McCain targeted as D.C. 'celebrity'

Obama hoping to set record for individual donors

A new Obama ad accuses John McCain of wanting to help big firms and of being willing to shift positions for political gain.

Barack Obama, pummeled for weeks by Republican rival John McCain as an out-of-touch celebrity, tries to turn the tables in a new TV ad that portrays McCain as "Washington's biggest celebrity" playing the "same old Washington games."

The spot opens with footage of McCain appearing on TV talk shows as the narrator says, "For decades, he's been Washington's biggest celebrity."

Then, the ad shows McCain hugging President Bush. "And as Washington embraced him, John McCain hugged right back. The lobbyists - running his low road campaign."

The 30-second spot, which is to start airing today on national cable, then accuses McCain of wanting to help big corporations and of being willing to change positions for political gain.

"The money - billions in tax breaks for oil and drug companies, but almost nothing for families like yours," the narrator says. "Lurching to the right, then the left, the old Washington dance, whatever it takes."

Obama's campaign is also trying to use McCain's "celebrity" attacks to reach a historic milestone - 2 million individual donors.

Obama has broken all sorts of presidential fund-raising records, totaling about $340 million by the end of June. Unlike McCain, Obama is bypassing public financing, so he needs to keep up his fund-raising pace.

"While supporters like you are out knocking on doors, registering new voters, and organizing in your local communities, our opponents are not even trying to match your efforts. Instead, they're spending millions to spread the smear that Barack is just a 'celebrity' and that our grassroots movement is just a bunch of mindless fans," Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, wrote to backers yesterday.

McCain's campaign, however, didn't let up in its assault, unveiling a Web ad yesterday that ridicules Obama's "rock star" appeal.

The video, with the look and sound of an invitation to join a boy band's fan club, starts with a sarcastic reference to Obama's overseas tour. "You've seen him in London, Paris, and Berlin," the announcer says. "Now you too can join 'The One's' fan club right here in America."

The video follows with a series of Obama fans gushing about him; one says he almost cried, another compares him to U2 front man Bono.

"We know he doesn't have much experience and isn't ready to lead," the announcer says, "but that doesn't mean he isn't dreamy."

FOON RHEE