As the Republicans gear up for their national convention, slated to start Monday in an abbreviated format, Hurricane Gustav has compelled both parties to drop partisan walls for the time being and focus on the well-being of the Gulf Coast states.

Will the storm also prompt the campaigns to suspend or modify their ad attack strategy? John McCain's campaign manager, Rick Davis, addressed the issue in a press conference Sunday. "Right now, we had some ads that were being purchased as a course of normal activities during this week," Davis said. "And we're evaluating whether or not we have those go up or whether we can even get them down. So, we are looking at that as a campaign."

A spokesman for Barack Obama said the Democrat's campaign is monitoring the situation but has not changed its ad strategy yet.

If the hurricane does trigger a cease-fire between the campaigns, it will certainly be a change of pace after both released a flurry of ads within the last week. The McCain camp released an ad every day of the Democrats' convention in Denver, hitting Obama on everything from national security to harsh criticism from Hillary Rodham Clinton. The Obama campaign didn't waste any time leading up to the Republicans' events in the Twin Cities, releasing three spots on Saturday, including a hard-hitting one responding to McCain's newly picked running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Click here to watch "No Change."

To the Obama campaign, John McCain has had a running mate beside him long before Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin -- President Bush.

In a new ad released today -- pre-emptively stealing some thunder from the Republicans' convention in the Twin Cities this week -- Barack Obama charges that there will be "no change" with McCain as president, regardless of Palin's addition to his ticket.

"Well, he's made his choice. But for the rest of us, there's still no change," an announcer says over footage of Palin and McCain together. The spot goes on to criticize McCain on the economy, Iraq, and, of course, Bush: McCain "votes with George Bush 90 percent of the time," the announcer laments. The ad concludes by saying, "While this may be his running mate [showing Palin on the screen], America knows this [switching to Bush] is John McCain's agenda. And we can't afford four more years of the same."

There has been some controversy over how the Obama campaign has reacted to McCain's veep choice. While Obama and his running mate, Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., cordially welcomed Palin into the race, campaign spokesman Bill Burton had harsher words about her, which Obama has since distanced himself from. This spot, however, was carefully crafted not to mention Palin by name or criticize her. The focus, and the Democrats' attack strategy as a whole, remains on McCain and an unpopular Republican Party. It also subtly gnaws at one of the reasons many believe McCain picked Palin: her reputation as a reformer, not a Washington insider. Asserting that she won't make a difference as his running mate implies that she doesn't have what it takes -- be it experience or an "outsider" mindset -- to be vice president.

While this spot has triggered the most talk, Obama's campaign released two other ads Saturday in local buys addressing specific issues.

In an ad running in Detroit, an announcer says that while McCain has turned his back on the ailing auto industry, Obama supports measures that helps "revitalize" the city and its auto workers.

Biden takes center stage in another ad running in Northeast Pennsylvania. "Scranton" recounts what Biden has learned about working hard while growing up there and draws parallels between his childhood and Obama's. "Barack Obama learned the same lessons while being raised by a single mom and his grandparents -- responsibility, determination, respect, to stand up for the dignity of all our families," Biden proclaims. "So it's good to be coming home -- and bringing home a friend."

Click here to watch "Home."

The South Carolina Republican Party wants viewers in the Twin Cities to know that Barack Obama failed to mention one "home" of John McCain's in his attacks on the Arizona senator and his multiple houses.

"Home" highlights McCain's captivity in a Vietnamese prison camp. "During a combat mission over Vietnam, John McCain was shot down and severely injured. John McCain's new home for the next five and half years will be an enemy prison cell," an announcer says.

The South Carolina GOP, which will run the ad through the Republican convention next week, is aiming to take some thunder away from the expected Democratic attacks. The spot shows black-and-white photos of the "Hanoi Hilton" POW camp -- prison bars, empty rooms and other desolate images -- when an announcer says: "This is where John McCain was starved, beaten, tortured and maimed for life. So the next time Barack Obama talks about one of John McCain's homes, remember this one."

The ad echoes McCain's response to Obama's attack on his housing flub, which was to cite his time as a POW. Appearing on "The Tonight Show" on Monday, McCain told Jay Leno, "I spent five and a half years in a prison cell, without -- I didn’t have a house, I didn’t have a kitchen table, I didn’t have a table, I didn’t have a chair." Still, some critics raise the issue that the Republican’s camp is making a little too much of his military history.

Click here to watch "Convention Night."

No celebrity reference. No charge that Barack Obama isn’t ready to lead, no inclusion of criticism from Hillary Rodham Clinton. No more of the attacks the McCain camp has been bombarding the Democratic convention with all week.

In "Convention Night," released just hours before Obama takes the stage at Invesco Field to accept his party's nomination, John McCain gives kudos to his opponent. "Senator Obama, this is truly a good day for America," McCain says, facing the camera. "Too often the achievements of our opponents go unnoticed. So I wanted to stop and say: Congratulations."

The Arizona senator goes on to acknowledge the significance of Obama speaking on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech. "How perfect that your nomination would come on this historic day," McCain says to his opponent. "Tomorrow, we'll be back at it. But tonight, Senator, job well done."

The 30-second spot keeps things simple. McCain faces the camera in front of a nondescript background, and no text rolls across the screen. Brian Rogers, spokesman for the campaign, called the ad "unprecedented" in an e-mail sent earlier today alerting reporters. It will air in battleground states as well as national cable tonight as Obama speaks to nearly 80,000 supporters in Denver.

John McCain is determined to steal some of the attention away from Barack Obama when the Democratic nominee speaks tonight at Invesco Stadium. The camp is planning on releasing an ad later today that shows McCain speaking directly to the camera as if to Obama. Communications director Jill Hazelbaker referred to the spot as "historic" when she appeared on a morning talk show today.

The ad will air in battleground states around the time Obama will be accepting his party's nomination in Denver, Hazelbaker said on "Morning Joe." The campaign hopes that it generates buzz. "I'm not going to give away many more details... but suffice to say it's going to be a very exciting ad, and I think it's going to get a lot of attention."

Check back here later today for more on this ad.

Click here to watch "Tiny."

John McCain's camp is keeping a close eye on the Democratic convention schedule, coordinating its attack ads with speakers and topics. Tonight’s convention focus is national security, and McCain’s new spot hits Barack Obama where it may hurt the most: his foreign policy credentials, or, as McCain argues, the lack thereof.

"Tiny" (subscription) uses statements Obama made at a rally in May to assert that the Illinois senator doesn't think Iran is a serious threat. "Obama says Iran is a 'tiny' country, 'doesn't pose a serious threat.' Terrorism? Destroying Israel? Those aren't 'serious threats'?" the announcer chides. Reiterating McCain's attack staple that his opponent doesn't have the experience needed to lead, the ad concludes: "Obama: dangerously unprepared to be president."

