MoveOn.org is leading the Democratic Party around by the nose: No Democratic censure for MoveOn ad.

Democratic congressional leaders and the party’s presidential candidates yesterday refused to repudiate a liberal group’s ad questioning Gen. David H. Petraeus’ character.

Capitol Hill Democrats rejected a call for votes in both chambers to condemn the attack newspaper ad (pdf download), run by MoveOn.org, saying Republicans are trying to take attention off what they call the president’s failed Iraq policy.

Nadeam Elshami, a spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the California Democrat “wished [MoveOn.org] wouldn’t have done that ad,” but declined to comment further. A spokeswoman for House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, Maryland Democrat, also declined to comment on the ad.

The MoveOn.org ad that ran in the New York Times on Monday features a photo of the general, who is giving testimony on Iraq to Congress this week, and the headline “General Petraeus or General Betray Us?”