As presidential candidates delve deeper into campaigns, student political groups say they are frustrated with the infighting within both major parties.

"I think that it's ridiculous how negative things are getting this early in the campaign," Eliot Schmidt, College Democrats spokesman, said.

Last week, Hollywood executive David Geffen ignited controversy over two top Democratic presidential nominees. Geffen verbally attacked Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. and is now supporting Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., despite his past support for former president Bill Clinton, according to the Associated Press.

According to the Associated Press, presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has referred to Donald H. Rumsfeld as one of the worst defense secretaries that the country has ever had and, last month, criticized the way both vice-president Dick Cheney and Rumsfeld handled the war in Iraq.

When asked about the Democratic controversy, Schmidt said it's not good for either candidate to start personal attacks when there are so many other important issues.

College Republicans President Todd Taylor said he believes Geffen's comments will actually help the Republicans.

Geffen's comments speak positively about Obama, which could possibly hurt the future Democratic nominee, political science professor Eric Plutzer said.

"Any time members of the same party engage in a lot of negative campaigning to get their party's nomination, that tarnishes the eventual nominee," he said

With respect to the Republican controversy, Taylor said he thinks McCain's comments will help him gain the support of independent voters who are unsatisfied with the war in Iraq.

"I think all of the Republicans are going to try to distance themselves from an unpopular president," Plutzer said.

PollingReport.com said former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani leads the Republicans with 29 percent while McCain holds 20 percent.

On the democratic front, the Clinton campaign has asked Obama to denounce Geffen's comments, but he made no such move, according to the Associated Press.

"It's great for Republicans, because it comes right from the horse's mouth," Taylor said.

According to PollingReport.com, Clinton is the top Democratic contender with 33 percent of the vote, with Obama in second with 25 percent of the vote.

Schmidt said the infighting has been coming from two things Obama and Clinton have plenty of -- money and publicity.

"Money is following publicity and publicity is following money," Schmidt said.

He added the infighting is taking media time away from other good candidates.

"This sounds like a high school popularity contest," Schmidt said. "Sen. Clinton should respect the wishes of Geffen, and whoever he wants to support, let him support them."