This is the latest of several ads the campaign has recently released -- one every day of the Democratic convention. Indeed, it was no coincidence that the GOP released two ads portraying Hillary Rodham Clinton in a light favorable to McCain and unfavorable to her own party's candidate on Tuesday -- when she delivered a speech urging her millions of supporters and attending delegates to rally behind Obama.

Click here to watch "Know Enough?."

Efforts by a third-party organization to tie Barack Obama to the leader of a home-grown terrorist group are being met with stiff opposition from the Obama camp, perhaps demonstrating that Democrats learned their lesson in 2004. Four years ago, John Kerry waited several weeks to respond to ads launched by the Swift Boat Veterans For Truth, by which time the organization's message had already taken hold. This time around, Democrats are not taking any chances.

American Issues Project launched a TV ad last week presenting Obama as "friends" with William Ayers, once a member of the Weather Underground, the now-defunct radical group responsible for bombing the Capitol in 1971. The ad quotes Ayers saying, years later, that the group "didn't do enough," and an announcer says that Obama has nonetheless "defended Ayers as 'respectable' and 'mainstream.'"

"Why would Barack Obama be friends with someone who bombed the Capitol -- and is proud of it?" the announcer asks over ominous music. "Do you know enough to elect Barack Obama?"

The ad also references 9/11, comparing the 1971 bombing to the hijacking of United 93, which al-Qaida may have intended to fly into the Capitol building.

AIP President Ed Martin said that the spot was turned down for national ad buys on Fox News and CNN but is running regionally in several swing states -- including Michigan, Ohio, Virginia and Pennsylvania. According to a letter filed with the Federal Election Commission, it is being financed by Harold Simmons, a Texas billionaire who also contributed to the Swift Boat campaign and is a bundler for John McCain.

Continue reading "Obama Reacts To Ayers Attack" »

Click here to watch "I Am The Surge."

Anti-war protesters plan to make their voices heard in Denver and St. Paul over the coming days, but one third-party organization is taking a different message to the airwaves during the parties' national conventions. Vets For Freedom, a group of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, released a new TV spot today urging Barack Obama to acknowledge that the surge strategy has been successful in stabilizing Iraq.

"I Am The Surge" features Gabriel Herrera, David Thul and Travis Quinlan, all of whom were deployed in Iraq during the surge. Herrera claims that Obama "credits the improvements in Iraq to anything but the surge." But, Quinlan argues, "I know the surge worked. I was there. I saw al-Qaida decimated." The soldiers encourage viewers to call Obama and ask him to support Senate Resolution 636, which "recognizes the success of the surge." The resolution is sponsored by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Joe Lieberman, I/D-Conn. -- both of whom are surrogates for John McCain and past members of the Vets For Freedom board of advisers.

Vets For Freedom chairman Pete Hegseth, who just returned from a trip to Iraq, said in a press release that the organization "will not stand by and let the incredible progress of our troops go unnoticed by the American public and lawmakers from either side of the aisle.” In addition to releasing the ad, Hegseth and Vice Chairman David Bellavia are in Denver this week to talk to Democratic leaders about what they saw on their recent trip.

"Senator Obama has said that he would still oppose the surge if given another opportunity, and has pointed to every outside factor -- but the surge -- to explain improvements in Iraq. We hope he will listen to the veterans who have served there and support this important resolution for the sake of the troops," Hegseth said.

The ad will also run in battleground states Ohio, Michigan, Virginia and Colorado for the next four weeks.

Click here to watch "Debra."

Hillary Rodham Clinton takes center stage in Denver tonight for her speech at the Democratic National Convention. But as Democrats scramble to project a message of party unity, Republicans are also putting the New York senator front and center -- in a series of new attack ads intended to keep the focus on Democratic divisions.

On Monday, John McCain's camp released "Debra," in which former Clinton delegate Debra Bartoshevich endorses the Arizona senator. "I respect his maverick and independent streak, and now he's the one with the experience and judgment," Bartoshevich says. "A lot of Democrats will vote McCain. It's OK, really!"

The Wisconsin Democratic Party rescinded Bartoshevich's delegate status in July after she publicly stated that she would vote for McCain if Barack Obama won the nomination over Clinton.

In another negative spot released Tuesday morning, the McCain camp explicitly borrows from Clinton's infamous "3 a.m." ad released during the Democratic primary campaign. McCain's version uses the same stock footage and voice-over as the Clinton spot and suggests that the New York senator was right to question Obama's readiness to lead. The ad also shows video of nuclear missiles and Islamic radicals to reiterate the Republicans' claim that the next president will take office at a dangerous point in history and must be ready to protect America.

Continue reading "McCain, RNC Pursue Clinton Strategy" »

All ad summaries are viewable without a subscription. For the next two weeks, during the Democratic and Republican national conventions, everything published on NationalJournal.com is free.

Colorado Senate (tip sheet)

• In "Choked," Mark Udall (D) says solving the energy crisis through a comprehensive plan is key to helping families stay afloat financially.

• The American Future Fund criticizes the "Gang of 10" proposal addressing oil prices in "Crippling" and chides Udall for supporting it.

Kentucky Senate (tip sheet)

• Businessman Bruce Lunsford (D) claims that GOP incumbent Mitch McConnell and his "Big Oil buddies" are reaping huge financial rewards while Kentuckians struggle to get by in "How Are You Doing?"

Continue reading "The Week In Political Ads" »

Click here to watch "Nuclear Iran."

With thousands of reporters and political bigwigs in Denver and the Twin Cities for the next two weeks, the Israel Project is hoping to seize the moment for a message underscoring the importance of a nuclear-free Iran.

The nonpartisan advocacy group is running two TV spots in both markets during the national conventions. "Nuclear Iran," the harder-hitting of the two, opens with an unsettling comparison: "Imagine Denver under missile attack from nearby Boulder." The ad goes on to explain that Israel faces those kinds of attacks from Hamas and Hezbollah, funded in part by Iran. Israel Project President Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi said likening Iranian nuclear attacks to one here at home helps reiterate how imminently the issue should be dealt with. "People already understand the threat but the urgency of the threat is something we’re trying to bring home by pointing out the facts of what the outcome could be if we do nothing," Mizrahi said. The group is planning to run another version of this spot during the GOP convention with a Minnesota-specific reference.

The other ad, "Partners In Renewable Energy," stresses how energy independence from the Middle East would lead to a peaceful Israel while encouraging investment in renewable energy. "Israel and America. Partners in a changing world. That means a commitment to freedom, including freedom from giving our gas dollars to the Middle East," the announcer says.

Mizrahi said the sheer number of influential people attending the conventions -- from delegates to world leaders to reporters -- was the impetus behind tailoring the ads to convention attendees. The ads will air more than a thousand times on the major news channels in both convention cities.

