Obama ad hits McCain on pocketbook issues

Barack Obama yesterday unveiled an economy-focused television ad that tries to tie Republican rival John McCain to the Bush administration's policies.

The ad shows a fake book - "Economics by John McCain," the announcer says - then goes through the chapters: "Support George Bush 95 percent of the time. Keep spending $10 billion a month for the war in Iraq while the Iraqis sell oil for record prices. Giving Iraq a $79 billion oil surplus and hurting our economy."

Then, the announcer says that Obama will turn the page: "Barack Obama's plan: End the war responsibly, better schools, no more tax breaks for oil companies. Barack Obama, the middle class first."

In response to the ad, McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds pointed out that Obama supported - and McCain opposed - an energy bill full of tax breaks for oil companies.

"The truth is Barack Obama's plan is a job-killing machine that ignores the struggling economy and raises taxes on family savings, Social Security, and small businesses," Bounds said in a statement. The spot is to begin airing today in 16 battleground states, including New Hampshire.

FOON RHEE

Almost as quickly as the Colin Powell-for-Barack Obama rumor floated yesterday, Powell himself knocked it down.

Though the former secretary of state has carefully guarded his choice this presidential election, he emphatically denied a report that he would attend the Democratic National Convention.

That speculation grew louder when commentator Bill Kristol said on Fox News Channel yesterday that he had heard from "people who talk directly to the Obama campaign that Colin Powell will endorse Senator Obama and he may well give a speech at the Democratic National Convention explaining his endorsement of Obama."

But Powell told ABC News he has no plans to go to Denver: "I do not have time to waste on Bill Kristol's musings. I am not going to the convention. I have made this clear."

FOON RHEE

A campaign finance watchdog group that has been going after John McCain's campaign and its lobbyist connections reported yesterday that his staffers, advisers, and top fund-raisers have received nearly $1 billion from domestic lobbying clients over the past decade.

Campaign Money Watch, whose findings McCain's campaign has challenged, also said that employees and political action committees of the clients have donated nearly $12 million to McCain's campaigns over the years.

"The McCain campaign relies on big-money lobbyists, and they'll rely on him," said David Donnelly, director of Campaign Money Watch, which also launched a website to focus more attention on McCain's lobbyists.

FOON RHEE

WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. - A political strategist tied to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal is helping raise money for John McCain, urging his fellow Georgia Republicans to attend a fund-raiser in Atlanta on Monday.

Ralph Reed, former director of the Christian Coalition, touted himself as a member of McCain's "Victory 2008 Team" in an e-mail that solicited donations on McCain's behalf. The Republican National Committee is hosting the event.

A House investigative committee in 2006 found Reed interceded with the Bush White House to help some of Abramoff's clients.

ASSOCIATED PRESS