[20] Times public editor and Pulitzer Prize-winner Clark Hoyt later stated in an editorial that the organization was mistakenly charged a rate to which it was not entitled under the newspaper's policies.
[23] Fox News stated: Conservative columnist George Will argued that "the paper made a huge and patently illegal contribution to MoveOn.org's issue advocacy ad."
[28] Independent Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, and several Republican presidential candidates criticized the ad.
"[33] Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Meet The Press, "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".
[38] Minnesota Senatorial candidate Al Franken argued in a Star Tribune editorial "It is, of course, ridiculous that the United States Senate spent a day debating and voting on a resolution condemning an advertisement while our troops remained in Iraq, fighting a war with no end.
The ad worked brilliantly to reveal, via its framing, an essential but previously hidden truth: the Bush Administration and its active supporters have betrayed the trust of the troops and the American people.
"[41] Anti-war activist and Congressional candidate Cindy Sheehan stated that "I have often been critical of MoveOn.org, basically because I feel, for the most part that they support Democrats to the detriment of democracy...
"[42] Council of Foreign Relations fellow Peter Beinart argued that "It is terribly unfortunate that MoveOn.org is essentially calling Petraeus a Republican hack, but it’s the logical result of the position the Bush administration has put him in."
Fellow Max Boot accused Moveon.org of "desperate attempts to besmirch one of the most admired soldiers in the entire American armed forces" and argued that the ad will "backfire".
[43] Pete Hegseth, an Iraq War veteran and executive director of Vets for Freedom, published an article in the Weekly Standard calling the ad "utterly shameful."
"[45] MoveOn.org stood by their ad, stating that the General "offered a twisted version of the truth designed to support prolonging the war" and that "the public needs to know that Petraeus is neither objective nor trustworthy when it comes to assessing progress in Iraq".
On September 20, the Senate passed an amendment by Republican John Cornyn of Texas designed to "strongly condemn personal attacks on the honor and integrity of General Petraeus".
[58] Eli Pariser, executive director of MoveOn.org Political Action, stated that "It is unconscionable and outrageous that instead of doing the people's work and ending this war, Congress chooses meaningless and distracting gestures.
[68][69][70] On September 24, Freedom's Watch ran a full-page ad[71] in The New York Times attacking former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — calling him a "terrorist".
The change took place in the aftermath of President Obama's nomination of Petraeus to be the new top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan upon General Stanley McChrystal's retirement.