"For politics, the conventions are like the Super Bowl plus the Olympics put together," Mizrahi said. "And because this year, more than ever before, I see momentum moving significantly toward helping reduce our dependency on foreign oil.... This seemed like the perfect opportunity, perfect storm, to communicate with the world."

Click here to watch "Passed Over."

The McCain camp is asking the same question that large numbers of Hillary Rodham Clinton supporters are asking -- why isn't she Barack Obama's VP? The campaign released "Passed Over" early Sunday -- 3 a.m., to be exact. Not coincidentally, this is the same time Obama sent a text message announcing Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., as his running mate. It also harks back to Clinton's infamous "3 a.m." ad on national security.

"She won millions of votes, but isn't on his ticket. Why?" an announcer chides. "For speaking the truth." The ad goes on to air footage of Clinton criticizing Obama on a number of points, including his involvement with convicted Chicago developer Tony Rezko, something a spot the campaign released last week scrutinized as well. The ad concludes by implying this criticism is why the Illinois senator didn't pick Clinton as his running mate: "The truth hurt. And Obama didn't like it."

The ad doesn't actually mention the words "passed over" and doesn't attempt to persuade Clinton supporters to vote for John McCain. Nonetheless, the spot capitalized on a touchy issue at an opportune time, right before the Democratic convention officially started today. By highlighting the divisive relationship between the two Democrats and the still-fresh political wounds millions of Clinton supporters may be feeling, the campaign is implicitly suggesting McCain is a better option for these voters than Obama.

What does Clinton think about the spot? She's not too pleased, according to this statement issued today by spokeswoman Kathleen Strand: "Hillary Clinton's support of Barack Obama is clear. She has said repeatedly that Barack Obama and she share a commitment to changing the direction of the country, getting us out of Iraq, and expanding access to health care. John McCain doesn't. It's interesting how those remarks didn't make it into his ad."

Click here to listen to "What Will Harry Say?"

Conservative group American Future Fund and the Republican National Committee didn’t waste any time attacking Democrats prior to the party's convention. Both groups released radio ads on Friday specifically to get a jump on the events in Denver.

In "What Will Harry Say?," American Future Fund references Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s speech Wednesday to continue its attacks on the Nevada Democrat for leaving on congressional recess before addressing oil prices. "What do you think Reid will say?" an announcer asks listeners. "He could talk about how he blocked the Senate from voting to drill for oil -- even as gas prices skyrocketed -- and then sent the Senate on a five-week vacation." The ad goes on to criticize a measure the "Gang of 10" -- a bipartisan group of senators working on energy legislation -- recently put forth. "The 'Gang of 10' plan doesn’t allow offshore drilling in the greatest oil reserves," the announcer says. "The plan doesn’t open oil shale reserves, which could contain three times the amount of oil as in Saudi Arabia. And it would raise energy taxes that consumers could end up paying."

The RNC's Spanish-language radio ad, "Commitment v. Rhetoric," aims to cast doubt on Barack Obama's commitment to Hispanic voters while highlighting what John McCain has done in Congress in support of immigration. "When Hispanics needed a friend in Congress during the immigration debate, who stood up? Who spoke out? John McCain," the announcer says. "Senator McCain worked with Republicans and Democrats alike to form immigration legislation." The ad goes on to criticize what Obama has done -- or hasn't, according to the RNC -- for Hispanics. "If Obama didn’t even have the courage to stand up for immigrants, how can he claim to have the strength to change the way Washington works?" The ad concludes by echoing the McCain camp's theme -- that the Illinois senator does not have the experience to be president: "John McCain is ready to lead. Barack Obama is not."

While the campaigns of both presidential hopefuls have been busy battling over the airwaves this last week, the conventions will surely trigger both to alter their respective ad strategies. The McCain camp is reportedly preparing to release several ads in an attempt to counteract the aggressive message Democrats are hoping to convey this week. Obama, on the other hand, has scaled back his ad buys in conservative regions like the South to focus more on the back-and-forth in the battleground states.

Click here to watch "Biden."

While the city of Denver, media organizations and Washington lawmakers and insiders have been busy preparing for the Democratic convention, the two presidential campaigns have been busy fighting an on-air ad battle. In the last 48 hours, the candidates have released a combined eight ads -- five from Barack Obama and three from John McCain, including a hard-hitting spot released soon after Obama's running-mate announcement of Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., early this morning.

The ad shows Biden expressing his support for McCain and casting doubt on Obama's ability to lead the country. The footage is from an early presidential debate where Biden said he stood by a statement he made that he didn’t think Obama is ready to lead the country. The spot closes with footage of an interview where Biden said he supports McCain: "I would be honored to run with or against John McCain, because I think the country would be better off," Biden says.

The McCain campaign also released this statement by spokesman Ben Porritt: "There has been no harsher critic of Barack Obama’s lack of experience than Joe Biden. Biden has denounced Barack Obama’s poor foreign policy judgment and has strongly argued in his own words what Americans are quickly realizing -- that Barack Obama is not ready to be President.”

Indeed, gone are the days of positive ads -- all the other spots the campaigns have released in the last two days have gone on the attack as well. McCain is continuing the "celebrity" theme, casting doubt on Obama's ability to lead the country, while the Illinois senator is hammering home a comment McCain made that he didn't know how many homes he owned.

Here's a rundown of all the ads.

Continue reading "Biden, Houses Star In Volley Of Attacks" »

Click here to watch "Skip."

As Democrats prepare to descend on Denver, third-party groups from both the left and right have their eyes on the Colorado Senate race, where Rep. Mark Udall (D) leads former Rep. Bob Schaffer (R) by a slim 6 percentage points in the latest polling. With the two candidates vying for an open seat in what is increasingly viewed as a battleground region, these ads drive home what is also taking center stage nationally -- the energy crisis.

Freedom's Watch, in its first Senate ad (subscription) of the cycle, charges that "Udall skipped work, went to a fundraiser and sent Congress on vacation" rather than addressing energy legislation. "So next time you’re at the pump, call Skip Udall. I mean, Mark Udall," the announcer quips. "Tell him not to skip the next energy vote."

On the other side of the political spectrum, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee invites viewers to "Meet Bob" (subscription) in its latest spot, also released Tuesday. The DSCC chastises "Big-Oil Bob Schaffer" for voting in favor of giving oil companies tax breaks, and for his involvement with a controversial energy deal in Iraq. The ad also mocks Schaffer for a comment in which he described the recent record profits posted by oil companies as "modest."

Click here to watch "What Matters."

Barack Obama has discouraged left-leaning third-party groups from getting involved in this year's ad wars. But California-based PowerPAC is going on air today with a new TV spot in New Mexico that targets Latino voters.

