Falling back on one of their favorite tricks, the GOP is again using fear to raise money.

Democrats assailed the Republicans Friday for e-mailing a fundraising appeal mentioning the war on terror hours after British authorities disclosed they had disrupted a plot to blow up aircraft headed to the United States.

"In the middle of a war on terror, we need to remain focused on furthering Republican ideas more than ever before," former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani said in a letter that asked for donations to the Republican National Committee.

The RNC blamed a low-level staffer for distributing the fundraising appeal, which the party said had been scheduled for release before news of the plot broke.

"Once the RNC learned of this error we ceased distribution of the e-mail," said Tracey Schmitt, a party spokeswoman.

Democrats didn't accept the explanation.

You know without fear the Republicans will simply not have a platform left. That is why they have done so little to make us feel safe. They want us scared and malleable so that they can trick Americans into believing only they can protect us even though they have failed to keep us safe for the past six years.

If it had not been for the British government catching those terrorist plotters we would be only days away from having multiple planes blown out of our skies. Our Department of Homeland Security did nothing to prevent that, and yet they want to be given the credit for the work that was done overseas.

Opportunistic bastards!