`SOUTH PARK' TAKEOFF FUELS DONATIONS

Libertarian candidate Steve Kubby says Davis, Lungren `killed
Kenny'

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Dude, Kenny is dead, and Dan Lungren and Gray
Davis did it.

Animated images of the leading candidates for California governor
knock off the ``South Park'' kid in an ad that parodies the popular
Comedy Central cartoon. The spot started airing Wednesday on cable
television.

The ad for Steve Kubby, the Libertarian candidate for governor, is
running on Century Communications cable channels across the state, and
donations have started pouring in because of it, said Kubby campaign
manager Gene Cisewski on Thursday.

The ad opens with animated figures attached to head shots of Lungren
and Davis at a debate and follows with scenes of the cartoon children
grousing over the similarities between the Republican and Democrat.

Then, a Kubby character enters and is told he can't participate
because he doesn't have $40 million. Kubby and other minor-party
candidates were not invited to the four Lungren-Davis debates.

Kubby earns rave reviews from the children, including Kenny -- who
dies in every episode of ``South Park.'' Davis and Lungren, meanwhile,
rip out an IV from Kenny's arm that has the number ``215'' written on
it, killing him.

Proposition 215 was a medical marijuana initiative backed by Kubby and
passed by voters.

Because the ad is a parody, Cisewski said the candidate didn't need to
get permission from the creators of ``South Park.'' While the ad looks
strikingly like the original show, all the work was done by Kubby
campaign volunteers, he said.

Checked-by: Rich O'Grady