"What Matters" (subscription) portrays Obama simultaneously as an average person and the embodiment of the American dream. "Barack Obama believes it shouldn’t matter if you look different" or if "your name is unusual," the announcer says, as images depicting ordinary Americans flash on screen. What does matter, according to the ad: "hard work, education, playing by the rules... the values that make dreams come true." The tag line calls the Democratic candidate "a new kind of leader. Just like you."

PowerPAC is running the ad in English and Spanish (script here [PDF]) and says it hopes to expand its ad buy to Colorado and Nevada in coming weeks. The progressive advocacy group has been supporting Obama's candidacy since the primaries with advertising and voter registration drives.

Continue reading "Third-Party Makes Western Push For Obama" »

Click here to watch "Three Times."

After a series of recent John McCain ads calling Barack Obama's tax plan "a recipe for economic disaster," Obama returned fire today with "Three Times" (subscription), arguing that McCain's economic plan will only benefit big businesses, not hard-working Americans.

An announcer claims that McCain's tax plan will give $200 million in tax breaks to big businesses and $4 million to oil companies, and will reward companies that export jobs while "100 million Americans get no tax relief at all." He then cites two newspaper sources that say Obama's plan will cut middle-class taxes three times as much as McCain's would. "Can we really afford more of the same?" he asks, linking McCain to the Bush administration.

Meanwhile, the Arizona senator released a radio ad today, "Millions" (subscription), charging that Obama plans to spend $863 billion in taxpayer dollars on new government programs. An announcer opens the ad with what has become a signature theme: "Celebrities like to spend their millions. Barack Obama is no different. Only it's your money he wants to spend." The ad claims that Obama's plans will ultimately raise taxes for families on everything from income to electric bills to life savings: "Ready to tax. Ready to spend. Not ready to lead."

Both "Three Times" and "Millions" are running in Ohio, Colorado, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Virginia and other battlegrounds.

Click here to watch "Pocket."

MoveOn.org unveiled its first Senate ad of this election cycle on Tuesday, targeting Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., as well as John McCain, for their ties to Big Oil. The half-million dollar buy begins airing throughout North Carolina today.

In "Pocket" (subscription), MoveOn echoes an ad Barack Obama released under the same title at the beginning of August that attacks McCain for his connections to oil companies. In MoveOn's ad, an announcer argues that, instead of working toward clean energy and independence from foreign oil, "John McCain and Elizabeth Dole allowed big oil companies to keep $13.5 billion dollars in tax breaks, while taking huge contributions from Big Oil."

Dole is facing an increasingly close battle with state Sen. Kay Hagan (D) to retain her seat. The latest polling shows Hagan has cut a double-digit lead to 6 percentage points. Perhaps this is evidence that the incessant attacks the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has thrown at Dole -- most notably for her low rating (subscription) in a recent congressional effectiveness study -- are starting to resonate with North Carolina voters.

Continue reading "MoveOn.org Berates N.C.'s Dole In First '08 Senate Ad" »

Click here to listen to "Recipe."

John McCain continues his attempts to win over Hispanic voters from Barack Obama, releasing a radio ad today in Florida and the Southwest -- a Spanish-language version of a spot released earlier this month.

In "Recipe" (subscription), an announcer references several media reports, including a Sept. 2007 editorial by the Las Vegas Review-Journal describing Obama's policies as a "recipe for economic disaster." The announcer concludes, in Spanish: "More taxes. Higher gas prices. A recipe for economic disaster. That's the real Obama."

Campaign spokesman Brian Rogers said the reasoning behind releasing this ad in Spanish as well as English is simple: The economy is something everyone in the country contends with. "Most Hispanic Americans are concerned about mainly the same issues that all Americans are," Rogers said. "It's a message that resonates very widely."

All ad summary pages are available to subscribers only.

Colorado Senate (tip sheet)

• Rep. Mark Udall (D) pushes for energy independence by investing in new technology and wind resources in "Line."

• In "Oil Resources," American Future Fund pressures Udall to vote for legislation that would allow for domestic oil production.

Idaho Senate (tip sheet)

• In his first ad of the general, "Bold New Leadership," Lt. Gov. Jim Risch (R) talks about his plan to address high gasoline prices.

Kentucky Senate (tip sheet)

• Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) released two new TV spots criticizing businessman Bruce Lunsford. "You Decide" juxtaposes the candidates' energy plans, hitting Lunsford for opposing offshore drilling and supporting higher energy taxes, while in "Ever Wonder?" McConnell's camp uses footage from one of Lunsford's own ads against him.

• Lunsford released a sharp ad of his own, "McCONned," attempting to discredit McConnell's negative ads and going after his record on helping big oil companies.

Continue reading "The Week In Political Ads" »

Click here to watch "Punch."

The on-air back-and-forth between Barack Obama and John McCain intensified Friday, as the Illinois senator continued to pound his opponent over a past business deal that led to job losses in Ohio and the McCain team shot back with another derisive ad about Obama's celebrity status.

Obama had already released a radio ad (subscription) in Ohio on Aug. 8 highlighting McCain's connection to DHL, the foreign-owned shipping company, which recently eliminated 8,200 jobs in the state.

On Friday, he followed up with "Punch" (subscription), a TV ad that features comments from Ohio residents distressed over the job losses. "If DHL -- I mean, if something happens, it's going to be like a ghost town," one woman frets. An announcer charges: "In Washington, John McCain helped pave the way for foreign-owned DHL to take over an American shipping company," eventually leading to the job cuts. He notes that McCain's campaign manager, Rick Davis, was a "lead lobbyist" for the company. "It's tough times when it's a foreign entity coming in and sucker-punching us," says an Ohio man who lost his job.

The McCain campaign was quick to respond, launching its own TV spot Friday afternoon. "Maybe" (subscription) cites a FactCheck.org analysis that calls Obama's allegations "misleading." "Maybe the applause is going to his head," an announcer remarks, as the same familiar footage of Obama in front of cheering crowds in Berlin plays on screen. He insists that "it's Obama’s taxes that will hurt Ohio families." And hitting once again upon the "inexperienced" argument, he concludes: "That's the real Obama: ready to tax, not ready to lead."

With its 20 electoral votes, Ohio is viewed as a crucial swing state for both candidates, and recent polling shows Obama and McCain in a dead heat.

Click here to watch "Taxman."

In an effort to quell criticism, Barack Obama released more details of his tax plan on Thursday. But John McCain signaled this morning that he has no intention of letting up in his effort to portray Obama as a "job-killing" tax-raiser.

In a new TV ad, "Taxman" (subscription), McCain uses newspaper headlines to issue dire warnings about what Obama's tax ideas will mean for the average family's budget. "The press warns the 'taxman cometh,'" an announcer declares, with the headline of a Wall Street Journal editorial flashing on screen. The spot also cites a Washington Post piece claiming that Obama's taxes will lead to higher gas prices and a Las Vegas Review-Journal article from 2007 calling "Obama's taxes a 'recipe for economic disaster.'"

