Carson to backers: Donate to fight media's 'vicious lies'

MILWAUKEE -- Ben Carson is seeking to raise campaign money off of his attacks on the media.

"I always knew this campaign would be tough, but the media is now going off the rails and we need the resources to fight back, 24/7," Carson said in a email to donors Tuesday, just hours before a Republican debate in Milwaukee.

After a string of news reports challenging some of Carson's claims about his life story, the retired doctor said he is the subject of political attack because of his sudden rise in Republican polls.

In his email -- titled "vicious lies" -- Carson accuses the media of "blatant disregard for the truth" when it comes to his campaign.

"If you've been watching the news, you've seen that the media is in full attack mode," Carson said. "They've been tracking down and interviewing my childhood friends and even accusing me of fabricating parts of my personal history ... Funny, because this was the same media that time and again declared it off-limits to dig into then-candidate Barack Obama's background."

Also from Carson: "As our movement continues to grow, I know the viciousness of the attacks will grow as well. It shouldn't have to be this way, but sadly that's the reality we face. It's why people despise politics and Washington, and it's why people distrust the media."