Breast Cancer Survivor Responds to McCain Complaints

The breast cancer survivor who starred in an attack ad accusing John McCain of indifference to women_s health issues today defended her effort on behalf of George W. Bush. The Bush campaign is airing a radio ad in New York state that accuses McCain of opposing breast cancer research. Today, Geri Barish, the woman who narrated the controversial spot, defended the attack in an interview with ABCNEWS. “I didn_t do it for political reasons,” insisted Barish, president of the region_s largest breast cancer research advocacy group. “I never said he was against breast cancer [research] … I talked about specific issues that were in his press releases.” In the script prepared by the Bush campaign, Barish says McCain_s record on women_s health issues is “shocking.” “McCain opposes funding for vital breast cancer programs right here in New York,” she says in the ad. The two programs mentioned in the ad — one at New York University and another at the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health Center — are listed on McCain’s campaign Web site as “garden variety pork.” “[H]e’s the man who said, ‘I’m going to eliminate pork,’” Bush argued Sunday on ABCNEWS’ This Week, “and we just laid out three of the programs he said would eliminate. And he needs to stand by what he says.”