During the May 4 edition of Fox Broadcasting Co.'s Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace noted recent appearances on Fox News programs by Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean, and asserted that “the left wing of the Democratic Party -- MoveOn.org, the DailyKos -- they're furious. I mean, they are really upset, if you read their websites, at the fact that they say these Democratic leaders are making a terrible mistake now coming on Fox.” Turning to New York Times columnist and Weekly Standard editor William Kristol, Wallace asked: “Can Obama, can Clinton, can Howard Dean, can they safely ignore those folks now?” Kristol responded: “I think if they're smart, they will; if they were smart, they would have.” Kristol added, “I mean, they went with the left -- this is part of a bigger picture. They tried to end the war repeatedly. They tried to cut off funds for the troops. They didn't denounce MoveOn.org when they ran the 'General Betray Us' ad when General [David] Petraeus was testifying before Congress.” In fact, as Media Matters for America documented, both Clinton and Obama voted for an amendment offered by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) that condemned the September 10, 2007, New York Times ad titled, "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?", among other attacks on past and present members of the armed forces.

The Boxer amendment “strongly condemn[ed] attacks on the honor, integrity, and patriotism of any individual who is serving or has served honorably in the United States Armed Forces, by any person or organization.” Of the MoveOn.org ad, it stated: “On September 10, 2007, an advertisement in the New York Times was an unwarranted personal attack on General Petraeus, who is honorably leading our Armed Forces in Iraq and carrying out the mission assigned to him by the President of the United States.” It also criticized Republican-backed attacks on Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) concerning his military service, as well as attacks on former Sen. Max Cleland (D-GA), who is also a veteran.

During a September 23, 2007, appearance on CNN's Late Edition, Clinton stated of the ad and other attacks on past and present members of the armed forces: “I thought it was pretty sorry when his [President Bush's] campaign attacked Senator Kerry's record of service, and I thought it was pretty sorry when the Republicans attacked Senator Cleland. I don't condone attacks by anyone on the patriotism and service of our military. I am an admirer of General Petraeus, as I've said on numerous occasions. I don't condone it, and I joined in voting for a resolution that condemned such attacks.” Clinton made similar remarks during an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press that same day, stating: “He [Petraeus] is a man of great honor and distinction who has served admirably. I don't condone anything like that, and I have voted against those who would impugn the patriotism and the service of the people who wear the uniform of our country. I don't believe that that should be said about General Petraeus, and I condemn that. I didn't think it should've been said about Senator Cleland or Senator Kerry. I think it's important that we end this kind of attacks on the patriotism of those who serve our country.”

From the May 4 edition of Fox Broadcasting Co.'s Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace:

WALLACE: Let me ask you about the flip side of that, Bill, because the left-wing of the Democratic Party -- MoveOn.org, the DailyKos -- they're furious. I mean, they are really upset, if you read their websites, at the fact that they say these Democratic leaders are making a terrible mistake now coming on Fox. Can Obama, can Clinton, can Howard Dean, can they safely ignore those folks now?

KRISTOL: Well, I think if they're smart, they will; if they were smart, they would have. I don't agree that it was smart in 2007 to the degree they did boycott -- to have boycott it. I mean, they went with the left -- this is part of a bigger picture. They tried to end the war repeatedly. They tried to cut off funds for the troops. They didn't denounce MoveOn.org when they ran the “General Betray Us” ad when General Petraeus was testifying before Congress. They were scared of the left wing of their party. I think Hillary Clinton has shown you can get an awful lot of votes by not pandering to the left wing of the party. Seems to me, she's been gaining in the polls in the last month --

WALLACE: Well, she was pandering for awhile there, wasn't she? She sure moved to the left on the war.

KRISTOL: She did move to the left on the war.