September 10, 2007
Posted: 12:00 PM ET

MoveOn.org slammed Petraeus in a full page New York Times ad.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – A liberal advocacy group's print ad attacking Gen. David Petraeus drew a firestorm of criticism from both sides of the aisle on Monday.

The ad, running in Monday's edition of the New York Times, shows a picture of Petraeus. Bold letters spell out "General Petraeus or General Betray us?"

Moveon.org Political Action, which paid for the ad, accuses Petraeus of "cooking the books for the White House" on progress being made in Iraq and calls him "a military man constantly at war with the facts."

Full story

Filed under: Iraq


Darrell Cummings Blacksburg, SC   September 11th, 2007 11:30 pm ET

the real problem is senate Or congress does not recognize Treason and Betrayal, and still won't, This Corporate War is out of hand!. How many senators & congressmen are NOT INCORPORATED, getting close to the answer??????

Kevin Hayden, Eugene, Oregon   September 11th, 2007 4:52 am ET

Purists and Pollyannas can simplify everything to fit their POV, but that's debating on the cheap.

I'm a liberal. I don't feel compelled to prove who I support or not I recall an old saying: "the more he professed his honesty, the faster we counted the silverware." It certainly applies to those who claim that patriotism is a lemming-like commitment to identical beliefs.

I've been around military personnel for half my life.. I've seen plenty of idiots and dishonorable people in uniform. And plenty more who weren't.

Petraeus was selected to command because he remained in a dwindling group of generals who believed the war - or more correct, the Occupation - could be won. So his role is more about cheerleading than taking an active part in battle.

Criticizing him is criticizing one troop, not all. Moveon.org may be guilty of a gaffe in their choice of words, but their gaffe didn't cause hundreds of thousands of people to die. And the people attacking MoveOn studiously avoid critique of the greater evil.

You'd think they were partisans or something by the way they defend their daddies. And being for a quick end to the occupation is neither extreme nor cruel. It's the majority opinion, held by realists.

Sam IA   September 11th, 2007 3:46 am ET

Moveon has become a fringe element. As is usually the case they have gone from a political force to a political farce as the fringe elements take control. Lets leave the hate speak to the party that excels at it. The Gop and hate radio are better suited for off the cuff,unfounded, attacks.

Steve Jandreau, Tucson, AZ   September 11th, 2007 3:12 am ET

Almost 3 years ago, Gen. PR Petraeus wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post gushing about the progress the Iraqi Army was making. The Jones Commission reported recently that the Iraqi Army wouldn't be ready for at least another year.

WHY BELIEVE PETRAEUS NOW?

Ivan, Chicago, Illinois   September 11th, 2007 3:02 am ET

The way the generals have let Bush prosecuted the war in Iraq tells me that the have put their own interest above that of the American People and especially the troops that they command. The ones that spoke out were retired, the rest got the message.
If the siturations were reversed, the republicans would have no qualms saying,
"General Petraeus or General Betray us?" On that you can bet your bottom dollar.

Andrew, Jakarta, Indonesia   September 11th, 2007 1:11 am ET

To all "grass roots Democrats" out there, you won control of Congress nearly a year ago, and what have you achieved? You can only speak of problems, not solutions. Pelosi and Reid have failed the American people - they are the ones who should face impeachment.

Jack, Durham, NC   September 10th, 2007 10:00 pm ET

The reason there are no suicide bombers in the U.S. or any terrorist attacks is because there isn't anyone out there that wants to do it.

Apparently the names Richard Reid, Jose Padilla, Ahmed Ressam, Assem Hammoud, James Elshafay, Shahawar Matin Siraj, Dhiren Barot, and Iyman Faris don't mean anything to you?

That statement right there should preclude you from any further participation in this or any other discussion on current events. If you really believe that statement I truly hope you aren't responsible for anyone else's safety, such as a wife or children.

Here's a link you might find interesting, except you're a liberal so facts mean nothing. But I'm willing to try anyway.

http://wcbstv.com/local/local_story_153193902.html

JA Harris; Ellsworth, Maine   September 10th, 2007 9:34 pm ET

Should we not wait until the General, who was elected by 100% of the current members of Congress complete his report? What are the Dems afraid of? That things are going well? Good for America! Stop playing politics with our security!
JAHarris
Ellsworth, ME

Gordon, Clarksville, TN   September 10th, 2007 8:49 pm ET

I was curious to the headline, "Dems join GOP in slamming ad attacking Petraeus." During my journalism studies, stating attribution to a group (ie: Dems) would require attribution/ verbal participation of more than one Democrat. I do give kudos to Senator Kerry for denouncing the shameful ad placed by MoveOn.org. It was a shame that Senator Kerry was a victim, too. A big raspberry to the New York times for a fractured backbone. The decision to print an advertisement is always made in the attempt to earn money for the newspaper, BUT actually running an ad is at the discresion of the newspaper. BOO to you, New York times.