The announcer also continues the celebrity theme, now a staple of McCain's anti-Obama spots: "Celebrity? Yes. Ready to lead? No."

Tax policy is an area where Obama and McCain have some very real disagreements. McCain backs an extension of President Bush's tax cuts, while Obama intends to let them expire as planned in 2010. Obama is also calling for a $1,000 tax cut for middle-class families -- which McCain's ad fails to mention.

Click here to listen to "Hot Air Solutions."

Recent polls show Barack Obama with a slim lead over John McCain in the battleground state of New Mexico, but the state's Republican Party is doing its part to fight the rising tide of Obamania. In a new radio ad, the GOP revives Obama's "bitter" comments and highlights a more recent statement he made about car tires to portray the Democratic candidate as out of touch with New Mexico voters.

"Hot Air Solutions" (subscription) begins by proclaiming the enormity of the energy crisis, then asks: "What's Barack Obama's energy solution? Barack Obama wants you to inflate you car tires. That's right. Inflate your tires." The spot then hits Obama, once again, for remarks made to a group of San Francisco donors in April, in which he claimed that people from small towns "cling to guns or religion" because they're "bitter." Together, the ad suggests, these two instances demonstrate that Obama doesn't really understand New Mexicans.

Obama did in fact say recently that pumping up tires and getting regular tune-ups would help drivers save money on gasoline. But contrary to the ad's claim, it is not his only proposed solution for high energy prices. The Illinois senator is spending millions of dollars on a TV ad, running during the Olympics, that lays out his energy plan in some detail.

But the overall picture that Republicans are seeking to paint of Obama is one of an inexperienced elitist. "He is not ready to lead on some of the most important issues to Americans," said New Mexico GOP communications director Shira Rawlinson. "Hot Air Solutions" is running in several small towns in New Mexico, targeting rural voters who might be particularly sensitive to Obama's "bitter" remark.

Click here to listen to "Truth."

After conservative group Freedom's Watch launched a slew of ads last Wednesday attacking Democrats across the country for going on "vacation" instead of considering energy legislation, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee didn't waste much time before responding.

The DCCC's radio ads started running Friday in 10 of the districts where Freedom's Watch is running its "misleading" spots, according to spokesman Doug Thornell. The version (subscription) running in Louisiana's 6th District opens with a sound clip of the Freedom's Watch ad, "Bell" (subscription), which chastises newly elected Rep. Don Cazayoux (D) for leaving on recess before addressing the energy crisis. An announcer then cuts in: "We interrupt this negative attack to bring you -- the truth." The spot goes on to defend Cazayoux's policies and criticize opponent Bill Cassidy (R), a state senator, for his alleged ties to big oil companies.

Although the ads differ somewhat in the wording, they all seek to defend the Democrats targeted by Freedom's Watch while calling into question the motivations of their GOP opponents, Thornell said. Versions of the ad are also running in competitive open-seat districts such as Ohio-15 and -16, and New Mexico-01.

Click here to watch "Three Bedroom Ranch."

Barack Obama has released a second TV ad for Olympics coverage, a positive spot focusing on his plan to fix the economy. "Three Bedroom Ranch" (subscription) opens with images of a construction crew building a house from the ground up as an announcer explains that rebuilding the economy "begins with a plan. A plan to build. A plan to put hardworking Americans first." The spot emphasizes that Obama will "put the middle class ahead of corporate interests" by giving tax breaks to middle-class families instead of companies that outsource jobs.

There is still much concern in Democratic circles that Obama is failing to win over white, blue-collar workers, hence the effort to speak to the middle class in this and other recent ads. Commentators have pointed out, moreover, that Obama is perhaps striking the more appropriate Olympic note with this ad and "Hands." While John McCain's spots have been mostly attack ads, Obama's have focused on more positive messages, which could resonate better with viewers during this feel-good event.

Click here to watch "Book."

Barack Obama continues a streak of negative advertising today with a new TV spot slamming John McCain. But rather than fight another battle on McCain's "celebrity" terms, the Illinois senator attempts to move the debate back to topics that are more favorable to Democrats -- the economy and President Bush's record.

"Book" (subscription) presents a faux textbook on McCain's economic policies, with chapter titles claiming the Arizona senator "Supported Bush 95%" of the time and would keep spending "$10 Billion A Month In Iraq." The message of the ad is twofold: that a McCain presidency would be a continuation of Bush's; and that the U.S. economy is hurting because the country is spending too much in Iraq, while the Iraqi government is enjoying a $79 billion surplus due to oil profits.

The spot is running in 16 battleground states: Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Click here to watch "Minnesota Values."

As if Al Franken didn't have his hands full already with incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman (R) in Minnesota, he recently came under fire in a withering attack ad from fellow DFL member Priscilla Lord Faris. "It seems clear that his history of pornography, degrading women and minorities, and his questionable financial transactions will continue to be the focus of blistering Republican attack ads," she says in her own blistering attack ad (subscription).

The spot, which hit TV last week, ran for several days before Lord Faris decided to drop it. "I just didn't like the tone," she said in an interview today. "... I'm looking to change the tone to be a little more positive." She added, "In the meantime, Coleman takes it. I was pretty disappointed by that because I had pulled it."

Lord Faris was referring to Coleman's newest TV ad (subscription), which uses a clip of hers to criticize Franken as unsuitable for office -- "in the words of other Democrats."

Continue reading "For Franken, Attacks Come From Both Sides Now" »

Click here to watch "Lunsford."

A political storm is once again brewing around a piece of legislation that caused controversy in 2006 and 2007. The Employee Free Choice Act, sponsored by Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., is intended to make it easier for employees to form and/or join unions. Critics claim, however, that by doing away with mandatory secret elections when employees are deciding whether or not to unionize, the law would leave them vulnerable to intimidation and coercion.

Two outside groups -- the Employee Freedom Action Committee and the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace -- are running TV ads targeting Democratic candidates who support the legislation. Minnesota Senate candidate Al Franken was already singled out by the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace in an ad (subscription) featuring actor Vincent Curatola of "The Sopranos." The group launched a similar spot (subscription) last week directed at Maine Senate candidate Tom Allen. Both spots suggest that supporting the Employee Free Choice Act is synonymous with cozying up to mob bosses, labeling incumbent GOP Sens. Norm Coleman and Susan Collins as "heroes" for opposing the legislation.

The Employee Freedom Action Fund is running ads against seven Democratic Senate candidates -- Bruce Lunsford of Kentucky, Ronnie Musgrove of Mississippi, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Mark Udall of Colorado, Franken and Allen -- as well as one sitting senator, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana.

