Dole Defends Attack On Kerry's Military Record As 'political Hardball'

WASHINGTON, Aug 23 (AFP) - Bob Dole, a prominent Republican and former presidential candidate, defended his criticism of White House hopeful John Kerry's war record as "political hardball," saying Monday he had merely "tweaked" the Democratic candidate.
"This is presidential race. We're 70 some days away. It's political hardball, and certainly Senator Kerry understands that," Dole told CNN.
Dole said Kerry called him to express "disappointment" over his comments Sunday that the Massachusetts senator had won "three Purple Hearts and never bled that I know of. I mean, they're all superficial wounds."
Dole's suggestion that Kerry "never bled" runs counter to US Navy records showing that Kerry, who also won a Bronze Star and a Silver Star for bravery, still carries shrapnel in his left thigh from a February 1969 firefight.
"There's respect there," Dole said Monady. "We were in the Senate together. But we're talking about the presidential race, and I tweaked him a little on the Purple Hearts."
"I just wanted him to get off Bush's back and have his people get off Bush's back," Dole said.
The attack from Dole, who was severely wounded during World War II, came as the Kerry campaign redoubled its efforts to link US President George W. Bush to the attacks by "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth."
But Kerry aides and supporters have not been able to cite any firm evidence that the president or his top strategist are behind the accusations, which have put the Democrat on the defensive ahead of the November 2 elections.
Bush on Monday called for a stop to campaign ads by independent groups, including those targetting Kerry's war record, and praised his Democratic rival's service as a Swift Boat captain in Vietnam.
Kerry aides note that one of the veterans in the group's ads served until late last week as a coordinator for veterans issues for the Bush campaign. They also point out that a Bush headquarters in Florida was caught organizing rallies touting the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth."
They also point to a New York Times report that several backers of the group's ad campaign have close ties to the Bush family.
And the Kerry campaign has taken to running an Internet ad featuring Senator John McCain, Bush's rival for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, accusing Bush of having smeared his record during that campaign.
McCain now supports Bush, but has called the anti-Kerry group's campaign "dishonest and dishonorable" and called on the White House to repudiate it.