MoveOn.org's demeaning attack

The overzealous liberal group MoveOn.org proved once again that one organization can make a difference — a bad one.

MoveOn.org's ill-considered, outrageous New York Times newspaper ad calling Gen. David Petraeus, the commander in Iraq, "General Betray Us" not only slimed a well-respected general, it distorted a very real and very serious debate about the course of the war. Instead of the U.S. Congress making progress on troop withdrawal, as some expected this month, the Senate wasted time debating and voting on a measure to condemn the ad.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said he walked away from the vote because it was an unnecessary waste of time. He has that right. It was also an unnecessary waste of ink.

Why can't we, as a country, disagree about policy without undertaking childish ad hominem attacks on a general who is doing his best to represent the military in a very unpopular war?

This editorial page believes strongly it is time for the American troops to start coming home in an orderly fashion.

But we listened carefully to Petraeus' testimony out of respect for his knowledge and understanding of a complicated region.

MoveOn.org embarrassed itself and its position on the war with an over-the-top and unnecessary attack on the general.

The war is bad enough. Nobody needs MoveOn.org's stupid advertising campaign.