Click here to watch "Compare."

John McCain released a new ad this morning, "Compare" (subscription), which adheres to a traditional conservative line of attack -- that the Democratic candidate is a tax-and-spend liberal. With less than a week to go before the big day, this ad by McCain and another by the Republican National Committee attacking Barack Obama on experience suggest the days of ads based on guilt-by-association, gaffes and other more trivial facets of the campaign are gone, as a cash-strapped GOP looks to allocate its funds wisely.

"Compare" juxtaposes various images of the presidential hopefuls with phrases representing their economic plans. The ad references Obama's now-infamous "spread the wealth" comment and Joe Wurzelbacher, as an announcer contrasts the phrase "for workin' Joe's" (and a jovial image of McCain) with "spread your income" (accompanied by a more menacing shot of Obama). The ad concludes with another staple attack on the Democrat: claiming he's a "risky" choice while McCain is a "proven" leader.

"Storm" (subscription), which the RNC released Friday, also returns to a familiar GOP line. The ad likens the financial crisis to a storm, and aims to cast doubt on Obama's ability to lead the nation through "uncertain times." "What if the storm does get worse?" an announcer asks, "with someone who’s untested at the helm?"

No McCain ad has hit Obama this directly on the experience issue in a while, perhaps as a result of the Sarah Palin pick. "Tiny" (subscription), which highlighted comments Obama made over Iran to suggest he is "dangerously unprepared" for the presidency, was released in the middle of the Democratic convention and represents the last straightforward "experience" attack ad issued by the McCain camp. But the issue has been revived in RNC ads, beginning with "Chair" (subscription) on Oct. 16.

While returning to staple attacks, the GOP is also retreating into traditionally conservative territories. The RNC has announced it will start running ads Wednesday in Montana -- a state that gave President Bush nearly 60 percent of the vote in 2004 but is trending more and more toward Obama. "Storm," however, is reportedly airing in the more mainstay battlegrounds like Pennsylvania and Virginia. A request for comment about which RNC ads will run in Montana was not returned.