BRASILIA, Brazil, May 7 (UPI) -- Brazil's ruling Workers' Party struck back in a nighttime ad blitz following its resounding defeat in the Congress earlier this week.
Appealing to the millions of Brazilians who tune into the nation's popular evening "novelas," or soap operas, Workers' Party, or PT, ministers bragged during commercial breaks Thursday night about the accomplishments of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during his first 16 months of office compared to the work of his predecessor, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, in 8 years.
The commercials were a coordinated response to the PT's resounding defeat earlier this week in the Congress, where lawmakers struck Lula on two fronts, rejecting both his bingo-parlor ban and newly-set minimum wage.
Opposition lawmakers were not impressed with the message, according to Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper, charging that Lula was too focused on what happened in the past to address Brazil's current dilemmas.
"The Lula administration is a prisoner of the past ... without offering direction, an agenda or projects for the people," said a statement released by one opposition party.
