Fraudulant DNC Phone Call in NJ claims Schwarzkopf endorsed Kerry

[qwerty]

GOP charges dirty politics in fake Schwarzkopf campaign call

By DONNA DE LA CRUZ
Associated Press Writer

November 1, 2004, 5:56 PM EST

TRENTON, N.J. -- Lifelong Republican Richard Bonnet pays attention to politics, so when he found a message on his answering machine from Norman Schwarzkopf saying he was voting for John Kerry this year, he was momentarily stunned.

"I thought I saw Bush down in Florida, with Schwarzkopf standing on the stage next to him," Bonnet, 69, of Howell Township, said Monday. "So I called up the Monmouth County Republican headquarters and they said he was a Bush supporter."

On Sunday, the retired general gave Bush a strong endorsement in Tampa, Fla. Schwarzkopf's spokeswoman, Lynn Williams, said Monday that the recorded message was totally fake.

The taped message begins with a man identifying himself as Schwarzkopf.

"In 2000, I voted for George W. Bush, but this year I'm voting for John Kerry." The man goes on to say that Bush took his eye off the ball when it came to finding the people responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks, which killed nearly 700 New Jersey residents.

"John Kerry has a real plan to make our military stronger and to go after terrorists wherever they hide," the man says on the tape. "We need a vote for change, vote for John Kerry."

A voice then says the message was paid for by the Democratic National Committee. A call to the DNC was not immediately returned Monday.

Brian Nelson, spokesman for the New Jersey Republican State Committee called the tape dirty politics and said Republicans were trying to find out who was behind it.

Bonnet said he was disgusted by the tape.

"Schwarzkopf is such a great American and a great general, and this defames him," said Bonnet. "He's one of our proud citizens of New Jersey."

Schwarzkopf was born in Trenton. His father, Col. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, was the head of the New Jersey State Police when Charles Lindbergh's son was kidnapped. He led that investigation.

Copyright © 2004, The Associated Press

[No more McShame]

Schwarzkopf issued a statement where he trashed Kerry pretty good.  Good man :-)

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Paid for by the Democratic National Committee?

How stupid do they think we are?

The Republicans made this up.

[qwerty]

It is not "made up" at all, because I recieved the phone call. It was on our answering machine the other evening.

[Kodratos]

I have a hard time believing this. While I would expect this garbage from Dems, I have to remember the 2000 primaries. Liberals charged that the Bush campaign had spread all sorts of lies over the phone in South Carolina. None of those claims were EVER proved true and were based solely on the testimony of one teenager. The accusations have stuck until this day.

[J. J.]

Paid for by the Democratic National Committee?

How stupid do they think we are?

The Republicans made this up.

JFRAUD, I'm stunned you are not calling for a civil war again!

[CollectiveInterest]

Really it was the Republicans who created this phone call to create a contraversy.

In 11th Hour Gambit, RNC Tries Hoodwinking Press: Splices DNC Call and Makes False Accusations
Washington DC - Today, the Republican National Committee tried to falsely accuse the Democratic National Committee of claiming the endorsement of General Schwarzkopf. In fact, the RNC spliced a DNC recorded telephone call by General Merrill "Tony" McPeak, urging voters to vote for John Kerry, and attempted to peddle the doctored audio file to the press.

In response, DNC Communications Director Jano Cabrera issued the following statement:

"This is a desperate, pathetic, 11th hour dirty trick by the Republicans. In an effort to gin up a last minute media controversy and smear the Democrats, the Republicans intentionally spliced a recorded call by Four Star General 'Tony' McPeak and tried to peddle it to the press. This type of dishonesty is a fitting end to George W. Bush's failed Presidency, a Presidency that unfortunately for the American people, was also defined by deceit and deception."

See http://atrios.blogspot.com/ if you're interested in the truth.

Will any Bush supporter acknowledge that his team is playing dirty?