"... David Perdue playing politics and falsely attacking an organization that helps so many is exactly what's wrong with Washington and politics today."

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Georgia Senate race reveals split within Bush family
By CBS/AP, September 17, 2014

The Bush family isn't from Georgia, but the powerful Republican clan is playing a starring role in the state's contentious Senate race.

Former President George H.W. Bush endorsed Republican nominee David Perdue on Monday. But Perdue's opponent, Democrat Michelle Nunn, has spent months highlighting her relationship with the Bush family as the head of the Points of Light Foundation, a national service organization founded by the former president.

Now Republicans are slamming Nunn for her work at the foundation, suggesting in two ads that the nonprofit routed money to terrorists.

"In her campaign plan, Michelle Nunn admits she's too liberal, and her foundation gave money to organizations linked to terrorists," explained one ad contrasting Nunn and Perdue. "So Nunn needed to fool Georgians to win."

The attack seemingly backfired, though, generating a heated denunciation from at least one member of the Bush family.

Neil Bush, one of Bush's sons and chairman of the foundation, said the claims are shameful and false. He called Tuesday on Perdue to stop the "ridiculous" attack.

"It really makes my blood boil to think that someone would make that kind of an allegation, whether it's an independent political group or a candidate for office," Bush told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"Neither Points of Light nor Michelle Nunn have had anything to do with funneling money from our organization to terrorists organizations. Anyone who makes that claim needs to understand the facts and then they need to denounce those claims. To attack an organization founded by my father, whose integrity is unimpeachable, to smear our organization for political gain, is in my opinion shameful," he added in a statement. "If those allegations are being made, it's symptomatic of what I consider to be one of our country's growing problems. It really does upset me, honestly."

"To have a blemish on the great work that's being done by Points of Light, to blow wind into the sails of a national service movement -- it's hurtful to our cause, and it's disrespectful to our founder," he said.

Nunn similarly called on Perdue to pull the ad on Wednesday.

"I was appreciative of what Neil Bush said yesterday," Nunn said in a statement on her campaign website. "Washington can learn a lot from organizations like Points of Light. But David Perdue playing politics and falsely attacking an organization that helps so many is exactly what's wrong with Washington and politics today. David Perdue should take down his dishonest ads and quit falsely attacking Points of Light."

Nunn, Perdue and Libertarian Amanda Swafford appear on the Nov. 4 ballot. The outcome will help determine which major party controls the Senate in January. Republicans need a net gain of six seats to take the majority.

A CBS News/New York Times estimate released earlier this month found Perdue ahead of Nunn, 47 to 41 percent.
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