GOP Congressional Candidate Deletes Foley Beheading Video from TV Attack Ad
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iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — In one of the most provocative TV ads of the midterm election season, a GOP congressional candidate in Arizona briefly used part of an Islamic State execution video to attack the Democratic incumbent’s national security record.
Under heavy criticism, retired Air Force pilot Wendy Rogers deleted that portion of the ad from TV spots but let the original version stand in a private YouTube setting.
Initially, Rogers’ TV commercial began with a hooded ISIS militant standing over American journalist James Foley, moments before he is beheaded.
Throughout the ad, Rogers alleged that Democratic Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema has not done enough to bolster national security.
In fact, Rogers, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, goes as far to say that Sinema, voted to “give terrorists full legal rights under the Constitution” and supported a measure “to allow Guantanamo terrorists to return to their countries.”
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee first responded with a statement that said, “It is reprehensible and unbecoming of anyone seeking elected office to use the footage of an American tragedy for political gain, and Wendy Rogers should remove this ad immediately and apologize to Mr. Foley’s family.”
Although the TV version is now edited, DCCC spokesman Tyrone Gayle said the fact that Rogers hasn’t removed the ad from YouTube is indicative of “flawed judgment.”
The race in Arizona’s 9th Congressional District is one of the most closely watched in the U.S.
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