FRANKFORT, Ky. - An anti-abortion activist who's running for Congress plans to air an especially graphic ad this week in Kentucky and Indiana showing a dismembered fetus and images of dead Christians and Jews. Legally, there's little the television station owners can do to stop them.
Andrew Beacham is running in Kentucky's 2nd District against Rep. Brett Guthrie, but not with the expectation of winning. Instead, he simply wants to use his candidacy as a bully pulpit to criticize President Barack Obama for supporting abortion rights.
"Clearly, our main goal is to cause Obama's defeat," Beacham said Tuesday. "But if I were to get elected, that would be great."
Beacham, an Indiana resident, is one of seven congressional candidates across the country who plan to use the tactic. All are affiliated with longtime anti-abortion leader Randall Terry, the Operation Rescue founder who entered the presidential race to do the same thing.
"Our message is simple," Terry said in a statement. "No Christian can ethically vote for Obama."
Beacham's ad will 22 times in Louisville, Bowling Green and Evansville, Ind. between Wednesday and Friday. In it, Beacham charges that Obama is giving money to Planned Parenthood "to murder babies."
Puffing a cigar, Beacham says, "you vote for Obama, the real question is, what are you smoking?"
Terry said candidates in all seven races are preparing to run "withering ads" against Obama in the battleground states of Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, and Colorado.
The Federal Communications Commission requires TV stations to give candidates for federal offices "reasonable access" to run political ads. So far, Terry said none of the TV stations have contacting him to say they won't run the ads.
Rick McCue, general manager of WBKO-TV in Bowling Green, described the ad as offensive and said his station may run a disclaimer along with it.
As a legal matter, McCue said, "we have no right to censor the ad, and we can't refuse it either. "
"We can at least give people a heads up, and we intend to do that," he added. "How we're going to word it, I don't know yet."
Terry, an independent presidential candidate, will be on the ballot in Kentucky, Nebraska and West Virginia. He also is running for Congress in Florida's 20th District. The other congressional candidates are running in Illinois, Iowa, Florida and Kentucky, but, because of television market coverage, Terry said they can run ads in more than 20 states.
Beacham's initial ad buy totals $5,000. Terry said the candidates will spend at least $250,000 to run ads in all seven races, but that the total could be as much as $1 million, depending on fundraising success.
Terry said at least 12 different abortion ads will be used in the various races leading up to the Nov. 6 election.
"The law is the law, and they have to run the ads," he said.
Read More
A Century of Life
By Katherine Hill / 5 hours agoJimmy Carter, America’s 39th and longest-living president, led a notable life beyond his four years served in office.
Indiana Capital Chronicle: The ABC’s of education bills – from dollars and cents to charters and teachers
By Indiana Capital Chronicle / YesterdayState lawmakers return to the statehouse this week and are expected to debate a slew of education-related proposals.
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau resigns as Liberal Party leader
By Staff Reports / 3 days agoCanadian Prime Minister Trudeau is set to resign as Liberal Party leader, effectively ending nearly a decade in power.
