An independent political action committee is spending $2.2 million to air a television ad across California, starting today, that criticizes Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama on national security issues.
The group, Vets for Freedom, has been active in several battleground states. But this is its first ad buy in California, which is considered to be firmly in Obama's column. His Republican rival, John McCain, is making only token campaign efforts in the state.
Former Republican Gov. Pete Wilson, who is backing McCain, said the commercial is not specifically aimed at turning Californians against Obama. But "if people are persuaded by the ads, it can only help -- not just Sen. McCain but anyone else who shares [the group's] view," he said.
Issue advocacy commercials don't expressly support or oppose a particular candidate but can be used to sway an election's outcome. The Vets for Freedom spot will air in all California markets except the Bay Area over the next week.
The ad opens with the image of a smiling Obama, leaning back in an office chair. A voice says: "Barack Obama skipped 45% of Senate votes but did manage to show up to vote against emergency funding for our troops. . . . Obama was chairman of the committee overseeing the fight against Al Qaeda in Afghanistan but never held a single hearing. . . . Obama found time to make 45 trips to Iowa but only two trips to Iraq."
McCain is never mentioned.
The ad concludes by suggesting that voters urge Obama to support a Senate resolution backed by two of McCain's closest allies, independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. The resolution commends the United States for undertaking the troop buildup in Iraq and says the gains from the move have been significant. Lawmakers who favor a more rapid withdrawal from Iraq oppose the resolution.
"I can't think of anything that would be a worse defeat for the United States than to pull out before we have achieved our goals," Wilson said in explaining why he was promoting the Vets for Freedom effort.
Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt called the ad "a despicable distortion" of the candidate's record, adding that Obama "has been a forceful advocate for our service members, passing legislation that ensured our wounded warriors receive the care and treatment they deserve."
