| Home | White House miffed about APTA ad of Clinton using crutchesposted 6-9-97 White House officials said the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) went too far when it used photos of President Clinton on crutches in an ad in the June 2 issue of USA Today without seeking authorization. The full-page advertisement featured photos of the president sitting in a wheelchair and using the crutches he relied on after seriously injuring his knee. The text read, "President Clinton has always been able to talk the talk. Now, thanks to physical therapists, he can again walk the walk." White House officials fired off a letter to the APTA reminding the association that all images of Clinton used in ads must be formally approved. Officials said that while the gist of the ad’s message is accurate, the APTA must obey press rules. "The president is very happy with the care he’s received from his entire team of doctors" and therapists, said White House spokesperson April Mellody. "But our office always has concerns when the president’s image is used as an endorsement, regardless of the merits." The APTA will not seek authorization for future ads since the ad was "one-time only ... not part of any series or of any long-term campaign," said APTA spokesperson Alexis B. Waters. Waters described the White House rebuke as "mild" and said the ad depicted therapists and their patients in a positive light. "We saw the ad as a unique opportunity to educate the public about the benefits of physical therapy and how it can accelerate rehabilitation," Waters said. "We also saw it as a way to salute the president for sticking to his regime of exercise that moved him from wheelchair to crutches to cane, and then onto the White House putting green." Related Sites
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