Washington ? Republicans pounced on Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle on Thursday for saying the war on terrorism “will have failed” without Osama bin Laden’s capture.

Each party accused the other of injecting politics into the fight against terror.

From the White House to both chambers of Congress, leading Republicans lambasted the remarks by the South Dakota Democrat, who is seen as a possible 2004 presidential contender.

“Disgusting,” said House Majority Whip Tom DeLay, R-Texas.

In a written statement, Daschle aides said the senator stood by his remarks and that they were “no criticism of President Bush or his campaign against terrorism.”

Even so, the flare-up underlined how, with congressional elections looming eight months off, Democrats are trying to choose their words carefully when raising questions about the widely popular U.S. military reaction to the Sept. 11 attacks.

It also highlighted that Republicans, long seen by the public as the stronger party on the issue of defense, are happy to capitalize on that by using any opening they think Democrats have given them.

Some Democrats said the GOP reaction echoed remarks made last month by Bush political adviser Karl Rove, who said Republicans “can go to the country” on the anti-terror war “because they trust the Republican Party to do a better job of protecting and strengthening America’s military might.”

“The subtext is what Karl Rove said: They’ll try to make the war a political issue,” said Democratic strategist Fred Yang. “This is Exhibit A.”

Republicans said it was Daschle, the Senate’s majority leader, who was plunging into politics.

“He’s attempting to fill the void as the alternative to President Bush,” said GOP consultant Scott Reed. “He’s not running but he is. This is a manifestation of that, and it will continue.”

The dustup began when in response to questions by reporters, Daschle said that while the fight against terrorism has been successful so far, “the continued success, I think, is still somewhat in doubt.”

He said the United States must find bin Laden, Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar and other leaders of the al-Qaida terrorist network, “or we will have failed.”

“I think that it’s critical that we keep the pressure on,” he added. “We do the job that this country is committed to doing. But we’re not safe until we have broken the back of al-Qaida. And we haven’t done that yet.”

Bush did not respond to Daschle’s criticism of the war effort, but said at a pension security event, “This is going to require more time than people may want. It’s going to require a patient and determined nation. But, having traveled around the country some, having had a chance to listen to the American people, I’m proud of the fact that our nation is patient.”

Other Republicans were direct in criticizing Daschle.

“How dare Senator Daschle criticize President Bush while we are fighting our war on terrorism, especially when we have troops in the field,” said Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., in a written statement. “He should not be trying to divide our country while we are united.”

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said, “Obviously, people feel heartfelt about various issues. Obviously, there’s going to be politics involved. Some people may want to run for president one day.”

Daschle’s comments came at a time when several Democrats have begun to raise questions about U.S. strategy in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

Sen. Joseph R. Biden, D-Del., said Thursday that more lawmakers will start questioning the administration if it doesn’t demonstrate it has a clear strategy regarding Iraq.

“The longer the time moves on and the less you see of details of a plan, you’re going to hear more and more people, Democrat and Republican, saying, ‘Whoa, wait a minute,”‘ said the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman.

At a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Wednesday, Chairman Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., complained to Defense Department officials that “there’s no end in sight” to U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.

Other Democrats have also challenged Bush’s plan to give the Pentagon a $48 billion increase next year to $379 billion, the largest boost in two decades.

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., has said the White House is using the war’s popularity to drum up support for its defense budget request.