Bridgewater agrees to pull ads implying Bush backing

WASHINGTON — The Republican National Committee has asked 2nd District House candidate Tim Bridgewater to "cease and desist" pushing ads and press releases that could imply President Bush has endorsed him.

Bridgewater said he is pulling materials the RNC dislikes but insists he never implied an endorsement by listing ties he has to Bush.

"Those ties are factual and representative of a close relationship with the Bush family, but I have not implied that he supports me over any other opponent," Bridgewater said.

Meanwhile, Bridgewater accused fellow GOP opponent John Swallow of pushing the RNC to make the damaging admonition just before this week's State Republican Convention.

Swallow denies that. "I'm sorry Tim is pointing the finger at me," he said.

The state convention on Saturday will narrow the field of GOP candidates in the 2nd District to either a single nominee with at least 60 percent support from convention delegates, or to two candidates who would face off in a June primary.

Bridgewater and Swallow also face Salt Lake County Councilman David Wilde at the convention. Incumbent Rep. Jim Matheson is unopposed for the Democratic nomination — and has amassed a large fund-raising lead over the Republicans as they fight each other.

The Deseret Morning News obtained a copy of a letter written by RNC attorney Charles R. Spies complaining to Bridgewater that a campaign radio ad and a press release "refer to President Bush in a way that could create the misleading impression that President Bush supports your campaign. . . .

"Please cease and desist from referring to President Bush in any of your campaign advertisements and/or materials (such as press releases) in a manner that could imply that President Bush supports your campaign."

Bridgewater said he had reported helping Bush initiatives and campaigns, including raising $800,000 for Bush and his brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. He said that gave him the rank of "pioneer" among Bush fund-raisers in 2000 and 2004, and led to meetings with the president including a GOP strategy session in Atlanta last month.

Bridgewater said his campaign told a Western regional staffer for the RNC earlier about its plans to list such ties in ads, "and he said he saw nothing wrong with that."

Bridgewater said Spies told him on the phone that "your opponent" had sent him scripts from ads and the press release the RNC apparently decided went too far.

But Swallow said neither he nor his campaign complained to the RNC.

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E-mail: lee@desnews.com