White House Says It Is Not Behind Attack Ads

Can Scott McClellan really have it both ways?

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.

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.

And then He's got the gall to say

"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.

And what's with the wide-eyed innocents act?

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.

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.

Every American should be furious at the disrespect
the Republican party shows our veterans

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.

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