A commercial that all but calls President Obama a murderer â€" likening him to Hitler and Ted Bundy because of his support for abortion rights â€" is running on television stations in Kentucky despite its graphic images and provocative religious references.
The 30-second commercial is for Andrew Beacham, an obscure candidate for Congress who appears on camera at the end puffing on a cigar as he asks incredulously, “If you vote for Obama, the real question is what are you smoking?â€
It opens with images of Hitler and Bundy as the candidate narrates. “Would you vote for a murderer?†he asks. “Would you vote for a man who paid others to murder for him? Would you vote for a man who stole f rom others to pay for his murders?â€
Then a picture of an aborted fetus appears on screen. The candidate continues, “Well, Obama gives your money to Planned Parenthood to murder babies, and to the Muslim Brotherhood, who murders Christians and Jews.â€
According to his campaign Web site, Mr. Beacham, who is running as an independent in Kentucky's Second Congressional District, is a “Christian and a patriot.†He identifies himself as a “full-time Pro-Life missionary†and Tea Party supporter.
Mr. Beacham, who is one of three candidates seeking to oust Representative Brett Guthrie, a Republican, also says he produces many of the advertisements for Randall Terry, the anti-abortion activist who is known for his own graphic commercials that feature aborted fetuses.
Stations are typically free to reject ads that they find offensive or distasteful. The Associated Press reported that one of the stations running the ad, WKBO in Bowling Green, said it could not refuse to show it, but was considering running a disclaimer warning viewers of its offensive content.
A media buyer who monitors political spending said that there was very little money behind the ad â€" about $3,000 in three Kentucky markets.
