The ugly synergy between attacks on dissent and direct mail fundraising lives on. The Nyhan mailbag recently included a letter from Oliver North’s Freedom Alliance suggesting that the media is encouraging the enemy in Iraq. The most blatant accusation comes in the the enclosed reply letter, which says “Dear Ollie… I want to help you counter the distortions of Peter Jennings, Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw and others in the liberal media who are undermining our war effort and giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Therefore, I am immediately signing my REFERENDUM ON THE MEDIA AND IRAQ and rushing it back to you today along with my most-generous, tax-deductible gift of…”

Tom DeLay was up to the same tricks a couple of weeks ago on the radio with North (surprise!), accusing critics of Donald Rumsfeld of aiding the enemy (via Tapped):

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, blasting congressional and media critics of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, said yesterday that the constant drumbeat of attacks on the Pentagon chief was undermining the war effort.

“What worries me is that we are aiding and abetting the enemy,” DeLay told Lt. Col. Oliver North, who was filling in on Sean Hannity’s ABC Radio network broadcast.

Without naming names, DeLay pointed the finger at “all these naysayers” who he said “constantly criticize and call everything a mistake.”

The repeated attacks on Rumsfeld are only emboldening terrorists and their allies, the Texas conservative said.

(Scans of the North letter and reply form will be posted upon request.)