Swiftboated Again « his vorpal sword   September 10th, 2007 7:48 pm ET

[...] Rush Limbaugh went ballistic (nearly apoplectic). Seems he's suddenly against even the hint of name-calling. The Rightie blogosmear heard the bells and the poop deck is slick with their saliva.* [...]

KD, Dallas, TX   September 10th, 2007 7:11 pm ET

Chip,

I think you better read your own words a bit more slowly. The numbers represent how the different parties feel about congress as a whole…which means they are giving 21% to Republicans and Democrats. Both parties are frustrated with congress's inability to get anything done. Democrats in particular are frustrated with us still being in Iraq. So, your numbers cannot represent Democrats; other than they are the ones giving the numbers to congress of 21%.

Also, you cannot compare this number to Bush's 32%; as that is the country as a whole giving that number. If you assessed just the Democrats in this statistical analysis, it would be much lower than 21%.

Just wanted to clear up your statistical analysis.

James, Phoenix AZ   September 10th, 2007 5:39 pm ET

Dakota - Lawrence, KS

It's always entertaining to see Bush-bashers simplifying history to fit their Johnny Cochran mantra approach to everything "Bush Lied - Soldier Died" or we "invaded" Iraq only because of WMDs or Saddam caused 9/11.

Why we removed Saddam from power:

1. Multiple sources (Germany, France, Russia, Bill Clinton, etc) suggested Saddam had WMDs.

2. WE (the US) gave Saddam WMDs years before.

3. MOST Important: 11 UN Resolutions passed calling for Saddam to comply with inspections, dismantling weapons programs, compensating Kuwait for losses, etc. Saddam over a decade toyed with UN inpsectors and refused to fully comply with resolutions.

4. The call for Saddam's removal included Leaders from: England, Australia, and Spain. Support for removing Saddam included: US, UK, Austalia, Poland, Denmark, South Korea, Romania, Georgia, El Salvador, Czech Republic, Azerjaijan, Latvia, Mongolia, Albania, Lithuania, Aremenia, Boznia, Estonia, Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Moldovia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Italy, ukraine, Netherleands, Japan, Thailand, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Hungary, Nicaragua, Singapore, Norway, Portugal, New Zealand, Philippines, Tonga, Iceland.

Chip Celina OH   September 10th, 2007 5:32 pm ET

Jon, Pittsburgh:

You state that;

"First, Democrats are not getting lower numbers than Bush - stop listening to Rush and Sean tell you what you want to hear. The Congress as a whole is getting the low numbers. Last time I checked it had just become a slight Democratic majority."

I got the following from galluppoll.com Dated Aug 21,2007

"Frustration with Congress spans the political spectrum. There are only minor (but not statistically meaningful) differences in the approval ratings Democrats (21%), Republicans (18%), and independents (17%) give to Congress. Typically, partisans view Congress much more positively when their party is in control of the institution, so the fact that Democrats' ratings are not materially better than Republicans' is notable.

The nine-point drop in Congress' job approval rating from last month to this month has come exclusively from Democrats and independents, with Democrats' ratings dropping 11 points (from 32% to 21%) and independents' ratings dropping 13 points (from 30% to 17%). Republicans' 18% approval rating is unchanged from last month. "

From the same source "Currently, 32% of Americans approve of the job Bush is doing as president"

Of course, you can probably go out to myriad web sites and find numbers that agree with your ideology, but the last time I checked, 32 > 21.

John Thomas, Edina, MN   September 10th, 2007 5:23 pm ET

Scott:

Not a sheep you say? Bzzzt, wrong! Straight from the 9/11 Commission Report: "The memo found no 'compelling case' that Iraq had either planned or perpetrated the attacks." AND "Finally, the memo said, there was no confirmed reporting on Saddam cooperating with Bin Ladin on unconventional weapons."

You keep on believing those lies perpetuated by the supporters of the war. Or should I say, "baaaaa"?

And, shame on you to play the partisan politics game. Your neo-conservative ways are not that of a true conservative. All through history, it has been the conservatives that pull us out of the wars, not get us into wars.

Do you support the elimination of the bureaucratic Dept. of Homeland Security? I do–it is still being put in place after billions of dollars spent–we had all of the information to prevent 9/11 before this Dept. was even put in place. How about the Dept. of Education? I do–education has only gone downhill since it was established in 1980–yes, we didn't have a Dept. of Ed. before 1980. Do you support the abolishment of the IRS? I do–if we reduce our spending levels to that of 2000 levels, an IRS wouldn't be necessary. Do you support the elimination of the Federal Reserve? I do–the inflation tax is thievery, plain and simple, and I do not appreciate people making decisions about my money behind closed doors without facing ANY audits.

So, Scott, I fail to see how I blindly follow the dems. Maybe it's you, supporting the big spending, ever-bloating deficit that our (un-conservative) foreign policy is producing who is truly the dem. Nice try with the partisan politics, though.