The spot (subscription) begins by portraying the right to private voting as one of the key "democratic principles" upon which America was built. But "some union bosses and their politician friends want to effectively do away with privacy when it comes to voting on joining a union," an announcer proclaims. A man is shown peeking into a ballot box where another man is voting, and the announcer goes on to argue that the lack of a private ballot means that "employees could be exposed to intimidation at work and at home."

The Employee Free Choice Act passed in the House in 2007 but was filibustered by Senate Republicans. If Democrats capture several Senate seats and the White House in November (Barack Obama co-sponsored the Senate version last year), the bill will have its best chance yet of actually being signed into law.

Click here to listen to "Are You Ready For Obama?"

In two new radio ads John McCain released Friday, Barack Obama is again pegged as a "celebrity" unfit to lead, offering tax plans that will hurt middle-class America.

"Are You Ready For Obama?" (subscription), a Spanish-language ad running in Florida, opens by reiterating the campaign's "celebrity" theme: "No doubt, Barack Obama is a popular figure, a celebrity who says the right thing. But will he do the right thing?" The ad goes on to scrutinize the Illinois senator's tax plans, claiming that both his voting record and positions on taxes show he supports increases for families and seniors. This is the campaign's first ad in Spanish attacking Obama, who is garnering nearly 70 percent of Hispanic voters in recent polling.

In "Recipe" (subscription), McCain capitalizes on media reports that have criticized Obama's tax plans, including a Sept. 2007 Las Vegas Review-Journal editorial that called the Democrat's policies a "recipe for economic disaster." "Barack Obama has a history of raising taxes -- even on middle-class Americans making just $42,000 a year," an announcer declares -- a claim that FactCheck.org says is false. "If elected president," the announcer goes on, "Obama's promises would mean even more taxes on income, electricity, oil, small business, seniors, your life savings, your family."

Click here to watch "Switch."

Al Gore came to Washington in July to issue a challenge to the country: create a new energy economy that will generate 100 percent of America's electricity from clean sources within 10 years. Now the former vice president’s advocacy group, the Alliance for Climate Protection, has launched a new TV ad to spread the message to Olympics viewers.

The group debuted "Switch" (subscription) on NBC during Monday's coverage of the Games; the spot will continue to air on NBC and USA Network through next week.

As in the group's first TV ad, actor William H. Macy narrates and soothing music creates an upbeat tone to promote the group's message: "Together we can solve the climate crisis." Americans from different walks of life are shown coming together to help each other turn on giant light switches -- one in the desert, one in a field, one at a factory and one in the middle of a city.

Continue reading "Gore's Plan Gets Another Push During Olympics" »

Click here to watch "Embrace."

Two weeks’ worth of ads skewering Barack Obama as “the biggest celebrity in the world” seem to have gotten under the Illinois senator’s skin. Today he seeks to turn the tables on John McCain with a new TV ad calling the Arizona senator "Washington’s biggest celebrity." Those are worse, the ad implies, because they use their positions of power to win favors for the bigwigs and special interests they schmooze with.

"Embrace" (subscription) fuses the "celebrity" theme that has dominated the last couple weeks of campaign coverage with Obama’s message that McCain is an integral part of a broken system and would represent a continuation of the Bush presidency. The spot plays up McCain’s “decades” in Washington while showing him in the spotlight on "Saturday Night Live," "The View" and elsewhere. An announcer says that "as Washington embraced him, John McCain hugged right back," accompanied by video of McCain hugging President Bush.

The spot links McCain with what the Obama campaign has portrayed as the most nefarious aspects of Washington politics -- lobbyists, drug and oil companies -- while claiming that he would do nothing for average families. The announcer suggests that McCain has flip-flopped on policy, "lurching to the right, then the left" -- "the old Washington dance." Returning to another familiar theme, the ad concludes by accusing McCain of playing "the same old Washington games” with voters.

The fact that the Obama campaign feels the need to respond to McCain's "celebrity" ads, however, demonstrates that McCain might have landed a punch. While Obama has been trying to make this election a referendum on Bush and, by extension, the Republican Party, McCain has been successful over the last several weeks in making Obama the focus of media and public scrutiny. "If the celebrity issue were not hurting them, they would have ignored it," GOP strategist Terry Holt told the Associated Press.

Continue reading "Obama Throws Celebrity Counter-Punch" »

It's not unusual for many of the most controversial spots of an election cycle to come from third-party groups, in part because such outside advocates, unfettered by the need to win office, have little reason not to make the biggest splash they can. Often the wild cards in the race, ads from such groups don't need to echo what any particular candidate is saying on the campaign trail or triangulate between different interest groups and constituencies.

Such spots can be triggered by specific comments politicians make, such as Planned Parenthood's attack ad criticizing John McCain for his non-answer to a question about Viagra and birth control (never mind that the premise of the question turned out to be false). They can trek into uncharted territory, too, like conservative advocacy group Let Freedom Ring did with a negative ad (subscription) against Barack Obama, the first political spot to air on MTV.

John Geer, a political advertising expert from Vanderbilt University, said the third-party ads in this election are capitalizing on the continuous news cycle that's becoming more common as Internet usage increases. "It’s a real shift of the information coming now; not just from the top down, it’s from the bottom up too," Geer said. "The news media has to then decipher it, and the 24-hour news cycle needs to be fed all the time." He noted, however, that those same conditions were also largely in place in 2004 and that attacks by groups such as MoveOn.org have actually lessened in this election season.

Here's a rundown of outside groups that have advertised so far this cycle and some of their most noteworthy ads. (All ads available to subscribers only.)

Those leaning to the left:

Continue reading "Outside Groups Flex Their Muscle" »

Recent editions of "National Journal On Air" have featured some back-and-forth from the presidential campaigns themselves on the confrontational tone of recent ads.

Barack Obama spokesman Bill Burton, on the John McCain ads "Painful" and "Family":

"First of all, [the McCain campaign's] not actually putting any money behind these spots. Second of all, I don't know which polls you're looking at, but for the most part the race is in the exact same spot it has been. And this is after John McCain has put up a half-dozen spots that just lie all throughout."

(Complete interview)

John McCain adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer, on his ad, "Celeb":

"It points directly to the fact that at this time when Americans are facing higher energy prices, [Obama] is against offshore drilling and he is in favor of taxes on energy sources and increasing taxes other places as well. So, it talks about policy in that ad. It just acknowledges the political situation that we are in, where we're running against a celebrity."

(Complete interview)

All ad summary pages are available to subscribers only.

Colorado Senate (tip sheet)

• In "Waste," Club For Growth criticizes Rep. Mark Udall (D) for what it contends is wasteful spending in Congress.

Idaho Senate (tip sheet)

• In his debut ad for the general election, "Change," former Rep. Larry LaRocco (D) says he has spent time talking to Idahoans and will take their messages to Washington.

