used phone calls to spread a whisper campaign that he had a -- a reference to mccain's adopted dautfrr bangladesh. lee atwater's techniques played a huge role in 1988 when he was campaign manager for george bush 41. atwater was the guy who helped champion those ads about michael dukakis' message -- massachusetts prison furlough program that truned dukakis that year. >> and who knows thoum times willie horton's scowling, angry face of a killer was televised? absolutely for free. >> there's a story about a fella named willie horton. >> willie horton. >> convicted murderer. >> first degree -- >> convicted murderer -- >> killer. chris: atwater denying any role to less had i stall. >> you think the willie horton commercial, though, gives hints of racial politics? >> -- chris: you don't have a willie -- >> you don't have a willie horton commercial on the air? >> no. >> you don't have an ad on the air about the crime issue? >> no. chris: lee atwater died of brain cancer in 1991 and apologized for his tactics before his death including a direct apology to michael dukakis for what lee himself called his n