Who Us?

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) – A Vietnam veteran who worked with President Bush (news – web sites)’s campaign has left over his appearance in a commercial by a group challenging Democratic candidate John Kerry (news – web sites)’s war record, a campaign spokesman said on Saturday.

Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt said Ken Cordier was a Bush supporter during the 2000 election and served as a member of his a steering committee to help reach out to veterans during this election.

“Col. Cordier did not inform the campaign of his involvement in the advertisement being run by (Swift Boat Veterans for Truth),” Schmidt said. “Because of his involvement with this 527 (group), Col. Cordier will no longer participate” in the steering committee.

The disclosure of Cordier’s involvement came one day after White House spokesman Scott McClellan and Bush campaign chairman Marc Racicot denied the campaign coordinated with the group on the ads, which claim that Kerry lied about his Vietnam War service.

Kerry has called the ads inaccurate and accused the group of being a front for the Bush campaign. On Friday the Kerry campaign filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (news – web sites) seeking to force the ads’ withdrawal.

New advertisements by the group are set to debut next week in states where Kerry has touted his military service. Kerry won several medals and his record is often contrasted with Bush’s service in the Texas Air National Guard during the war.

McClellan has refused to specifically condemn the ads and instead has urged Kerry to join Bush in calling for an end to all commercials funded by unrestricted donations.

U.S. advocacy groups can collect vast sums of money to run their own political advertisements but are barred from coordinating their activities with campaigns or political parties.

“There seems to be an increasing amount of evidence that the Bush campaign is behind this,” Kerry campaign spokesman Phil Singer said. “So it’s no surprise that the president refuses to condemn these scurrilous ads.”

No kidding.

Update:

I like CNN’s headline better:

Bush adviser quits after appearing in swift boat ad

Kerry has accused group of illegally working with campaign

Saturday, August 21, 2004 Posted: 11:43 PM EDT (0343 GMT)

ROANOKE, Virginia (CNN) — A volunteer adviser has quit President Bush’s re-election campaign after appearing in a veterans group’s television commercial blasting Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry’s involvement in the Vietnam-era antiwar movement.

A Bush campaign statement said it did not know that retired Air Force Col. Ken Cordier had appeared in an ad by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The Kerry campaign has accused the group of illegally working with the Bush campaign.