^---

Former Democratic Sen. Max Cleland, who is working to elect Kerry, accused
Bush on Monday of feeding Congress and the American people ``a pack of
lies'' as justification for the war in Iraq.

************************************************** **************************
************************************************** ****************

``We were flat out lied to,'' the Georgia Democrat said, ``by the president,
by the vice president and by the secretary of defense.''

************************************************** **************************
************************************************** ********************



Cleland assailed Bush during a conference call with reporters in which the
Democratic National Committee rolled out a Web video that is being e-mailed
to supporters and posted on the committee's Web site. It argues that Bush
diverted resources from the war on terrorism in Afghanistan to the war in
Iraq.

Cleland criticized Bush for his decision to ``go it alone'' in Iraq without
the support of other nations, calling the move ``the greatest strategic
error of American military history.''

Steve Schmidt, a Bush campaign spokesman, said the president is focused on
reforming America's intelligence system while Kerry and his surrogates
launch political attacks. Schmidt called Cleland's criticism ``typical of a
campaign that has been engaged in political gamesmanship with national
security issues throughout the campaign.''

Cleland cited Bush's claims about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, ties
to the al-Qaida terrorist network and effort to secure uranium for nuclear
weapons.

``All of that is a pack of lies,'' Cleland said.