TS - Gallegos Super Bowl ad may backfire

Gallegos Super Bowl ad may backfire

Dave Rosso The Times-Standard
Article Last Updated: Tuesday, February 03, 2004 - 6:41:15 AM PST

ARCATA -- District Attorney Paul Gallegos' Super Bowl campaign ad may have brought some unwanted attention to the man featured in it.

Kirk Rose, a combat veteran and personal friend of Gallegos, starred in a commercial that aired at the end of the third quarter of the Super Bowl Sunday.

The former Marine is rehabilitating from an injury while his unit, the 870th Military Police Co., is in Iraq. He and his wife, Laurie, appeared in the 30-second spot.

The Roses said they've been friends with Gallegos for eight years. The recall effort, they believe, is politically motivated and plays on people's fears.

"It became a slap in the face of what I consider a true democracy," Kirk Rose said.

The problem appears to be how Rose appeared in the commercial. He was wearing his uniform.
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Military regulations state that the wearing of the uniform is prohibited "during or in connection with the furtherance of political activities, private employment or commercial interests, when an inference of official sponsorship for the activity or interest could be drawn."

Former members of the armed forces can wear their uniforms for military funerals, memorial services, weddings, inaugurations, parades on national or state holidays or other ceremonies "of patriotic character in which any active or reserve U.S. military unit is taking part." The regulation adds, for former members, "Wearing of the uniform or any part thereof at any other time or for any other purpose is prohibited."

Richard Salzman, Gallegos' campaign manager, said the people who produced the cut were unaware of the regulation and "now that we are aware, we are not going to run it any more." Salzman said, "We very possibly may reshoot the ad with him without the uniform."

Attempts to contact Rose were unsuccessful.

"What burns me is while we're trying to defend democracy over there (Iraq), a corporation is trying to buy an election here," Rose says during the commercial.

Rose is referring to the Pacific Lumber Co.'s heavy involvement in the Campaign to Recall Paul Gallegos. Most of the company's critics and those opposing the recall believe PL wants Gallegos recalled because his office filed a massive lawsuit against the company last year.

PL has denied the allegation, saying the reason it has funded the vast majority of the recall effort is to give citizens concerned that Gallegos is soft on crime a chance to elect another district attorney.