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Do these people have zero dignity? I have yet to read about a single blow in the American political arena that landed above the belt..
Kerry files Vietnam ads complaint
John Kerry has asked the US Federal Election Commission to put an end to TV adverts which discredit his record as a soldier during the Vietnam War.
The Democratic presidential candidate said the group behind the "inaccurate" ads was working illegally with the campaign to re-elect President Bush.
Mr Kerry said earlier the group was doing George W Bush's "dirty work".
The White House has denied any role in the ads and accused Mr Kerry of making "false and baseless attacks".
"We've already said we weren't involved in any way in these ads - we've made that clear," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said in Crawford, Texas, where the president is holidaying at his ranch.
The spokesman suggested that Mr Kerry was "losing his cool".
While denying any role in the ads, the Bush administration and his re-election staff have declined to condemn the ads, which suggest Mr Kelly is exaggerating his valour in an election year where security is a key theme.
The BBC's Adam Brookes reports from Washington that the presidential election race is becoming dominated now by the character and record of the two candidates, and this latest episode is a sign of just how nasty it is getting.
'Attack group'
The Kerry campaign announced on Friday it had filed a legal complaint against Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT) for "violating the law with inaccurate ads that are illegally coordinated with the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign".
It asked the Federal Election Commission to warn the SBVT and the Bush campaign against "further violations" and oblige them to "repay their illegal contributions" as well as imposing a maximum fine.
Our correspondent notes that John Kerry's military service in Vietnam is a central element of his election campaign.
As a naval officer, he commanded a small vessel known as a "swift boat". He saw combat and was decorated.
The SBVT released a second ad on Friday morning, following one aired at the beginning of the month.
Mr Kerry has condemned the SBVT's "lies" and accuses Mr Bush of using it as a front group.
"The president keeps telling people he would never question my service to our country," he told a firefighters' union this week.
"Instead, he watches as a Republican-funded attack group does just that."
The Democratic Party has released a commercial of its own in which Jim Rassman, a former special forces soldier in Vietnam, pays tribute to John Kerry for saving his life at risk to his own.
Anti-Bush ads
Mr McClellan has argued that President Bush was himself the target of $62m worth of negative advertising.
He said the president had condemned "all of the ads by the shadowy groups".
Mr Kerry has condemned adverts by a liberal group, funded by Democrat supporters, which alleges President Bush used family influence to avoid serving during the Vietnam war.
President Bush remained in the US throughout the conflict, performing military service with the Texas Air National Guard.
Both candidates have so far avoided direct attacks on each other's activities during the Vietnam war.
(BBC)
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