Requests from the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) to the Bush campaign to shut down a John Kerry parody on its Web site that uses the word “Olympics” were not answered, according to the Associated Press.
USOC spokesman Darryl Seibel said the USOC contacted lawyers from the Bush campaign last week, and again Thursday, to request the cartoon game “John Kerry’s Flip Flop Olympics”, be removed from the Web site. The game asks players to guess Kerry’s stances on issues and a “judging panel” consisting of Dr. Howard Dean and Senators Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy gives players a score based on their guesses.
Seibel said the use of the word “Olympics” is barred under a federal law that makes the USOC the only entity in the United States authorized to use Olympic marks and terms.
He said, “this has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with the responsibilities vested with the USOC by the Amateur Sports Act”.
Seibel said Bush attorney Jason Torchinsky “explained that other more pressing matters had take priority but promised to respond”.
In August the Bush campaign refused a request by the USOC to pull a television ad that mentioned the Olympics. Campaign spokesman Scott Stanzel said airing the ads didn’t break any laws.