Oh, and next time you plan on mentioning something that Dubya tells ya, because you seem to place him on a pedestal, do some research first (i.e. Iraq and 9/11), but then again, that's not a sheep's job. Or, should I say parrot?

Jeff Spangler, Arlington, VA   September 10th, 2007 5:19 pm ET

Sorry if MoveOn.org offended your Boston Brahmin sensibilities, Senator Kerry, but you were also too timid to attack Bush in your campaign when he needed attacking. End this war now or else I'm your political enemy.

Tom, Anaheim, CA   September 10th, 2007 5:10 pm ET

Way to go Harry. Get outraged. Get mortified. Get incensed. Get off topic with all the other pro war zealots and divert focus to Moveon.org and away from the real issue which is PR campaign to prolong the war. Also, explain to me how Petraeus became a war hero? And the "support the troops" chant is getting a little long in the tooth too.

Mark, Sheveport,LA   September 10th, 2007 5:02 pm ET

Suggesting Gen. Petraeus is a traitor is shameful and is libel.

Only a sick person would agree with moveon.org's portrayal of this man.

Big Red, Tampa, FL   September 10th, 2007 5:01 pm ET

Let's see…people like Ron from TX want to immediately jump on the "Petraeus' report is BS" bandwagon. Yet, what is the basis for this opinion, and that of many other anti-Bush, anti-war opinions, to include Moveon.org's own admitted source? Major media. Someone mentioned drinking from the Kool-aid and oh how appropriate. So many people base their opinion only on what they read/see in the papers…gee, no wonder the opinion when the only thing we see, especially on CNN, is # of dead, military abuse, explosions, etc. I was amazed at the response to an article recently posted on CNN about Iraqi women prostituting themselves and some people actually claiming the Iraqis were better off under Saddam! How the heck would they know?!? Because they read one freaking article, yet had not clue one about what it was like for these women under Saddam! I've been there and while no doubt it's not an ideal situation, there's alot of good going on behind the scenes and it IS getting better. The hypocritical irony is oh so thick as these same people accuse others disagreeing with their anti-war views as being misled by Bush and his spin machine, yet these Lemmings are just as guilty as they run off the "it's so, because I read it" cliff!

And for Mark in TX, your complete ignorance of world events and naivity about terrorism is truly remarkable. For starters, it is a global war on terror and I've met many people sympathetic w/ these extremists (AKA terrorists)…they actually do want to dominate the world w/ Islam, specifically the Sharia version (most restricted). Let's see if the victims from Spain, Great Britain, Germany, Bali, and even Egypt would agree with you inane assessments.
BTW, neither Dems or Repubs are exclusively to blame for Bin Laden's success…keep in mind Bill Clinton had the opportunity to take out Bin Laden several years back following the 1st WTC, African Embassy & USS Cole attacks (I guess those were all lies too, huh?). We had exact intelligence on Bin Laden's location in Afghanistan and despite his own NSA, SecDef and the military's recommendation, he waffled on the decision to take him out w/ a Tomahawk. By the time he gave the go-ahead, Bin Laden was 3 hrs gone and the Tomahawk missed him. Not only did Clinton miss him, but he raised & cemented Bin Laden's reputation as an Islamic leader & prophet, as many Muslims believed he must be blessed to have avoided certain oblivion.

Spinstopper Seattle WA   September 10th, 2007 4:59 pm ET

John Kerry, American war hero? HAHAHA What a joke!!
His only kill was a wounded Vitnamese soldier, that from his own testimony..

Posted By spinstopper : September 10, 2007 4:40 pm

add to the list Max Cleland, Jim Webb,
John Murtha and one of their own, John McCain. The Republicans don't hesitate to smear anyone to further their agenda. Since when is "killing" the criteria for being a war hero? And by the way that is one more kill than our chicken in chief had.

therealist   September 10th, 2007 4:43 pm ET

Swiftboat veterns were war heroes stating their version of history.

Moveon.org is an anti-American orgaization funded by outside interests looking to alter the US elections to their benefit.

If you can't see the difference, stop drinking the kool-aid..

spinstopper   September 10th, 2007 4:40 pm ET

Kind of like what Swift Boat Veterans, did to John Kerry..
- Keepspinnin Seattle WA

John Kerry, American war hero? HAHAHA What a joke!!
His only kill was a wounded Vitnamese soldier, that from his own testimony..

John, St. Louis, MO   September 10th, 2007 4:36 pm ET

Mrs. Smith in Seattle,

Technically Tony Snow IS the White House spokesman until the 16th. He only announced last week he was leaving. His last day is this Sunday.

Matt, Bensalem, PA   September 10th, 2007 4:22 pm ET

What do you mean, the Democrats slammed the ad? All the Democratic quotes here are about how the MoveOn add is "unhelpful" or "over the top," not the despicable character assassination that it is.

