AaronE, I don't know if I'm reading between the lines incorrectly or not, but, I'm assuming you reside in another country than the U.S. (If this isn't true, then take the following with a patient smile.) Please, don't think all Americans are in agreement with this current travesty to not acknowledge our war dead. We're decidedly not. I was born in as close to the geographic center of the lower 48 as it is possible to get (Independence, MO), and I am horrified that the soldiers who gave their all for this nation are being shoved aside. This is atypical and immoral. America, with the exception of a time during the Vietnam War, has always honored its veterans. Leaving aside the two federal holidays for veterans, there are 50 cemeteries in Europe and the Pacific maintained purely for the war dead of WWII (I visited one outside of Florence, Italy just last year). Civil War monuments abound in both the North and South. In my own family, my grandmother, who served as an army nurse during WWI, was buried under a flag with an honor guard. But, (as you well know) Bush & cronies think if they can keep photographs of casualties from reaching the public, then they can tamp down on dissent. Why the DCCC doesn't have the spine to run the ad, I couldn't begin to fathom. It's a sad, sad comment on the mental state of the opposition. With public disapproval of the war approaching (if not exceeding) 60%, giving veterans their due isn't even a political risk anymore.

Now, I never agreed with this little fit Georgie has thrown (I live in the DC suburbs, so spent plenty of time in the run-up to the war marching to oppose it), but, our soldiers are serving in terrible conditions. Yes, there are atrocities, and they should be prosecuted fully, through to the top of the chain of command (including the "Commander in Chief," as far as I'm concerned). But, the individual soldiers, airmen, sailors, etc. who are serving in Iraq are fulfilling their duty to their nation and to us, their fellow citizens. It's wrong that we are not doing the same for them.

Radarlady

I thought it was a bad ad for different reasons, but this is just another example of NeoDems trying to pretend they're tough campaigners with principles -- and then turning tail at the first "BOO!".

It's no wonder why ordinary Democrats would rather give their hard earned money to Dean to rebuild the party from the ground up rather than to career cravens like Emmanuel.

Edwards and Spratt blew it for the DCCC. If they had kept their mouths shut, or actually gone on the offesive against the republicans (like TR told Taft, "Don't answer the charges, ATTACK!) then the republicans would have had nothing. The fact that some in the media acted like this was a big deal without showing the same kind of outrage or whatever to Rove's repeated promises to USE the war on terror for political advantage (and for outing a CIA agent too!) shows how low we are right now. Our democracy is very very sick.

DCCC chickens - there was nothing wrong with the ad.

I received an email and donated to support this campaign only to learn moments later that DCCC pulled it. By pulling the ad, the Dems have legitimized the Republican's claim that showing the coffins defamed our soldiers.

Why are these Dem's so blind to Republican tactics. Why could they not have shouted loud that the soldiers were defamed by Bush's lies? Even Tucker Carlson said the argument was false and that the coffins should be shown.