The Punisher
03-16-2004, 09:30 AM
WASHINGTON - The White House, seeking to raise credibility questions about Democrat John Kerry, suggested Monday that the presumptive nominee had lied when he said some foreign leaders privately back his candidacy.
Kerry should identify the leaders who purportedly hope he beats President Bush in November, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "Either he is straightforward and states who they are, or the only conclusion one can draw is that he is making it up to attack the president," the spokesman said.
McClellan put a sharper point on a response offered a day earlier by Secretary of State Colin Powell, who also had called on Kerry to name his foreign supporters, but had stopped short of accusing Kerry of manufacturing the claim.
Questioned about the White House criticism, Kerry told reporters, "They're trying to change the subject from jobs, health care, the environment and social security. They don't have a campaign so they're trying to divert it."
Kerry said at a fund-raiser last week in Florida that he's heard from some world leaders who quietly back his candidacy and who hope he defeats Bush in November.
McClellan took issue with Kerry's suggestions that the Bush administration held up for political purposes announcement of an agreement with Libya to rid itself of weapons of mass destruction; and that the administration had rebuffed offers from Russia and France to avert the Iraq war.
"This is not the first time he has refused to back up his assertions," McClellan said.
"I think that if Senator Kerry is going to say he has support from foreign leaders then he needs to be straightforward with the American people and say who it is that he has spoken with and who it is that supports him," McClellan said.
But I guess what else is new
Kerry should identify the leaders who purportedly hope he beats President Bush in November, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "Either he is straightforward and states who they are, or the only conclusion one can draw is that he is making it up to attack the president," the spokesman said.
McClellan put a sharper point on a response offered a day earlier by Secretary of State Colin Powell, who also had called on Kerry to name his foreign supporters, but had stopped short of accusing Kerry of manufacturing the claim.
Questioned about the White House criticism, Kerry told reporters, "They're trying to change the subject from jobs, health care, the environment and social security. They don't have a campaign so they're trying to divert it."
Kerry said at a fund-raiser last week in Florida that he's heard from some world leaders who quietly back his candidacy and who hope he defeats Bush in November.
McClellan took issue with Kerry's suggestions that the Bush administration held up for political purposes announcement of an agreement with Libya to rid itself of weapons of mass destruction; and that the administration had rebuffed offers from Russia and France to avert the Iraq war.
"This is not the first time he has refused to back up his assertions," McClellan said.
"I think that if Senator Kerry is going to say he has support from foreign leaders then he needs to be straightforward with the American people and say who it is that he has spoken with and who it is that supports him," McClellan said.
But I guess what else is new