Jon, Pittsburgh, PA   September 10th, 2007 4:18 pm ET

First, Democrats are not getting lower numbers than Bush - stop listening to Rush and Sean tell you what you want to hear. The Congress as a whole is getting the low numbers. Last time I checked it had just become a slight Democratic majority. Second, to those that don't like the moveon.org comments and label them as against our troops - what did you think of the swiftboat ads? Probably thought they were great. Oh yeah, Rush and Sean thought they were great, too.

Keepspinnin Seattle WA   September 10th, 2007 4:14 pm ET

Character assassination of an American war hero is their goal. Moveon.org, CNN and the Democratic National Party are three peas in a pod.

Posted By spinstopper : September 10, 2007 1:24 pm

Kind of like what Swift Boat Veterans, the Republican party and Fox News did to John Kerry..
different pea, same pod

Veronica, Stamford, CT   September 10th, 2007 4:07 pm ET

Im glad moveon.org is showing its true colors. They're all in bed together: Osama Bin Laden, Harry Reid, Pres. Ahmandinjead, Chuck Shumer, all who support Democratic party.

Why is Nancy Pelosi being shut up lately, anyway?

Posted By David P., Denver, Co. : September 10, 2007 3:05 pm

Weak, David P., VERY weak. But, if you're going to make a ficticious connection between the Dems, Bin Laden (where IS he these days? Do you think Bush knows? Oh, that's right, he doesn't THINK about him) and Iran I can make a TRUTHFUL connection between a certain Repub and terrorists … The Royal House of Bush and the Royal House of Saud … proof is in the puddin' sparky.

William Abbot Henderson   September 10th, 2007 4:05 pm ET

I watched the testimony of those two Bush puppets today and must agree with moveon.org. General Betray Us and Ambassador Full of Crock gave themselves away when their only conclusions about problems in Iraq are caused by Iran and Syria. People that are paying close attention to this situation realize that Cheney is exerting every effort to grab Iran's oil and the right-wingers who control Israel want Syria taken out. The Bush Administration is full of war criminals and traitors.

Dakota, Lawrence Kansas   September 10th, 2007 4:04 pm ET

Hey James, My bad, you are right. Bush never explicitly said that Iraq bombed the Twin Towers. He merely said that the terrorists attacked our country and those terrorists are in Iraq. He did not have to say more; all of the uninformed and non-thinking people took his comments to believe what Bush wanted them to believe: Iraq=Bombed Twin Towers=Justification for War in Iraq. No wonder you are trying to deny this; Bush and buddies have been backpedaling on this issue since they found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. NO WAIT–they did NOT find WMD; Bush just said that they did. Another reason for the war. MY question to you is: who sounds dumber: MoveOn or Bush and Co?

Coach Haughton   September 10th, 2007 4:03 pm ET

Yeah, Reid and others are "so" offended by the ad, but they'll readily take their campaign contributions, and when it comes down to a choice between listening to 16 intelligence agencies giving a briefing on an NIE or getting briefed on world threats by Moveon…..history (via CNN) shows that Democrats don't attend intelligence briefings, but DO get their marching orders from those same people at Moveon. Could this be why only 3% of Americans approve of the Democrats' Congress' handling of the war?

Posted By Scott Malensek, Akron, Ohio : September 10, 2007 3:15 pm

I think we need visual evidence of a democratic candidate taking campaign money for moveonpac. btw that is public information now. (thanks barack)

The congressional approval rating is for both the democrats and republicans.
If it were in fact. the democrats congress the troops would be home with their families and America would be minding its own business of being the greatest county on earth.

Cory, San Diego, CA   September 10th, 2007 4:03 pm ET

Gen. Petraeus is probably the best general officer in the past 50+ years. The fact that the left in this country is atttacking his character, not because his character deserves to be questioned, but because they want us to lose in Iraq, is beyond disgusting. MoveOn and the Dems should both be ashamed of themselves.

Lucielee, Port St. Lucie, FL   September 10th, 2007 4:00 pm ET

MoveOn.org is only reiterating what the media has reported……Sen. Harry Reid is a distraction becasue he is "caving-in" yet again on the Iraq issue……saying there "aren't enough votes" is getting pretty dreary….If there aren't then don't bring the bill to the floor to begin with…..Don't pee on my leg and tell me its raining Sen. Reid~~!!! And don't criticize 3million+ American citizens for moving the issue forward

Chris Bloomington IN   September 10th, 2007 4:00 pm ET

What a disgraceful ad. Have the folks at moveon no decency? Clearly the ad was bought and paid for before Gen. Petraus' testimony. How in the world could anyone could condone this sort of language is beyond me. What are the facts that the moveon folks point to and which person(s) do they suggest has having an equal command of the facts which would refrute the testimony of Gen Petraus?

