Frick and Frack on the campaign trail

Democratic presidential challenger John Kerry said President Bush has a secret plan to call up more National Guard and Reserve troops immediately after the election, an allegation that the Bush campaign called "false and ridiculous."

Kerry issued the charge while campaigning Friday in Albuquerque, as he criticized the president of glossing over a worsening conflict in Iraq.

"He won't tell us what congressional leaders are now saying, that this administration is planning yet another substantial call-up of reservists and Guard units immediately after the election," Kerry said. "Hide it from people through the election, then make the move."

  USA Today article

You weren't expecting something else, were you?

Rep. John Murtha, D-Penn., ranking member on the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee and a former Marine who served in Vietnam, said he had learned through conversations with Pentagon officials that beginning in November, "the Bush administration plans to call up large numbers of the military Guard and Reserves, to include plans that they previously had put off to call up the Individual Ready Reserve."

A Pentagon spokesman, Lt. Col. Chris Rodney said, "There is no force increase that is expected."

The Army is on target to rotate into Iraq the same number of soldiers who will be leaving over the next six months, and all National Guard and Reserve units that are expected to be mobilized for the next rotation have been notified, Rodney said.

Kerry's "conspiracy theory ... is completely irresponsible," Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt said. "John Kerry didn't launch this attack when he spoke to the National Guard because he knows they know it is false and ridiculous."

That was expected, too, wasn't it?

At any rate, if Kerry is pulling stuff out of his keister, he will be campaigning in Bush mode.

Dumb and Dumber. I never thought I'd see them running for the highest office in the land.

"With all due respect to the president, has he turned on the evening news lately? Does he read the newspapers?" Kerry said. "Does he really know what's happening? Is he talking about the same war that the rest of us are talking about?"

Now that's an accurate assessment. Believe it.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.