Democratic congressional candidate Joan Fitz-Gerald's campaign on Tuesday ripped rival Jared Polis, saying he has accepted money from at least five donors who also contributed to the GOP attack group known as Swift Boat.

The denouncement came as Polis is scheduled today to hold a town meeting in Boulder on his recent trip to Iraq.

"It's hard to reconcile going to Iraq when the very people who fund your campaign are perpetuating the war," Fitz-Gerald's spokesman, Matt Moseley, said.

Campaign manager Mary Alice Mandarich pointed out that money donated to Swift Boat and POWs for Truth in 2004 was used to defeat Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, who wanted to end the war in Iraq.

Polis' campaign in turn attacked Fitz-Gerald's donations, saying the former state Senate president has received thousands of dollars from the oil and gas industry.

"The oil and gas special interests do not want this district to elect another environmental leader like Jared Polis who will follow in the footsteps of Mark Udall," said Wanda James, Polis' campaign manager.

To which Mandarich responded: "I will take our donations and Joan's record any day of the week versus taking money from Swift Boat donors."

Fitz-Gerald, Polis and Will Shaf roth are vying for the Democratic nomination in the 2nd Congressional District, encompassing areas northwest of Denver, including the city of Boulder. It is now represented by Udall, D-Eldorado Springs, who is running for the U.S. Senate in 2008.

Shafroth's campaign joined Fitz-Gerald's in denouncing Polis' donations.

"While serious Democrats like Will Shafroth are focused on ending the war in Iraq and restoring America's reputation in the world, it's a shame any Democrat would raise money from Swift Boaters," said Shafroth's campaign manager, Lynea Hansen.

Polis received at least $6,350 from donors to Swift Boat, a political group that paid for ads featuring Vietnam veterans making unsubstantiated allegations challenging Kerry's record of wartime heroism. Kerry's hesitation to fight back was seen as major flaw in his campaign to defeat President Bush.

Only one donor identified by Fitz-Gerald's campaign is from Colorado. Denver oilman Alex Cranberg, a leading supporter of school vouchers, donated $2,300 to Polis and $2,500 to Swift Boat.

When Polis served on the state Board of Education, he supported a pilot program that would have allowed a limited number of inner-city kids to tap public vouchers to help them attend the private school of their choice.

Cranberg couldn't resist when asked about the donations.

"Swift Boat Veterans will soon be on the phone to me, angry that I have tainted their organization because I donated to the Polis campaign," he joked. "I'm hoping that SBV will send my money back."

But Mandarich questioned how out-of-state Swift Boaters known for supporting Republicans would even know of Polis' campaign.

Tuesday's dust-up is the latest between Fitz-Gerald and Polis.

Polis earlier went after Fitz-Gerald for voting for resolutions in 2003 that supported the president and the war.

Fitz-Gerald's campaign has questioned why Polis described his trip to Iraq last week as a fact-finding and humanitarian mission, when it appeared to be a political stunt. Shafroth also was critical of the trip.

"Jared Polis has opposed the Iraq war from the beginning, has been to Iraq and is the only candidate with a specific plan to end it," James said.