Buchanan Ad Under Fire

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Some New Hampshire voters are calling for Pat Buchanan to pull a new television ad that juxtaposes him with clips of the 1986 Challenger space shuttle explosion. The commercial shows the candidate at Ronald Reagan’s side when the former president consoled a shocked nation. But it appears to have been a poor choice for New Hampshire, which remains particularly sensitive about the tragedy since Christa McAuliffe, a Concord school teacher, was among those killed. A defensive Buchanan aide said the candidate has not yet decided whether to yank the spot, a montage that also features the ex-speechwriter flanking President Nixon. “The goal of our ad,” the aide said, “was to show that through good time and bad, Mr. Buchanan was there next to these two great men (Nixon and Reagan) helping them shape the future of this country.”