As an Army veteran and one who has lead men and been lead, I don't know of a single officer or NCO that does not take their job deadly seriously in a time of war and would be willing to compromise the welfare and integrity of their force for political considerations. I'm sure those sorts people are out there, but I never met one. I don't think general petraeus is that sort of soldier and there has never been anything in his background (that I am aware of) that would cause him to check his professionalism, honor and objectivity at the door for political reasons. What would be his motive…he's already a general (4 stars). This guy is the real deal and doing one of the most difficult jobs imaginable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Petraeus

I think the moveon.org folks have burned a bridge with many of us middle of the road folks. It reminds me of another character assassination.
_________________________
Mr. Welch: And if I did, I beg your pardon. Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator.

Senator McCarthy: Let's, let's –

Mr. Welch: You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?

Armand   September 10th, 2007 3:49 pm ET

Reid sucks
Democratic Party sucks
Moveon.org sucks

Get my point?

Greg, Phoenix, AZ   September 10th, 2007 3:47 pm ET

These are the same liberal interests that the Democrats have been kissing up to for the past couple of months.

This ad is reprehensible and I'm glad everyone has responded in the manner they have.

This certainly doesn't help the Democrats cause at the moment.

Melanie S., Baton Rouge, LA   September 10th, 2007 3:46 pm ET

Im glad moveon.org is showing its true colors. They're all in bed together: Osama Bin Laden, Harry Reid, Pres. Ahmandinjead, Chuck Shumer, all who support Democratic party.

Why is Nancy Pelosi being shut up lately, anyway?

Posted By David P., Denver, Co. : September 10, 2007 3:05 pm

David:

BOO! Got your plastic sheeting and duct tape ready to go?

I'm not a practicing Dem but I find your post is weak. VERY weak. However, if you want to link politicians to terrorists don't forget how close the House of Bush and the House of Saud are sparky and there is AMPLE evidence to prove this, unlike your pitiful LIE re: bin Laden and the Dems … by the by, where IS Osama bin Looooooooooooooonnnng Gone? Bush doesn't think much about him anymore?

LoserLarry   September 10th, 2007 3:43 pm ET

Well obviously Moveon.org and the dems have better information than the Generals on the ground in Iraq. Hey, why don't we just let them run both countries since they're doing such a good job..

Scott, Arizona   September 10th, 2007 3:40 pm ET

Why would I believe a political action website over a acting 4 star general on the ground in Iraq? Patraeus is a hero as are all of our troops. Move On should be ashamed. Moveon and Code Pink are looking wackier each day, as the Dem's associated with these organizations.

Chuck, Washington Grove MD   September 10th, 2007 3:38 pm ET

The ad is definitely a clever play on words and will ensure it gets good air time in the media. I wish Move On could have done it without disparaging an exceedingly honest and dedicated professional such as General Petreaus. I am sure, with Move On's creative talent and resources they could have done better in highlighting the different positions/conclusions other recent studies have developed regarding the performance results of the surge without personalizing it. All these reports acknowledge that it is an extremely complex and politically fluid situation having no easy solutions readily available.

Scott, Lockhart, TX   September 10th, 2007 3:32 pm ET

John, you got one thing right in your reply to me. We can't afford this war. But then again, we can't afford to give Congress the big raise they voted for themselves, we can't afford to give our fighting men and women a decent raise so that their families don't have to be on food stamps, we can't afford a lot of things. But that's not because we are fighting a war on terrorism. It's because of people like you, who sheepishly, blindly follow the big spending habits of the Democrats. We've borrowed how much from foreign countries? Not nearly as much as they've borrowed from us and never tried to pay back. If the countries that we lent money after WWII were to pay the US back, we could balance the budget and pay for what needs to be taken care of on the interest alone. Don't give me that crap about following blindly. I think for myself and I'm glad that we have a President who is man enough to pay back those who attacked us, and yes, Iraq was providing aid in money and weapons to the terrorists. Unlike the Democrats, who flip-flop depending on how the American public feels, I choose to take a stand and stay there. I'm glad our President and General Petraeus do like wise.

Ted, Long Beach, CA   September 10th, 2007 3:20 pm ET

So the Dems condemn an ad that basically makes the same claims that they are? Why can't politicians just come out and say that the reports are true and that they are all a bunch of hypocrits…

Scott Malensek, Akron, Ohio   September 10th, 2007 3:15 pm ET

Yeah, Reid and others are "so" offended by the ad, but they'll readily take their campaign contributions, and when it comes down to a choice between listening to 16 intelligence agencies giving a briefing on an NIE or getting briefed on world threats by Moveon…..history (via CNN) shows that Democrats don't attend intelligence briefings, but DO get their marching orders from those same people at Moveon. Could this be why only 3% of Americans approve of the Democrats' Congress' handling of the war?

Wayne, San Diego, CA   September 10th, 2007 3:14 pm ET

#1. Joe Lieberman is NOT a Democrat in any way, shape or form. While FOX is known for switch party affliation to benefit the Republicans, CNN should know better.

