Kerry, Bush Escalate Battle Over Vietnam Ads

[0rion]

By Carol Giacomo and Adam Entous

FORT MYERS, Fla./CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - Democrat John Kerry asked the Federal Election Commission on Friday to force Republican critics to withdraw ads challenging his military service and accused the Bush campaign of illegally helping coordinate the attacks as the presidential race took a decidedly bitter turn.

Bush's campaign advisers denied any involvement in advertisements by the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, and the White House, in a new line of attack, criticized Kerry for "losing his cool" over the accusations.

Kerry, Bush escalate Battle Over Vietnam Ads

[deminflorida]

1. The Kerry Campaign needs to enlist the help of Wes Clark...

and others and start spending money on Ads, press conferences, etc....
and put the IRAQ WAR back front and center of the election.

Money wasted, Lives wasted, go and film the permanently injured vets at VA hospitals....

Get to the point, get back to the real issues and put the disaster front page and center of the election during the GOP convention.

[0rion]

2. I think the Kerry campaign needs to have a National Guard Vets against....

Bush campaign or 527 movement to dish up dirty campaign ads for Kerry.

[central scrutinizer]

6. 100% agreement

Fuck this 35 year old shit - every day spent on this is one day not spent covering the disaster of the Bushco presidency: Iraq lies, sleeping at the wheel on 9/11. record deficits, bribery, extortion, no-bid ripoff contracts, Abu Ghraib, 2 million lost jobs, etc.

[yardwork]

3. Please rate this article - it's getting lost on yahoo news now

and it's a good article. It summarizes the damning evidence linking Perry to BushCo.

I'm impressed with Kerry's approach on this. By launching a counter-attack, he's doing several things at once.

1. He's reminding people how silly this whole thing is compared to what is happening in Iraq, which pulls the teeth right out of the Swift Boat Liars.

2. He's signalling that he will not be pushed around by BushCo, which makes Kerry look strong.

3. He's put BushCo back on the defensive on an issue that they can't win when the facts are laid out on the table.

4. By creating news of his own with the lawsuit, it ensures that the media will present Kerry's side of this issue.

I applaud the strategy that Kerry is using. The more people who get annoyed with this issue, the better. The annoyance will come home to roost right at BushCo's door.

[Hornito]

4. Tonight, on CBS News, the reporter said that Kerry...

challenged Bush, by saying that if the Republicans keep up with the slime (my words), it will be time to visit why Bush went AWOL, and then deserted (again, my words).

No better time than now John. I think the country deserves the truth, ...something we didn't get in the last election. This is the nastiest bunch of political detritus this nation has ever seen, and they have no morals, no compunctions, and no class. They are also desperate, with polls showing Kerry at 60% or so. It's a dangerous, and yet exciting time.

This election, is for ALL the marbles.....

[0rion]

5. That's what I say! He shouldn't give any warning, just cut loose with....

the AWOL attacks.

I want to produce my own Kerry Campaign ad, I should create a 527 organization and produce CUT THROAT ANTI=BUSH Ads!

[JoeMemphis]

7. Kerry needs to get back to talking about jobs, health care, etc.

Every minute he's letting the Swiftboat Veterans for Bush control the national conversation, the better Bush looks in comparison.

Talking about irrelevant issues in the election = Bush wins

Talk about jobs, health care, national security = Kerry wins

Someone please tell Kerry to get his focus back and quit letting the Swiftboat Liars set the agenda!