Republican National Committee officials are fuming over Howard Dean’s attack on Sen. McCain as a “blatant opportunist” in a statement issued by the Democratic National Committee Chairman Friday morning.

Responding to news of McCain’s scheduled biography tour to highlight his service record next week, Dean said, “Americans want a real leader who offers real solutions, not a blatant opportunist who doesn’t understand the economy and is promising to keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years.”

“I think it’s an assault on Senator McCain’s character,” said RNC spokesman Alex Conant. “It certainly goes beyond the pale of what we expect– even from Chairman Dean.”

The Dean statement read in full: “The American people have been waiting for a president who understands the challenges they face, not another out of touch Bush Republican who promises four more years of the same failed leadership. John McCain can try to reintroduce himself to the country, but he can’t change the fact that he cast aside his principles to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with President Bush for the last seven years. While we honor McCain’s military service, the fact is Americans want a real leader who offers real solutions, not a blatant opportunist who doesn’t understand the economy and is promising to keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years.”

RNC Deputy Chairman Frank Donatelli responded this afternoon with a statement of his own. “Howard Dean owes John McCain an immediate apology and both Senators Clinton and Obama should unequivocally denounce this disgraceful attack,” Donatelli said.

Conant said the RNC intends to keep the dialogue “respectful,” referring to a memo put out by McCain Campaign Manager Rick Davis earlier this month calling on Republicans to keep the campaign “focused on the issues.”

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is calling on Democrats to donate cash in order to ensure Sen. John McCain “doesn’t get a free ride,” in an email sent out to supporters Friday.

As the two Democrats continue to battle for the nomination, Dean tells supporters that they “can’t be complacent,” warning that “every day that goes by where we don’t answer John McCain’s attacks means another opportunity missed, and it erases the work we’ve done so far.” At the start of the month, the DNC trailed their Republican counterparts by more than $20 million in cash on hand.

“We can’t allow John McCain to crisscross the country, fooling the American people with his ‘more of the same’ agenda,” Dean wrote in the email.

Full email…

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With it’s latest web video, the Democratic National Committee continues to connect McCain and President Bush. For it’s part the campaign does not believe Bush’s approval ratings will be a drain on them in November and plans to use him to rally the base and raise cash during the next eight months.

With no immediate end in sight for the Democratic primary, the Democratic National Committee is keeping it’s eye on the prize and pushing it’s supporters to donate some cash to keep the heat on Sen. John McCain.

In a fundraising pitch sent out to supporters Wednesday, the DNC argued that Democrats “can’t afford to let (John McCain) get ahead.”

Writes DNC Executive Director Tom McMahon, “while Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama continue their campaign, we have to be focused on John McCain.” (see full e-mail after jump)

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