GOP Web Site Hacked on Eve of Election

W A S H I N G T O N, Nov. 7 -- A leading Republican Web sitewas hacked just hours before polls opened today in whatRepublicans said was an effort to discredit their candidate, TexasGov. George W. Bush.

Late Monday the Republican National Committee’s Web site washacked and replaced with a lengthy anti-Bush tirade, according toRNC spokesman Tom Yu, who added that the unknown hacker also lefta link to Al Gore’s campaign Web site.

“It’s obviously a dirty trick late in the campaign by theDemocrats,” Yu told Reuters in a telephone interview.

“We’re disappointed at the large amount of dirty tricksbeing played this late in the campaign by the Democrats and wehope that Al Gore and the Democratic Party will join us indenouncing this kind of dirty trick,” he added.

Yu declined to detail the anti-Bush message that was posted onthe RNC Internet site, saying he did not want to give the wordsadded credibility by repeating them.

Jenny Backus, spokeswoman for the Democratic NationalCommittee, characterized the notion that her party was somehowinvolved in hacking the Republican Web site as “unfoundedcharges.”

The Republican Web site was not functional early today as polls opened for the presidential and congressional elections, but is now up and running.