Bush is
peddling shit again:
Democratic presidential candidate Gen. Wesley Clark's spokesman on Friday criticized as "bizarre" a fund-raising pitch for President Bush that seemed to question a visit by Clark to Europe, where he testified against ex-Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic.
The e-mail letter, sent by Bush reelection campaign manager Ken Mehlman and dated on Thursday, accuses Democratic presidential candidates of "raising foreign cash to attack our president."
It goes on to say, "Wesley Clark, who was in Europe when Saddam Hussein was captured, criticized the president this week and said that rather than going after Saddam, he would have let the United Nations continue to seek the dictator's cooperation."
Bennett said the Clark campaign considered the reference to Clark being in Europe as a sideswipe against Bush's potential opponent. "We don't know why the Bush allies would question Gen. Clark's participation in a trial against a murderous despot," Clark spokesman Matt Bennett told Reuters.
The implication is clear -- Europe is evil. And Clark was in Europe. Therefore he is evil. Pretty lame, but indicative of how far the administration will go to smear our guys. Clark was testifying against a brutal dictator, in coordination with the Bush state department, and his campaign uses it to smear the general. Damn.
It just goes to show that neither Clark nor Dean will be immune from the smear attempts from the Right. Either will get hit (as would any of the other Dems if they somehow pulled a nomination out of their ---). That's why we have to fight back collectively.
The Bush fundraising letter also brings up the spectre of the evil foreigners corrupting our elections:
The new letter said, "Democrats will do or say anything to defeat our president, wild accusations, reckless conspiracy theories and now raising money from foreign anti-American activists."
"Web sites for Wesley Clark and Howard Dean direct visitors from outside the United States to liberal fund-raising Web sites, where foreign donors can pledge money to fund left-wing efforts to defeat President Bush," it said. Foreign donations directly to campaigns are prohibited.
Bush campaign spokesman Scott Stanzel declined to comment, other than to say, "We certainly stand by our letter."
See? They're going after both Clark and Dean.
Funny how the Bush campaign won't provide evidence for their accusations. Typical -- they make shit up knowing that schmuck reporters will regurgitate the accusations without finding supporting evidence.
That's why unity is important. And it doesn't have to be lockstep unity.
In my family, I might criticize my brother, he my mother, and my mother might criticize me. A lot. All of the time. But if anyone outside of our family criticizes any of us, we close ranks fast.
I am under no illusions that we won't continue criticizing ourselves until our nominee is chosen (and probably beyond). But when a Republican attacks any of our guys? It's time to close ranks.