Term Limits Showdown Goes Commercial Nethercutt, National Group Snap Up Television Time To Tell Their Stories

With nearly 17 months before the election, Rep. George Nethercutt and a term limits organization already are spending thousands of dollars on their war of words over his decision to seek a fourth term.

So freely, in fact, that U.S. Term Limits wasn’t able to buy as many commercials as it wanted on Spokane television stations. There just isn’t enough time available for sale.

The messages aren’t new. They’re just being presented in 30- or 60-second installments on a television screen or spread across an entire page of a newspaper.

Nethercutt, who announced Sunday he has changed his mind about only serving three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, spent $33,500 this week for 81 commercials that explain and defend his decision.

The one-minute commercials show Nethercutt looking into the camera or talking with supporters while he repeats the themes of his Sunday announcement. He says he made a mistake when he promised to serve only six years and notes that a national term limits law has not yet passed. He adds that he wants to continue working on such issues as Social Security and education.

“I’m worried whether our district should be term-limited when others in Congress are not,” he says. “And I’m running enthusiastically, despite attacks from people outside our district.”

That’s a reference to U.S. Term Limits, a national organization based in Washington, D.C., but with a local chapter.

The national group fired back late this week with its own series of 30-second and 10-second commercials. A 30-second ad features eight people who, one after another, push the message that Nethercutt should have stuck by his 1994 pledge to serve only three terms.

“I’m disappointed,” says one. “I was a Nethercutt supporter, but I can’t stand by a man who won’t keep his word.”

U.S. Term Limits also spent nearly $5,000 for a full-page ad in Wednesday’s Spokesman-Review, which suggests a new word, “nethercutt” should be added to the dictionary as a synonym for going back on one’s word.

The group spent $26,225 securing 75 commercial slots on two of Spokane’s network affiliates. Representatives of both KXLY and KREM said they couldn’t sell the group as many commercials as it wanted to buy because they didn’t have the time available.

KHQ-TV is still working with the group to determine how many slots are available.

“I’ve never seen (political ads) this early,” said Kirby McKee, who handles such commercials for KXLY-TV. “It’ll get worse before it gets better.”

This sidebar appeared with the story: BY THE NUMBERS VALUE OF EXPOSURE Rep. George Nethercutt spent $33,500 this week for 81 commercials that explain and defend his decision to run for a fourth term. U.S. Term Limits, a national group campaigning against Nethercutt, spent $26,225 securing 75 commercial slots.