Anti-Kerry vet retracts claim

The furor continues over a new TV ad that attacks Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's war record. Some television stations have agreed to pull the controversial commercial, and one of the veterans who criticized Kerry's service now says he was mistaken.

The 60-second spot – scheduled to run in small markets in three swing states – Ohio, West Virginia and Wisconsin – features Vietnam veterans who accuse Kerry of lying about his decorated Vietnam War record and betraying his fellow veterans by later opposing the conflict.

"When the chips were down, you could not count on John Kerry," one of the veterans, Larry Thurlow, says in the ad.

But one of the leading figures in the anti-Kerry campaign is backing off his criticisms.

Lt. Commander George Elliott, Kerry's former commanding officer, told The Boston Globe that he had made a "terrible mistake" when he signed an affidavit that suggested Kerry did not deserve one of his medals, the Silver Star.

The affidavit was given to the Globe by the anti-Kerry group, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, to back up claims in their ad and a new book on Kerry's war years, "Unfit for Command," which is being released next week.

The affidavit quotes Elliott as saying that Kerry "lied about what occurred in Vietnam . . . for example, in connection with his Silver Star, I was never informed that he had simply shot a wounded, fleeing Viet Cong in the back."

But Elliott now says he regrets signing the affidavit and believes Kerry deserved the Silver Star.

"I still don't think he shot the guy in the back," Elliott told the Globe Thursday. "It was a terrible mistake probably for me to sign the affidavit with those words."

"I knew it was wrong . . . In a hurry I signed it and faxed it back. That was a mistake," Elliott said.

The Kerry camp, which has used his service in Vietnam as a major selling point, called the commercial "an inflammatory outrageous lie," and in a letter to local TV stations asked them to pull it.

Communications director Stephanie Cutter said the American people deserve better.

"I think the American people are tired of these misleading attack ads by the Bush-Cheney campaign. We need to talk about real issues," said Cutter.

Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, a war hero himself, denounced the ad as "dishonest and dishonorable," and pointed out a similar tactic was used against him four years ago during his contentious primary race against Mr. Bush.

On Thursday, McCain called on the White House to condemn the practice.

The White House distanced itself from the anti-Kerry ad, but declined to condemn it.

"We have not questioned Kerry's service in Vietnam," spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters. He also called for an end to the campaign finance reform loophole that helps fund these attacks ads, a number of which have targeted the president.

"We have called for an immediate cessation of these ads and hope John Kerry will, too," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.

The Kerry camp is taking a wait-and-see approach to that challenge. But for now, reports CBS News Correspondent Cynthia Bowers, some of those TV stations have already agreed to pull the ads.

The Kerry campaign also accused the Swift Boat group of having political ties to the Republican Party.

"Far from being a grassroots organization of veterans, this group is a front for the right-wing Texas Republicans to try and take away one of John Kerry's political strengths — his service to the country in Vietnam," the campaign charged in a 36-page document given to reporters.

And, indeed, a wealthy Texan and prolific Republican donor is helping bankroll the anti-Kerry ad campaign.

Houston homebuilder Bob J. Perry has donated at least $100,000 to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Perry's other donations in the 2003-04 cycle include $10,000 to the pro-Republican Club for Growth and at least $19,250 to federal candidates and party committees, including $2,000 to Bush's re-election effort.