Democrats Raise Money For Kerry/Edwards Ads

Democratic activists in Arkansas are working to raise $100,000 to take out radio ads on behalf of John Kerry. The Democrats, mostly from central Arkansas, are planning a media blitz featuring home-grown personalities they believe could be more effective than the candidate himself. The plan calls for the ads to feature former U-S Senator Dale Bumpers, retired Army General Wesley Clark and former Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater. The ads are to run in the final weeks before the November second general election. The Democratic Party of Arkansas, and not the Kerry campaign, will coordinate the media buy. Late last month, the Kerry campaign scrapped plans for a five (m) million-dollar advertising blitz beginning the first week of October in Arkansas and other states. Kerry`s advisers concluded Kerry wasn`t doing well enough in Arkansas and in Arizona, Louisiana and Missouri to justify the cost. A Republican spokesman says the in-state media effort is a further sign that Kerry has written off Arkansas.