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Vets group ad thanks Coleman for war support

The spot is meant to counter Iraq war opponents' criticism of Minnesota's Republican senator.

By Kevin Diaz, Star Tribune

Last update: August 1, 2007 - 8:42 PM

WASHINGTON - A veterans' group that supports the U.S. troop surge in Iraq will launch a television ad in Minnesota supporting U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman for his stance on the war.

The 60-second "Thank You" spot is being sponsored by Vets for Freedom as a counterpoint to recent ads by Democrats and anti-war groups targeting Minnesota's Republican senator. The group declined to say how much it is spending.

"It thanks him for his support thus far for the mission in Iraq," said Pete Hegseth, a Minnesota native who heads the national group of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.

The ad war comes a year ahead of the 2008 Senate race, and at a time when Coleman's approval ratings have dropped to a record low of 43 percent, according to a July 16 Survey USA poll.

It also comes at a time of rising discontent with the violence in Iraq, although Coleman still outpolls the two leading anti-war Democrats in the race, comedian Al Franken and attorney Mike Ciresi.

Minnesota Republicans say they welcome a fresh perspective on the Iraq debate, while DFLers expressed glee at an ad campaign that underscores Coleman's support for President Bush's war strategy.

"This is what we've been trying to do for a long time," said Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez. "It's an honest ad. I won't say I couldn't have put together a better ad if I'd wanted to, but I almost would have paid for this."

Minnesota GOP spokesman Mark Drake said the vets' ad provides needed balance in the debate, which comes to a head next month when Gen. David Petraeus issues a report on military and political progress in Iraq.

"After a barrage of negative attack ads from far-left special interest groups against Senator Coleman, a new voice with a new perspective isn't a bad thing," Drake said. "While some like Al Franken want to recklessly cut off funding for our troops, Senator Coleman's principled and thoughtful leadership is the right approach."

White House connection?

Coleman has opposed Democratic initiatives setting a timeline for withdrawal, though he argued for a new strategy of training and counter-insurgency, one he says would allow a large drawdown of U.S. troops by next year.

Hegseth said his group has bought spots on This Week, Fox News Sunday & Meet the Press this coming Sunday. He declined to say how much the group is spending on the ad buys in Minnesota, which will be accompanied by similar spots in at least two other states he wouldn't name -- one supporting a Democrat, one a Republican.

The vets' spots follow two ad buys criticizing Coleman on the war during last month's Senate debate. One was funded by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and the other by Americans United for Change, a labor-backed group that said it spent upwards of $100,000.

Vets for Freedom has been getting a lot of news media attention in recent months. Hegseth says the group is non-partisan and largely funded by Internet donations. A liberal watchdog group called the Center for Media and Democracy has charged that Vets for Freedom is tied to the White House through ex-Bush spokesman Taylor Gross, who reportedly did public relations work for the group when it started last year.

Hegseth, a Forest Lake native who has headed the group for the past three months and served in Iraq with the Army's 101st Airborne Division, said he has never met Gross. "If Taylor Gross worked for VFF [Vets for Freedom] in 2006, he no longer does," Hegseth said. "Taylor Gross does not work for VFF -- there is currently no connection whatsoever."

Kevin Diaz • 202-408-2753 • kdiaz@startribune.com

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