Isn’t it interesting that several people who lost someone on Sept. 11 were able to respond so quickly to the president’s ad featuring 9/11 images?


You’d almost think…


It seems obvious that the firefighters union that has endorsed Kerry and is protesting the ad is doing so for cynical reasons.


But why was Bush insider Karen Hughes explaining on TV why featuring images from that fateful day meet and right sounding so defensive last night?


The proper tone for replying to trumped up charges the president is ‘using’ Sept. 11 for his campaign is gimme a break.


For anybody who somehow needs arguments that the Bush campaign is entitled to talk about what happened during the past four years and what Bush did in response, however, the New York Post has a good one.


A few tidbits:


‘No doubt some sensitive souls will be offended by the imagery in the ads.


‘And that’s regrettable.


‘But most of the outrage so far has been manufactured – churned out in bulk by the spewmeisters at Moveon.Org, related left-wing crank factories and a tabloid fellow traveler.


‘It won’t work.’


But we should be calling the feigned indignation what it is: really exploiting 9/11.


But that’s what happens in politics.


The response should be strong enough to put the other guys in a defensive posture.