Dems respond weakly.

The Dems e on the Swiftboat Situation:

I'm interrupting John Kerry's dispatches from the road to tell you about something that will make you angry, but which is important for you to hear.

We knew it was coming: the Bush campaign and several allied right-wing groups are using August to launch a vicious smear attack against John Kerry. They think we're vulnerable this month because while George Bush is still able to raise money for attack ads, Kerry had to stop fundraising at the Democratic convention last week. They're taking this opportunity go for the jugular.

We need you to join us in this fight today by supporting the Democratic Party.

https://www.democrats.org/support/kerry.html

The worst of the current wave of attacks is coming from a Republican-funded group called "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth." (I'll call them by a more accurate name: Swift Boat Veterans for Bush.) The group is led by a longtime Republican operative and financed by GOP contributors with strong tries to President George W. Bush. Their function in the overall Republican strategy is this: tear down John Kerry, since Bush has no record or vision to run on.

The Swift Boat ad is full of lies. Thirteen men who never served with John Kerry lie about knowing him and viciously attack his record. It is a new low for the Republicans.

Every time they have attacked Kerry like this, it has only made Democrats stronger. When they ran dishonest attack ads (like the unbelievable new one on the air right now), thousands of new supporters gave the resources needed to fight back on the airwaves.

Now that the general election has begun, they're hoping things are different. They're going to be sorely disappointed, because we are not alone. The Democratic National Committee is well prepared to take on this fight.

And therefore I'm asking you: everything you did for our campaign, please do now for our Democratic Party. Give them the resources they need to fight against these right-wing attacks:

https://www.democrats.org/support/kerry.html

The Democratic Party is responsible for putting organizers and volunteers into the field and turning out the millions of votes we need to win. We literally cannot win this election without the Party.

https://www.democrats.org/support/kerry.html

You and I know that, if we so much as yield an inch to George Bush and the Republicans this month, we'll live to regret it. In fact, we may live to regret it for four long years. Join with me in supporting the Democratic Party today.

Thank you,
Mary Beth Cahill
Campaign Manager
Kerry-Edwards 2004