Cleland: Bush's Pitch on Iraq a 'Pack of Lies'

Former Democratic Sen. Max Cleland (search), who is working to elect John Kerry (search), accused President Bush (search) 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 (search).

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 Qaeda terrorist network and effort to secure uranium for nuclear weapons.

"All of that is a pack of lies," Cleland said.