Louisiana Senate (tip sheet)

• State Treasurer John Kennedy (R) goes on air with his first TV ad, "Brown Bag," a playful spot that pokes fun at him for being "cheap" but says he has saved or earned Louisiana taxpayers more than $1 billion.

• Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) goes on offense with "Spinning," in which a series of campaign buttons is used to depict Kennedy, formerly a Democrat, as "confused" about his political beliefs.

Continue reading "The Week In Political Ads" »

Click here to watch "Painful."

Things turned nasty on the campaign trail this week, as Barack Obama and John McCain traded barbs and accusations, particularly on the topic of energy, and each camp released a series of negative TV ads.

Obama has been quiet about his attack spots, often not releasing details to the media, but two ads put out by the campaign popped up online this week.

"National Priorities" (subscription) slams McCain for being part of a system in Washington that has ignored the country's energy crisis for decades. McCain's "been in Washington for 26 years. And as gas prices soared and dependence on oil exploded, McCain was voting against alternative energy, against higher mileage standards," an announcer charges. Obama, on other hand, offers a "real plan" and innovative solutions to create alternative forms of energy.

The Obama camp also responded this week to a McCain ad that touted the Arizona senator's "maverick" credentials. "Original" (subscription) shows a 2003 Fox News clip of McCain claiming that he has voted with President Bush "over 90 percent of the time." An announcer asks, "The original maverick or just more of the same?" as a photo of McCain and Bush arm-in-arm flashes on screen.

The McCain camp shot back today with its third ad of the week, again casting Obama as a shallow celebrity. In "Painful" (subscription), which will be cycled into the 11-state buy of the earlier "Family" and will run during the Olympics, once again casts Obama as a shallow celebrity.

Continue reading "McCain & Obama On The Dark Side" »

Click here to watch "Hands."

The Obama campaign released a new ad this morning that it will run during the Olympics on the NBC Universal channels broadcasting the Games.

"Hands" (subscription) encourages Americans to build a green economy and presents Obama as a leader with the vision to take the country in a different direction. "The hands that built this nation can build a new economy," the announcer proclaims.

Both Obama and John McCain are spending several million dollars to run TV ads during the next two weeks of Olympics coverage.

Click here to watch "Vacation."

The quieter the halls of the Capitol get, the louder the howls are on the airwaves. This week, Congress embarked on a more than monthlong hiatus without acting on legislation aimed to curb high oil prices. Outraged by this, two conservative-leaning nonprofits -- Freedom's Watch and American Future Fund -- launched TV and radio ads across the country this week admonishing Congressional Democrats for going on "vacation" instead of addressing the energy crisis. On the other side of the aisle, MoveOn.org unveiled radio ads today to run in five states attacking House Republicans for their connections to oil companies.

On Wednesday, Freedom's Watch launched 10 radio ads and two TV ads in a total of 11 states targeting House Democrats from all angles: House incumbents seeking re-election, challengers to Republican incumbents, and candidates in open seats. In "Vacation" (subscription), aimed at Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-Kan., who is seeking her second term in the state's 2nd district, an announcer charges that "last week Nancy Boyda voted to send Congress on vacation, rather than work to bring down energy costs."

In "Caribou" (subscription), the group berates New York congressional candidate Eric Massa for opposing oil drilling in Alaska and a proposed gas tax holiday. "The caribou come before beleaguered New York drivers," an announcer scolds. "Those taxes you pay on your gas -- Massa doesn't want to cut them or even give you some relief."

"The liberals we're targeting refuse to change their position on expanding responsible domestic drilling despite the fact it’s as unpopular as it is irresponsible," said Tim Pearson, spokesman for Freedom's Watch. "The sooner they embrace that change, the sooner we’ll lay off them."

Continue reading "No Recess From Energy Attack Ads" »

Click here to watch "Raid."

As Republican candidates run as far as possible this year from President Bush and his disapproval ratings, they'll need to watch out for a second pitfall opening up in the form of recently indicted Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens. The six-term senator and his array of legal troubles are already popping up in races far outside Alaska, threatening to further tarnish the GOP brand by reminding voters nationwide of the "culture of corruption" Democrats campaigned against so successfully in 2006.

In Minnesota, Democrat Al Franken, who is running to unseat incumbent Republican Norm Coleman, last week released a radio spot (subscription) tying his opponent to Stevens and questionable corporate donations. "Coleman took $30,000 in contributions from Senator Stevens," the ad says, "and he's also taken thousands more from the Alaskan oil executives convicted of bribing public officials. And then Coleman refused to return it."

Coleman's campaign eventually announced it was donating all of the $20,000 it received from Stevens' Northern Lights PAC during this cycle to cancer research.

Continue reading "Stevens Scandal Goes National" »

The world will be watching as athletes from around the world face off in two weeks worth of competitions beginning Friday in Beijing. But American viewers will witness another spectacle, as well -- the presidential campaign.

Rather than take any time off from the furious schedule of the election season, Barack Obama and John McCain will continue to broadcast their message to voters around the country, as both have purchased advertising time on the network of NBC Universal channels that will be broadcasting the Games -- including NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, USA Network, Oxygen and Telemundo.

Obama announced his ad buy several weeks ago, but the McCain camp one-upped the Illinois senator on Tuesday, announcing he would top Obama's $5 million purchase by an additional $1 million. The spots will run on network and cable channels between Friday, when the Games begin, and August 25, the day before the Democratic National Convention begins in Denver.

The ad buys are unusual in that, in recent years, campaigns have focused their resources on certain battleground states or cable television channels. Advertising Age, which broke the news of McCain's Olympics purchase, reports that these purchases "are the first substantial buys of national network TV by any presidential candidate in 12 years."

Neither campaign would comment on the decision to run ads during the Olympics or release any information about what kind of spots they will be airing.

Click here to watch "Family."

After casting Barack Obama as a celebrity incapable of leading the country, the John McCain camp is up with a new ad saying the Democrat is unable to help America’s families.

The opening of "Family" (subscription) is reminiscent of McCain’s controversial "Celeb" ad, showing footage from Obama’s speech in Berlin backed by a crowd chanting Obama’s name. "Is the biggest celebrity in the world ready to help your family?" an announcer asks viewers. "The real Obama promises higher taxes, more government spending. So, fewer jobs." The spot then seeks to absorb Obama's emphasis on renewable energy into McCain's energy plan: "Renewable energy to transform our economy, create jobs and energy independence, that's John McCain." Missing is any mention of offshore drilling.

McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said the ad emphasizes the Arizona senator's "all of the above" approach, which includes both offshore drilling and renewable energy, as well as nuclear power and conservation. The campaign plans to continue the theme of ads homing in on Obama's "celebrity" status, Rogers said.

