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From: Bart (129.171.32.13)
Anti-Kerry Campaign Group Has Strong Ties to Bush, Rove President Bush and a top adviser have long-standing ties to people behind advertisements claiming Sen. John Kerry lied about his war record, but the Bush camp still claims it had nothing to do with the smear campaign. "We weren't involved in any way in these ads," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan, who in a new line of attack said Bush's Democratic rival had been "losing his cool" over the accusations. Kerry said on Thursday that a group called the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth was "a front for the Bush campaign" funded by hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Republican contributor in Texas, Bush's home state. McClellan said Kerry had been "angry" about the advertising campaign and Bush campaign chairman Marc Racicot said in an interview on CNN that he looked "wild-eyed" talking about it. Kerry campaign spokesman David Wade responded tersely to McClellan's comments on Friday. "Maybe if George Bush had seen combat up close his hired gun mouthpiece wouldn't be so flip about the dishonest and dishonorable attack funded by the President's Texas pals," he said. The latest comments made by McClellan and Racicot were similar to those Bush's allies used to portray Sen. John McCain as "unstable" and temperamental in the 2000 race for the Republican nomination. McClellan described the Republican donor, Bob Perry, as "a supporter" of the president, and acknowledged Perry's personal ties with Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove. "But that still shouldn't be used to draw any connection there because we have not been involved in this ad whatsoever," McClellan said. WAR RECORDS Kerry cites his Vietnam War experience to make the case for his strength as a military leader. His supporters frequently contrast his record with that of Bush, who spent the war in the United States serving in the Texas Air National Guard. The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth said earlier on Friday that it would launch a new round of television ads next week with spots in three states where Kerry has touted his military service. The White House has declined to specifically condemn the Swift Boat commercials. It has instead challenged Kerry to join Bush in calling for an end to all ads funded by unrestricted donations, including those questioning Bush's service in the National Guard. Kerry has condemned one of those ads, but McClellan says his campaign has actively fueled some of the attacks. Perry has contributed $200,000 to Swift Boat Veterans, according to an analysis by Texans for Public Justice, a non-partisan research organization that tracks money in Texas politics. Records show Perry is also a long-time Bush supporter. He contributed $46,000 to Bush's 1994 and 1998 campaigns for Texas governor, and has contributed the maximum allowable $2,000 to Bush's current reelection. Perry also worked with Rove as early as 1986 when Perry served as campaign treasurer for Republican gubernatorial candidate William Clements and Rove served as a campaign consultant and fundraiser, Texans for Public Justice said. Perry was the largest single contributor to the Texas Republican Party during the 2002 election cycle, giving $905,000.
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