Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John F. Kerry remained on the sidelines regarding the issue, but two party allies, former Sen. Max Cleland of Georgia and party Chairman Terry McAuliffe, hammered Bush.
In Reno for a campaign appearance on the eve of the Sept. 11 anniversary, Cleland, a Vietnam veteran, said Bush relied on his "political cronies in Texas" to avoid combat, adding: "It's just further evidence, really, that George Bush failed this country when it was his time to serve -- and he hid out."
McAuliffe insisted in a meeting with reporters that Bush's service as a 26-year-old lieutenant three decades ago remained relevant.
"This is about character, this is about credibility, the character and credibility of the president of the United States of America today," McAuliffe said.
Deflecting questions about whether Democrats had given CBS the documents implicating Bush, McAuliffe suggested it might have been White House political advisor Karl Rove who did so.
He offered no evidence to back that charge and White House spokesman Reed Dickens called the insinuation that Rove was behind the documents "complete nonsense."
Republicans argued that doubts raised about the memos proved that the entire case against Bush was false and unfair.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Friday that the latest memos dealing with Bush's military service had surfaced as part of "an orchestrated effort by Democrats and the Kerry campaign to tear down the president."
Democrats have no intention of letting the issue die.
On Monday, the newly formed "Texans for Truth," a liberal advocacy group, plans to begin airing an ad in five closely fought states -- Oregon, Arizona Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania -- that features a retired member of the Alabama Air National Guard saying he never saw Bush appear for training in 1972.
In just three days this week, the group said it had raised more than $400,000 from 5,000 contributors to air the ad.
The group said many of its donors believed the Bush critique was justified after Republicans backed similar ads that said Kerry did not deserve some of the medals he won while in combat in Vietnam.
To keep the issue alive, the group said it would announce a "substantial" reward on Tuesday to anyone who could offer proof that Bush fulfilled his service in the Alabama Air National Guard.