"It’s the theme of this campaign. He’s the biggest celebrity in the world," he said. "The question for Americans is: Does that mean he has the experience and judgment to lead? Our answer is no."

Obama spokesman Bill Burton responded to the ad in an e-mail: "Another day brings another dishonest attack from John McCain." Burton took some jabs at McCain’s claims and concluded by saying that "it's time to retire these old policies and bring new energy to America."

Continue reading "McCain Keeps Pushing, 'Family'-Style" »

Click here to watch "Photos."

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is going after GOP incumbents in the North Carolina and Oregon Senate races in two new releases.

Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., running against state Sen. Kay Hagan (D) for her second term, is the target of "Photos" (subscription), launched Aug. 1, in which the DSCC chastises the Republican for ranking near the bottom of the Senate in Congress.org's congressional power ratings. "She can't fix gas prices from 93rd place -- or create jobs," scoffs an announcer. "And she sure hasn't fixed immigration from 93rd place."

In "Remember" (subscription), the DSCC joins in on the oil prices blame game, on Oregon's airwaves. "The oil and gas industry has given Gordon Smith's campaign nearly $300,000," an announcer says. "And Republican Senator Gordon Smith has voted to give price-gouging oil companies billions in tax breaks."

Continue reading "DSCC Targets Dole, Smith" »

Click here to watch "Broken."

It takes a "maverick" to tackle the special interests that have taken over Washington, according to John McCain's "Broken" (subscription), launched today.

"Washington's broken. John McCain knows it. We're worse off than we were four years ago," an announcer says in the ad. "Only McCain has taken on Big Tobacco, drug companies, fought corruption in both parties. He'll reform Wall Street, battle Big Oil, make America prosper again. He's the original maverick."

The ad aims to separate McCain from an unpopular president and an ailing GOP. "The American people are looking for somebody who is independent -- somebody who does what he thinks is right and maybe not what's always in their political self-interest," said campaign spokesman Brian Rogers. "And that's John McCain's record." Rogers cited the McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill as an example of the Arizona senator's ability to reform a "broken" Washington by working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

Departing from the strategy of McCain's recent attack ads, "Broken" doesn't mention Barack Obama. It does, however, play up McCain's experience -- something he believes his Democratic rival can't match. "He's very eloquent," Rogers said of Obama. "But he has zero record of bringing people together to solve tough problems and going against his own party when it's necessary."

Click here to watch "Wind."

In his recent ad promoting alternative energy, petromagnate T. Boone Pickens promised, "I have a plan. In the coming weeks, I'm going to share the details of that plan." Viewers who've spent the past few weeks on the edge of their seats can ease themselves back into a recline; Pickens returned to the airwaves on Friday with a new spot (subscription) explaining how wind power will help the U.S. "break the stranglehold of foreign oil."

Folksy and upbeat where his first ad was frightening and urgent, the new ad focuses on Pickens' proposal -- part of the larger strategy outlined on his Web site -- that the country invest in turbines to take advantage of "one of the best wind corridors in the world." Doing so, he argues, will allow for the development of domestic alternative fuels. "This plan will work, but it needs your help," Pickens promises.

Pickens' campaign might seem quixotic, but there's evidence to suggest his advertising could influence the conversation surrounding the presidential contest this year, much as his funding for the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth did in 2004. When MediaCurves, a public opinion research group, tested viewer response to Pickens' first ad, it found an extremely positive reaction among Democrats, Republicans and independents alike, to the point where more than 4 in 5 said afterwards that John McCain and Barack Obama should adopt the former oilman's energy plan.

Click here to watch "Pocket."

Barack Obama kicked off a week devoted to his energy plan with the release of a negative ad going after John McCain's relationship with Big Oil.

As the American public continues to reel from $4 gasoline, both parties are trying to turn the energy issue into a political weapon. Obama announced this weekend that he would reluctantly support the expansion of offshore domestic oil drilling -- a measure McCain has been pushing -- as part of a bipartisan compromise on energy issues. Critics are labeling this as another in a series of Obama flip-flops, but the Illinois senator is presenting it as evidence that he is willing to be flexible and work with Republicans to pass a package of effective legislation on an issue that has so far stymied both houses of Congress.

But such cooperative, bipartisan sentiments are less evident in Obama's new TV spot. "Pocket" (subscription) accuses McCain of taking money from Big Oil while supporting tax cuts for oil companies that are already making record profits.

Continue reading "McCain In The 'Pocket' Of Big Oil?" »

Editor's note: Every Monday, we will post a roundup of select ads from downballot races. All ad summary pages are available to subscribers only.

Colorado Senate (tip sheet):

• In "Facts," Rep. Mark Udall (D) aims to refute attacks on his voting record as it pertains to taxes.

• In the radio ad "High," American Future Fund blames Udall for high gasoline prices and urges him to vote for legislation that would allow domestic oil production.

Kentucky Senate (tip sheet):

• Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) continues to blame Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford for Kentucky's high gasoline prices in "Thanks Bruce."

• In his first ad of the general election, "Dishonest," Lunsford dismisses McConnell's attack ads on the gasoline tax and accuses him of trying to fool voters.

Continue reading "The Week In Political Ads" »

Click here to watch "Celeb."

The debate over John McCain's "Celeb" ad, which intersperses images of Barack Obama with shots of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, rages on. In today's edition of "National Journal On Air," host Tammy Haddad broached the controversy with no fewer than eight guests.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton said the ad's content, as well as McCain's defense of it, was "ridiculous." Hotline's Jennifer Skalka characterized it as a "demeaning, derogatory ad." The Huffington Post's Hilary Rosen found it ironic that McCain, who she said had capitalized on his own celebrity status, was now "whining about someone else's fame."

Atlantic Media political director Ronald Brownstein took the critique a step further, arguing that "by associating Obama visually" with "two young white women," the McCain camp was playing the "race card" in a manner reminiscent of the controversial 2006 Republican National Committee ad (subscription) run against Tennessee Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. XM radio host Joe Madison echoed this assessment, bristling at the ad's comparison between Obama and "two blonde bimbos."

Atlantic senior editor Ross Douthat took issue with this racial reading, but did acknowledge that he found the ad "frivolous and stupid." Republican consultant Alex Castellanos, who himself once produced a controversial, racially charged spot -- Jesse Helms' 1990 "Hands " -- said "Celeb" raised a legitimate point: "Fame without substance can be a trap." But he questioned whether its less-than-serious tone reflected well on the McCain camp.

The only unapologetic defense of "Celeb" came from McCain economic adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer, who insisted that its real subject was energy costs. "All it does is give a nod at the beginning to the fact that Senator Obama is a world celebrity," she said.

The interviews with Burton, Pfotenhauer and Madison, as well as the panel discussion with Rosen and Castellanos, can be heard here. The roundtable discussion featuring Brownstein, Douthat and Skalka can be heard here.