#2 Petraeus and Crocker are granting an exclusive interview to Fox news. Anyone claiming that they are anything but lapdogs and yes men for the Bush administration are either liars or naive to the point of brain death.

Brady, Portland OR   September 10th, 2007 3:14 pm ET

“Democratic leaders must make a choice today: either embrace the character assassination tactics Moveon.org has leveled against the four-star general leading our troops in the fight against al Qaeda, or denounce it as disgraceful,” House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said in a statement.

Outrageous… Character assassination of decorated war veterans is a time-honored Republican tradition! Does Representative Boehner honestly think we've already forgotten the assassination of a war heroe's (specifically, John Kerry) character by the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" and draft-dodging Cheyney and Bush? Where was Representative Boehner's indignation then? A citizenry that elects morons like Boehner is why I left Ohio, and why I am loathe to return.

By the way, before some apologist for this pathetic administration tries to label me: I served 10 years in the Navy until I was discharged with a medical disability… I have friends that are still overseas trying to straighten this mess out. Don't even DREAM about labeling me "unpatriotic". I am behind the troops 100 percent, but I'm NOT behind the morally corrupt cowards who are deploying them. If you are, wake up!

Frank Smathers, Santa Clarita, CA   September 10th, 2007 3:09 pm ET

It was OK for the Swift Boaters to lie about John Kerry's combat record in 2004 but it's "unpatriotic" for Moveon to tell the truth about General Petraeus bogus report on the progress we've made in stealing Iraqi oil. Oh well, I guess that's how the brain works when the head is stuck in George Bush's rear end.

Steve   September 10th, 2007 3:09 pm ET

"At least this administration had the guts to do something. If any of the former Democratic candidates had been in office when 9/11 happened, nothing would have been done and we would have attacks taking place on American soil."

Oh please. This has got to be biggest piece of crap I've ever heard in my life. Only the dimmest of bulbs would seriously believe this. I am a left-leaning Democrat, and I never have– and never will– say anything bad about the war– in AFGHANISTAN.

The war in Iraq, on the other hand, has been PROVEN to have been based on lies and that the president and his staff KNEW they were lies. Instead of bring Al-Qeada (the real enemy) to their knees, hey are stronger than ever. Iraq is a rallying point for them. Arecruitment ad. Iraq, while a disaster for us and the Iraqi civilian population, is the best thing that ever happened to Al-Qeada. Bin Laden's crew would be history now if we had kept our eye on the ball and taken care of the real threat instead of diverting our attention on GWB's personal vendetta against Saddam Hussein.

It's just more absurd Republican mud-slinging to say that A Democrat won't protect this country from attack.

A Democrat lead us through WW2. A Democrat wisely lead us through the Bay of Pigs. I shudder to think what GWB would have done in that same situation.

Democrats serve this country, Democrats love this country, and Democrats will protect this country.

Mie, Milwaukee WI   September 10th, 2007 3:06 pm ET

This war needs to End NOW! Case closed! No other way to put it!

David P., Denver, Co.   September 10th, 2007 3:05 pm ET

Im glad moveon.org is showing its true colors. They're all in bed together: Osama Bin Laden, Harry Reid, Pres. Ahmandinjead, Chuck Shumer, all who support Democratic party.

Why is Nancy Pelosi being shut up lately, anyway?

Billy, Omaha, Nebraska   September 10th, 2007 2:51 pm ET

Ah yes, let's vote for Ron Paul because he opposes the war in Iraq. And everything else that the government might ever want to do in order to help people make their lives better. Libertarianism is clearly the answer to every problem we face, since all of those problems are plainly due only to the outright stupidity and moral depravity of the people who have them. But at least Ron Paul won't bother you for smoking dope or snorting coke, and he won't require that you contribute financially to the maintenance of the society that has made all of your luxury possible — after all, you owe all of that only to yourself, right?

Caren   September 10th, 2007 2:47 pm ET

ZEALOTS/EXTREMISTS on all sides scare the holy crap out of me. Tell me what is the difference between Karl Rove questioning Dems patroitism and resolve any different from Move On doing it? I don't agree with Reid often but I agree with him on this. Shame on you Move On but I know as with all self righteous ZEALOTS you have no shame. BTW I'm a liberal Dem who is ashamed of a liberal organization

Dave, Austin, TX   September 10th, 2007 2:44 pm ET

I don't think anybody was suggesting censorship, nor does this kind of denunciation of moveon.org persuade me that voting for democrats will simply bring us 'more of the same.' Any respectable senator in Reid's position should denounce the ad, because it is not the senate's job to judge the Petraeus report before they hear it. Unlike armchair politicians who believe everything they read on moveon.org, elected representatives cannot simply believe anything that happens to fit their prejudices. Because they represent people who agree with the ad, they should pay attention to the sentiment. But they also represent people like me, who don't enter every political discussion wearing body armor to protect against the possibility of being persuaded. Maybe, just maybe, Petraeus is telling the truth and the troop surge is actually getting something done in Iraq. Those of us who opposed the war from the beginning but prefer to support decisions that might possibly change things in Iraq for the better rather than continuing to moan about how badly the war has already been mismanaged should be happy to see the Senate Democrats distancing themselves a little bit from doctrainnaire slogan slinging. Perhaps this way not all of their objections to what Petraeus has to say and to the current status quo in Iraq will be deflected by closed ears.

