With regard to your first point, I agree and always did.

Concerning MoveOn, I see very little difference between them funding their message and groups such as the "swift boat committee" who fund theirs.  I wasn't making specific reference to the Petraeus ad, although I find the wording of the ad curious.  By asking him not to "betray us" made an assumption that: a) he would and b) MoveOn already had its mind made up about the situation there. 

While I think MoveOn might be right in that no amount of military action short of outright genocide is likely to avert a conflict that Iraqis now have to solve for themselves, I was offended by the ad and its presumption.

The larger point is that both sides fund and have their paid-for "advocates" who engage in an almost constant onslaught of mis-characterization, hyperbole, deception, and lies.  If you think the Republicans own that market, you are wrong.  The very nature of our democracy, or "democracy" if you will, is that people will try to be persuasive, often by any and all means.

Respectfully,

RS