MoveOn.org bought this ad in The New York Times Monday.

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Southern Arizona's two Democratic congressional representatives criticized a controversial MoveOn.org ad Tuesday. But both rejected Republican calls to return contributions from the group.

The criticism by Reps. Gabrielle Giffords and Raúl Grijalva — which varied in intensity — follow a MoveOn.org ad in Monday's New York Times in advance of House testimony by Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq. Giffords, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, was present during the hearings.

Monday's full page ad featured a large picture of Petraeus with a bold headline in all uppercase letters: "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?"

Nationally, Republicans have used the ad, which accuses Petraeus of "Cooking the books for the White House," to criticize Democrats on the war. Democrats, meanwhile, have found themselves in the uncomfortable position of blasting a group many in their base admire.

In a phone interview from Washington, Grijalva said: "I think we should have stuck to the facts. I do not disagree with the fact that the general is carrying out the party line, but it took away from the debate."

He added, "I'm not as offended by it as other people."

Giffords, who was traveling back to Tucson from Washington Tuesday, was more harsh in a prepared statement through spokesman C.J. Karamargin, calling the ad "inexcusable."

Giffords also decried the "partisan attempt to make hay" out of the ad.

MoveOn.org is a liberal political action committee founded in 1998.

In 2006, the group contributed $6,918 to Giffords' campaign for Congress — $5,000 in direct contributions and $1,918 in "independent expenditures," or money spent on the candidate without his or her prior knowledge. MoveOn.org donated $5,000 to Grijalva.

In a statement, state GOP Chairman Randy Pullen called on Giffords to return the money she has received from MoveOn.org — something she and Grijalva both said they would not do.

Democratic spokeswoman Emily Bittner said Republicans are using the ads as a "red herring." She also pointed to Republicans taking money from figures such as former Reps. Bob Ney and Duke Cunningham and not returning the money once those politicians were convicted of crimes.

Tucsonan Ruth Davis, a long-time attorney, educator and Democratic activist, has been a member of MoveOn since its early days.

Davis said criticism of the ad from Democrats hasn't sat well with her.

"The notion 'they shouldn't have done this because it's impolite' I think is an inappropriate argument for elected officials in our country to make," she said.

In his testimony, Petraeus said forces could be reduced to pre-surge levels by July 2008, far from the reduction many Demo-crats had advocated in 2006.

Karamargin said Giffords wants to start bringing home troops as soon as possible in a responsible phased withdrawal.

Grijalva said he didn't hear anything compelling in Petraeus' testimony.

"I don't see in the horizon the situation changing," he said of violence in Iraq. "You can try to justify that as much as you want, but we're still in the same quagmire."

Should politicians refuse donations from MoveOn.org because of the ad against Gen. Petraeus? Vote in an online poll at azstarnet.com/politics