Tony, Antioch, TN.   September 10th, 2007 2:43 pm ET

I applaude Move.on for telling the truth, something that is a territory totally unfamiliar to the Bush/Cheney Administration. General Petraeus is appointed By the president and serves a his leisure, saying all that, his report on Iraq is going to say exactly what Bush want him to say.

Mark, TX   September 10th, 2007 2:42 pm ET

I support the troops but everyone knows this war is for oil and money and has nothing to do with protecting America. If the Democrats were in power during 9/11 there still would be 0 attacks. The fact of the matter is that this whole war is a lie just like the war on terror. Does anyone honestly believe that if suicide bombers wanted to blow up a bomb every single day on American soil that they couldn't do it? Give it up. The reason there are no suicide bombers in the U.S. or any terrorist attacks is because there isn't anyone out there that wants to do it. They just want us out of thier region and to stop stealing their oil.

One more thing, I'm neither a Democrat or Repbulicans because politicians on both sides are all about money and our lives, our education, our health and our security mean nothing to any of them as long as the corporations get what they want. So as you criticize the moveon.org add and promote Bush and his policies, remember that President Bush, the Republicans, and the Democrats could care less about all of us.

I feel bad for all of us but especially the troops and their families who are fooled into thinking their sons and daughters are fighting and dying for a noble cause when in reality they're dying so Haliburton and the rich can make even more money than they already have.

John Thomas, Edina, MN   September 10th, 2007 2:40 pm ET

Scott:

I'm sorry to hear that you sheepishly follow others. Oh, and just so you know, Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. Al Qaeda was not in Iraq before we invaded. Sorry to say, Scott, but you can't force "freedom" on others. And, Scott, we also cannot AFFORD to continue forcing "freedom" on others. Our country has borrowed so much from foreign entities ($3 billion/day) that your kids, your grandchildren, and their kids will be enslaved in ever-increasing taxes. Great thinking, Scott, let's blindly "unite" under the president as he sells this great country away.

The only one's with the guts are the one's speaking against this war. We see the dire consequences that it is having on this country and the families it is affecting. It's quite easy for you to be the armchair commander, so I suggest that you gear up and get the hell over there to Iraq. Hoooah!

spinstopper   September 10th, 2007 2:35 pm ET

Better watch out Harry, they can bring you down easy peasy.

Maynard Hirsch Niles, IL   September 10th, 2007 2:34 pm ET

Did you notice that he did not deny what the ad said, only that it wasn't the right message to send. Obviously, he means that the Democrats have descided no to believe the Petraeus report, even before it was released, but didn't want it known.

James, Phoenix AZ   September 10th, 2007 2:29 pm ET

Hey Deb,

You might want to "check your facts". Bush never said Iraq or Saddam bombed the Twin Towers.

I'm glad Moveon.Org placed this ad. The American people can now associate the antics of this fringe leftist group with the candidates Moveon.Org supports: Democrats.

Ron, TX   September 10th, 2007 2:26 pm ET

General Betray Us? That's a pretty clever pun in my opinion. No reason to censor freedom of political speech- it was a paid advertisement. Everyone already as an opinion of the Iraq war- long before the ad- It stinks.

Scott, Lockhart, TX   September 10th, 2007 2:24 pm ET

At least this administration had the guts to do something. If any of the former Democratic candidates had been in office when 9/11 happened, nothing would have been done and we would have attacks taking place on American soil.

Not everyone in this country agrees that the war is wrong. I'm tired of a few people speaking for the rest of us. I support the President, the Congress and most of all, the men and women on the frontlines defending this country and trying to bring freedom to others.

All it takes for evil to win out is for good people to do nothing.

John Thomas, Edina, MN   September 10th, 2007 2:15 pm ET

There you have it, folks. Voting Democrat or Republican in the upcoming elections will bring us more of the same. These guys aren't in it to serve us, they are in it for MONEY and POWER. They don't CARE what you think.

Fortunately, there is one patriot fighting for our rights, and he is Dr. Ron Paul. He voted against the Iraq war from the beginning. He voted against the Patriot act. He is the only politician literally working to preserve our liberties.

Deb, Meriden KS   September 10th, 2007 2:14 pm ET

Maybe it was a stupid move on the part of Moveon.org, but let's face it: what do we have to do to get the current nutty Administration to realize that the Nation is sick of how this stupid, senseless war is being mismanaged? Democrat leaders and Congress can spend all the time they want in distancing themselves from MoveOn's extreme tactic, but just remember that a lot of us sympathize with the org's frustration.

