Secretary of State Colin Powell said Monday that unduly harsh political attacks from likely Democratic nominee John Kerry are undermining the morale of U.S. soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Asked whether charges by Kerry and his supporters that Bush "lied" about and "hyped" pre-war intelligence are hurting the war effort, Powell told Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes," "It doesn't help."
While U.S. soldiers will continue to serve with honor no matter what, Powell said, "they want to know that the American people are supporting them."
He then warned, "Let's not misuse an issue for the purpose of political advantage in a way that will undercut the efforts of our brave young men and women out there or affect their morale."
The top Bush official also took issue with former Vice President Al Gore, who has accused President Bush of "betraying" America in going to war against Iraq, telling Sean Hannity that Gore's comments were "very disturbing."
"I mean, Vice President Gore was in an administration that believed there were weapons of mass destruction, to the extent that they bombed the facilities that they thought those weapons of mass destruction were in back in 1998.
"That was President Clinton and Vice President Gore," Powell emphasized.
"So to now scream that there is something wrong with the Bush administration because we finished the job, as opposed to just have a four-day bombing campaign, and we've eliminated the problem forever, I think is incorrect."
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