Speaking at Woodrow Wilson High School in Los Angeles about the importance of education in America, Senator John Kerry was met by the husband and wife creative team behind the "Deck of Bush" and "Deck of Republican Chickenhawks" political playing cards.
LOS ANGELES, CA (PRWEB) May 10, 2004 -- Speaking at Woodrow Wilson High School in Los Angeles about the importance of education in America, Senator John Kerry was pleasantly surprised to meet Jerry and Lisa Vasilatos, the husband and wife creative team behind the "Deck of Bush" and "Deck of Republican Chickenhawks" playing cards. The couple's two decks, which cite 54 reasons not to re-elect George Bush and identify the 53 pro-war Republicans who rallied for war but dodged service, have been a hot political novelty in select bookstores across the country and are also available for purchase online at: www.deckofbush.com and www.chickenhawkcards.com.
Handing him a "Deck of Bush" pack, Lisa Vasilatos told the senator "My husband and I created these to help you win the election." Smiling, Kerry responded "Really? You did these? We have these don't we?" Vasilatos replied that they had indeed sent some previously, and that they had also just given some to his wife Teresa whom they had met just moments before. The couple also handed out individual cards to crowd members attending the event, all of whom were excited that someone had finally taken the initiative to create an item that both educated and entertained voters.
With presidential campaigns spawning a cottage industry of activist related items designed to endorse different candidates and agendas, Lisa, who is an actress, and Jerry, who is a filmmaker, created their controversial anti-conservative playing cards last year. They do all order fulfillment by themselves out of their small office in Los Angeles. So far, they have sold more than 5,500 "Republican Chickenhawk" decks and are now filling orders for the "Deck of Bush." With the information they contain identifying the failures of the Bush administration, each card in the deck references a news source backing up each fact.
"Both of our decks function in the same way that the Pentagon's "Iraqi Most Wanted" cards do, but in this case, they relate to conservative politicians and failed presidential policies that effect citizens, children, veterans, and the members of our armed forces." Jerry says. Every card contains a quote or news item so that people can look up the facts themselves and understand why this President and the representatives surrounding him should not be re-elected."
The couple has also begun documenting their efforts on video, hoping to collect enough footage to produce a documentary about their experiences as they promote their cards and interact with voters at rallies and other events thoughout the election year.
The couple utilized the four suits of the deck to identify the most pressing issues of the upcoming election year:
"The Spades in the deck reveal the President's alliance with the extreme right, special interests, claims he served in the military when he was actually AWOL and the fiasco in Florida where his allies helped seal his theft of the presidency. Hearts describe Bush's budget slashes that effect children, families, veterans, health care and the victimized families of 9/11. Diamonds recount the cronyism, corruption and sweetheart deals granted to big campaign contributors and corporate interests while U.S. citizens foot the tax burden. Clubs cover the war in Iraq resulting in thousands of combined U.S. and Iraqi casualties while the U.S. credibility hangs in the balance regarding the unfound "Weapons of Mass Destruction." As for the Jokers, they expose Bush's biggest failures regarding the "War on Terror" and the security of all Americans.
"As the Pentagon's "Iraqi Most Wanted" cards proved, there's no better way to "out" the enemy than to depict it on a deck of cards," says Vasilatos. "The playing card phenomenon has become a great way to educate and inform people in an entertaining way. We believe our deck provides a great resource for Democratic, Progressive and Moderate activists to identify why regime change must begin at home this November, and hope that they can help Senator Kerry's efforts at replacing President Bush and restoring the honor and integrity of this country."
The "House of Cards: Deck of Bush" can be viewed online at www.deckofbush.com. The "Deck of Republican Chickenhawks" can be viewed online at www.chickenhawkcards.com.
Media Note: For more information, sample card decks, or to schedule an interview, please contact Jerry Vasilatos at: 323-468-8089.
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