This was began on a foundation of lies (Iraq bombed the Twin Towers, Bush/Cheney, and others claimed). Why would we think this Administration would know how to end a war that is padding its friends' pockets??

Andrew, Oakland, CA   September 10th, 2007 2:13 pm ET

Why are we beating a guy up for losing an impossible mission. Like it was his choice to take this job…

Mat, Coppell, TX   September 10th, 2007 2:08 pm ET

I love how the White House and Congress use our soft spot for our Armed Forces against us. So what if Petraeus is a four star General, that doesnt mean he is anything less then a "yes-man" to Bush and the Neo-Cons. Of course this report is hype checked and brushed by the white house. Do you honestly think Bush would appoint Petraeus to his current position if he was going to tell the truth?

Also, and this is the most important thing. A soldier can only follow the orders he is givin and Petraeus takes his orders from his commander in chief.

hiding behind the "these are our brave soldiers and hes a four star general so what he says is gospel" is hogwash and we americans are smarter then these hawks in OUR govt give us credit for.

THE PETRAEUS REPORT IS A WHITE WASH!

bonus reading Where our new Bin Laden tape came from.

http://infowars.com/articles/terror/bin_laden_video_mossad_agent_pearlman_behind_video.htm

Tom Anderson, Sacramento, CA   September 10th, 2007 1:50 pm ET

Harry Reid's response just demonstrates why the Democrats are getting lower numbers in the polls than even Bush. The Democrats were elected to get out of Iraq, not prolong the quagmire.

Ed   September 10th, 2007 1:47 pm ET

Typical. They approved him 100% and now that he may (MAY) go against their political agenda they put this out. There isn't a single member of the left that doesn't cower in fear from the actions of MoveOn.org and KOS. Any one of them that say they are against this sort of propaganda are flat out liars. You can download the ad from my blog.

http://edgruberman.wordpress.com

Daniel SLC UT   September 10th, 2007 1:47 pm ET

Thank you moveon.org
Maybe we should work to get rid of Reid.
End this war NOW!!!

J Houston, TX   September 10th, 2007 1:39 pm ET

Another pathetic left-wing move. Anti-war left is no better than the warmongering right

Cary- Lowell, IN   September 10th, 2007 1:38 pm ET

but the ad shows the true face of the Democratic organization, Harry - un-American, degredating to our freedom and against the United States mililtary.

ToddonCapeCod   September 10th, 2007 1:36 pm ET

He's only mad because he didn't think of it himself

Mrs. Smith, Seattle, WA   September 10th, 2007 1:33 pm ET

In the first place Tony Snow is NO LONGER A SPOKESMAN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE. He is a "former" spokesman.

Secondly, if he thinks this is boorish, childish (behavior) and Mitch McConnell resents people in air conditioned offices (impugning decent patriots); they are both hypocrites. They both have practiced this type of politics for decades now. The grass roots Democrats have finally had enough of it and enough of our "so called leadership" refusing to represent US. The simple truth is that MoveOn is speaking for US. The voters. The people these blind frightened Democrats in office refuse to listen to or obey.

After all this IS a nation OF THE PEOPLE BY THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE.

WE THE PEOPLE WANT THIS WAR STOPPED RIGHT NOW.

The excuse that Congress can't use the power of the purse is just that: AN EXCUSE that a bunch of LIARS in office are using to continue this war.

Shame on all of you for the almost 4000 dead soldiers and 30,000 maimed soldiers. Shame on all of you for your lack of decency and your lack of honor.

Chip Celina OH   September 10th, 2007 1:28 pm ET

Is Sen. Reid upset because he didn't think of that line first? As the article says, "Democrats are prepared to focus on 'Petraeus executing a mismanaged mission.'"

So, before seeing or hearing anything, the method of dismantling the 'report' is already on the table.

All of these Senate hearings and inquiryies are nothing more than grandstandingto argue and pander to groups. If the report is contrary to what the Senator wants to hear, it'll be a lie, or the new hot phrase I'm seeing now is 'cookked the books'.

If it agrees with Reid's position it will be an amazing tome of objective observation.

Of course, Sen Reid "supports the troops", but isn't the General a "troop"?

spinstopper   September 10th, 2007 1:24 pm ET

Character assassination of an American war hero is their goal. Moveon.org, CNN and the Democratic National Party are three peas in a pod.

Cary - Lowell, IN   September 10th, 2007 1:09 pm ET

Aren't the same people who subscribe to moveon.org also the ones who say "support our troops" out of the corner of their mouths, hoping that phrase will somehow make them look like an American?

Dan, TX   September 10th, 2007 12:55 pm ET

Shameful. Moveon.org wants viseral anger to replace reasoned discourse. Moveon.org joins the swiftboat idiots in trying their best to destroy civil politics. If we don't start electing centrists and independents, we will be a second rate country very quickly.

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