Attack, attack!!

It looks like the attack dog team inside the White House is up to it again.

This time it is a “Swift Boat Vets for Truth”-style campaign against Congressman John Murtha.

Murtha is a conservative Democrat and a decorated Vietnam Veteran who has criticized Bush’s handling of Iraq and has called for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from that country.

The Huffington Post is reporting that “the Bush administration recently asked high ranking military leaders to denounce Congressman John Murtha.”

“The Bush Administration first attacked Rep. Murtha for his Iraq views by associating him with the filmmaker Michael Moore and Representative Jean Schmidt likened him to a coward on the floor of the House of Representatives.

“When those tactics backfired, Dick Cheney called Murtha ‘A good man, a marine, a patriot and he's taking a clear stand in an entirely legitimate discussion.’

“Though the White House has backed off publicly, administration officials have nevertheless recently made calls to military leaders to condemn the congressman.

So far they have refused.”

One additional note: since Murtha called for reductions in the troop numbers in Iraq, the Bush war team has also embraced the idea, promising that thousands of troops will come home this year.

But since Murtha spoke up first, he becomes the target. The White House attack dogs know no other mode than attack.