SwiftVets.com

[justamom]

As Kerry denounced the criticism as "lies about my record," aides privately acknowledged that they and their boss had been slow to recognize the damage being done to his political standing.

Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt said the charge that Bush was in league with the group criticizing Kerry's war record "is absolutely and completely false. The Bush campaign has never and will never question John Kerry's service in Vietnam."

Yet the White House refused to condemn the ad questioning Kerry's war record.

"Let's not be selective here," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said in Crawford, Texas, where Bush is spending the next week. McClellan said Bush has been on the receiving end of more than $62 million in negative, false attacks by independent groups and "the president has condemned all of the ads," both those that criticize him and those that go after Kerry.

In a campaign shadowed by the war on terrorism and in Iraq, Kerry's valorous combat experience is a cornerstone of his campaign. After using the Democratic National Convention to improve his poll ratings on national security, Kerry remained silent as the criticism led to growing indications - much of it anecdotal, some in polling, party officials say - that his gains were eroding.

Knowing several news organizations, including the Post, were investigating the claims of anti-Kerry veterans, the Democratic campaign swung into action late Wednesday - rewriting the candidate's speech to a firefighters' union overnight, flying two of his swift boat colleagues to Boston and producing a new campaign commercial, despite earlier plans to stay off the air until September.

Kerry advisers said they had heard from several Democratic politicians that voters were starting to ask questions about the candidate's war record. The politicians urged him to fight back. Internally, there was an initial reluctance from senior advisers for Kerry to respond - because they believed that Bush would condemn the critical ad, or that the allegations would blow over.

As for the candidate himself, this was personal, aides said. He had heard the group was raising money for more ads, and was tired of his integrity being assaulted.

Kerry aides said they will maintain the offensive through surrogates, if not Kerry himself. Democrats welcomed the response.

"Out of desperation, the Bush campaign has picked the wrong fight with the wrong veteran," said Jim Jordan, former Kerry campaign manager who now runs an outside group airing ads against Bush. "Today's the start of the mother of all backlashes."

There is no irrefutable evidence that the group is a front for Bush or that MoveOn.org is a front for Kerry, though there are at least slender ties between the groups' major donors and both campaigns.

[LewWaters]

[Ladder Yankee 33]

Will JFK's words "Bring It On!" be his downfall like Daddy Bush's "Read My Lips - No New Taxes!" Me thinks YES!
_________________
"Win the Delta Come Hell or High Water!"
RivDiv11, RAS111, T-111-9, RM3 11/68-11/69

[Beatrice1000]

[Dimsdale]

Sadly, much as in Vietnam and afterwards, Kerry still doesn't know who his real "enemy" is! Why pick on Bush when O'Neill is champing at the bit for a debate?

[neverforget]

>>"The mother of all backlashes." Where have we heard something like that before, Mr. Saddam Jim Jordan?