend $200,000 in the last week of the election in Hawaii to make sure Hawaii supports Sen. John Kerry for president.

"We are looking to dramatically lay out the choices for the voters of Hawaii," Earnest said.

The sudden Democratic national interest in Hawaii was triggered by two statewide polls released this weekend. The surveys, including the Star-Bulletin/KITV4 News poll, show Bush leading Kerry by 1 percentage point, 47 to 46.

So far, only the Democrats appear willing to spend money on broadcast ads to win Hawaii voters.

Brennon Morioka, state GOP chairman, said the national party does not have any plans yet to buy television or radio ads in Hawaii.

"We have been seeing the kind of success we are having with our ground game. They (Bush campaign officials) have confidence in our grass-roots effort.

"The Kerry campaign took Hawaii for granted, and now they are scrambling to rectify the mistake," Morioka said.

Not since Richard Nixon campaigned in Hawaii in 1960 has a presidential candidate in an election year visited Hawaii.

Bush stopped in Hawaii for less than a day last year and held a fund-raiser for his re-election and one for the local GOP.

Kerry has not campaigned in Hawaii.