Dust flies over Bush 9-11 picture

WASHINGTON, May 14 (UPI) -- The Republican Party's use of a photograph of President Bush aboard Air Force One -- just after the 9-11 attacks -- for a fundraising event sent political fur flying Tuesday, with Democrats accusing Republicans of "groteseque" exploitation of tragedy.

The White House and Congressional Republicans shot back that use of the photograph, taken by a White House photographer and distributed to the press, was legitimate use.

"The Democrats are just frustrated and upset because the most famous picture of President Clinton is him wagging his finger at the television screen and being untruthful with the American people," added Carl Forti, deputy communications director for the Republican National Congressional Committee, told United Press International.

The committee, together with its Senate counterpart, plan a joint gala fundraiser next month. Mailers to potential donors and attendees offer the photograph, together with two others of the president, to those donating particular sums of money to attend the event to fatten coffers.

According to White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer, the decision to use the photograph of President Bush speaking on the telephone with Vice President Dick Cheney was made without White House knowledge or imput.

"The White House was generally aware of the fact they wanted to use pictures for fundraising purposes, and no objections were raised," he added.

As well as the Air Force One photograph are two others: President Bush at his inauguration, and giving his State of the Union address to Congress.

"And each of the pictures is a representation of the president of the United States doing his job for the American people. And I think that it's an event for the party committees to decide if they want to make those pictures available to their contributors they have that right to do so. These pictures represent the president at work for the country."

Not to hear the Democrats tell it.

"The Congressional Republicans to sell an historical photograph of President Bush talking to Vice President Cheney on September 11 is nothing short of grotesque," Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe said in a written statement. " We know it's the Republicans' strategy to use the war for political gain, but I would hope that even the most cynical partisan operative would have cowered at the notion of exploiting the September 11 tragedy in this way.

"White House photographs are meant to create, present and document a real time historical record. This potentially illegal misuse of a White House photograph is incredibly disrespectful to the families of the thousands of Americans who lost their lives just hours before this photo was taken.

The White House said the photograph was given to the media for use, as is common practice. One of the outlets then gave it to a commercial photo vendor.

The dust up erupted just hours before President Bush was to attend a GOP Presidential Gala in Washington, from which the party hopes to raise $32 million, surpassing the roughly $25 million President Clinton and Vice President Gore had raised at a barbeque event.

According to the Republican National Committee, who is legally challenging campaign financing legislation passed earlier this year and signed into law by the president, about 2,500 people are expected to attend the black-tie event, at the cost of $1,500 per head.