Doing the right thing

[Mavdog]

One of the candidates for President has the integrity to speak out against the scurilous attack ads, and it's not George Bush.
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Kerry calls interest group's anti-Bush ad inappropriate
At McCain's request, he faults spot criticizing rival's military service

Associated Press

WASHINGTON – John Kerry on Tuesday condemned a television ad that criticizes President Bush's Vietnam-era service in the Texas Air National Guard, even as prominent veterans linked to the Democratic presidential campaign echoed the commercial's accusations.

Mr. Bush's campaign accused Mr. Kerry of hypocrisy.

Republican Sen. John McCain had called on Mr. Kerry earlier Tuesday to denounce the liberal interest group MoveOn.org's new ad, which accuses Mr. Bush of using family connections to avoid the Vietnam War.

Mr. McCain, a decorated Vietnam veteran, had also called on Mr. Bush two weeks ago to condemn an ad by the interest group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth that accused Mr. Kerry of fabricating his Vietnam War record. The MoveOn ad also urges Mr. Bush to condemn the anti-Kerry ad.

The White House has declined to denounce that ad. Mr. Kerry quickly accepted the Arizona senator's challenge concerning the anti-Bush ad.

"I agree with Senator McCain that the ad is inappropriate," Mr. Kerry said in a written statement. "This should be a campaign of issues, not insults."

Hours earlier at a news conference organized by Mr. Kerry's campaign, two veterans, retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark and retired Adm. Stansfield Turner, accused Mr. Bush of using family ties to get out of combat.

Mr. Kerry served and fought, said Gen. Clark, a former presidential candidate. "The other man scrambled and used his family's influence to get out of hearing a shot fired in anger."

At the same news conference, Jim Rassmann, who credits Mr. Kerry with saving his life in Vietnam, noted that Mr. Kerry has said Mr. Bush served honorably.

The Kerry campaign did not criticize Gen. Clark and Adm. Turner.

"Those are veterans who earned the right to their opinion," spokeswoman Debra DeShong said. "John Kerry speaks for John Kerry."

Bush spokesman Steve Schmidt said Mr. Kerry can't have it both ways. "It's yet one more example of John Kerry saying one thing and doing another. John Kerry condemns the ad, then John Kerry turns the campaign's top surrogate loose to repeat the baseless charges that are in the ad."

Mr. McCain, in an interview with The Associated Press, called the MoveOn ad "totally inappropriate" and a disservice to members of the National Guard who are "fighting and dying in Iraq."

Asked whether he wanted Mr. Kerry to condemn the ad, Mr. McCain replied, "Yes. It's the same line of scurrilous attack" leveled against Mr. Kerry two weeks ago.