Firefighters on front line in Kerry's campaign By David Postman, Seattle Times
When images of firefighters at Ground Zero flashed in the first TV spots of President Bush's re-election campaign, criticism came quickly from the union representing firefighters, which charged that the president was trading on their bravery for political gain.
The International Association of Fire Fighters is quick to protect the image of its 255,000 members, particularly post-Sept. 11. But last week's call from the IAFF for Bush to cancel the ads also signals the high-profile role firefighters will play in the 2004 presidential election as backers of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.