WASHINGTON ( CNN ) -- A MoveOn.org political advertisement that criticized the top U.S. commander in Iraq was `` disgusting , '' President Bush said Thursday , accusing Democrats of being afraid to criticize the anti-war group . Gen. David Petraeus testifies on Capitol Hill last week about the so-called surge in Iraq . Bush told reporters at a White House news conference that MoveOn.org 's ad in The New York Times about Gen. David Petraeus was a `` sorry deal . '' The September 10 full-page ad was titled `` General Petraeus or General Betray Us ? '' `` I felt like the ad was an attack , not only on Gen. Petraeus , but on the U.S. military , '' Bush said . `` And I was disappointed that not more leaders in the Democratic Party spoke out strongly against that kind of ad . '' Bush said that `` most Democrats are afraid of irritating a left-wing group like MoveOn.org '' and they `` are more afraid of irritating them than they are of irritating the United States military . '' Watch Bush condemn the MoveOn.org ad » . He said , `` It 's one thing to attack me . It 's another thing to attack somebody like Gen . Petraeus . '' Many Democratic lawmakers immediately criticized the ad after it was published . Eli Pariser , executive director of MoveOn.org , reacted quickly to Bush 's comments . `` What 's disgusting is that the president has more interest in political attacks than developing an exit strategy to get our troops out of Iraq and end this awful war , '' Pariser said . `` The president has no credibility on Iraq : He lied repeatedly to the American people to get us into the war . Most Americans oppose the war and want us to get out . '' MoveOn.org and other war critics have accused Petraeus and the Bush administration of `` cherry-picking '' data to make it seem that military success is being achieved in Iraq . During testimony last week before Congress , Petraeus and Ryan Crocker , U.S. ambassador to Iraq , said they believed the U.S. troop increase in Iraq has had some success , an assertion that critics of the war have questioned . A Senate GOP amendment to repudiate the MoveOn.org ad passed Thursday 72-25 as Republicans tried to force Democrats to distance themselves , on the record , from the controversy . GOP Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said the amendment `` gives our colleagues a chance to distance themselves from these despicable tactics , distance themselves from the notion that some group literally has them on a leash , like a puppet on a string . '' Among Democratic presidential candidates , Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut voted against the resolution . Sens . Joe Biden of Delaware and Barack Obama of Illinois did n't vote . The Democrats on Thursday failed to pass their resolution . It included a condemnation of the `` unwarranted personal attack '' on Petraeus , but also condemned `` personal attacks '' that happened in 2002 against then-Democratic Sen. Max Cleland of Georgia and attacks in 2004 against Sen. John Kerry . The vote was 51-46 , but 60 votes were needed to proceed . The Democrats ' amendment was sponsored by Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer of California . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she faults the Republicans for blocking the Democratic resolution praising Cleland , who was wounded while serving in Vietnam , and Kerry , who is a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War . `` The Senate just voted to denounce , condemn , whatever it is , MoveOn for that ad , but at same time , they rejected assaults on those who have served in our military with great heroism -- the Boxer amendment , '' Pelosi said . `` It seems that the Republicans are selective in how they want to honor those who are serving or have served in the military . It was very disappointing , but it was also very telling . '' E-mail to a friend . CNN 's Dana Bash contributed to this report .
NEW : Dems fail in bid to condemn attacks on Petraeus , Max Cleland , Petraeus . Senate passes 72-25 a Senate amendment to repudiate MoveOn.org ad . President David Petraeus calls MoveOn.org 's ad on Gen. David Petraeus `` disgusting '' Newspaper ad titled `` General Petraeus or General Petraeus ? ''