• Kennebec Journal, Friday, May 11, 2007 11 AM

A group of Iraq War vets is running an ad campaign that criticizes George W. Bush for not listening to military commanders--and also takes aim at Republican lawmakers such as Maine's U.S. Sen. Susan Collins. The $500,000 effort by VoteVets.org is tagged "Protect America, not George Bush." Among its targets are four senators and 10 representatives, all Republicans. They feature three retired commanders: Maj. Gen. John Batiste and former Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton--both of whom served in Iraq--and former Gen. Wesley Clark.

Batiste says he is a lifelong Republican who twice voted for Bush, while Clark ran for president in 2004 as a Democrat. The first begins with a clip of Bush saying: "I have always said that I will listen to the requests of our commanders on the ground"--a comment that helped drive Batiste out of the army. "You did not listen, Mr. President," says Batiste in the spot. "You continue to pursue the failed strategy that is breaking our great Army and Marine Corps."

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