Ad Roundup: Barack Obama and John McCain's Ads Continue to Focus on Economy

Last week, the candidates continued to release ads on the financial crisis (Barack Obama had two in Spanish) but also aired spots focused on other topics. Obama attacked McCain on healthcare, and McCain released another ad linking Obama to Tony Rezko and other Chicago political figures. Two third-party groups also issued controversial ads.

John McCain: “Mum”
This ad attacks the reaction of Barack Obama and leading Democrats to the financial crisis, saying that during the crisis "McCain and his congressional allies led" and "Obama and his liberal allies" were "mum." The ad claims that Obama will bring "more taxes" and "no leadership. A risk your family can't afford." In remarks prepared for delivery in Miami on September 19, Obama said, "Given the gravity of this situation . . . I will refrain from presenting a more detailed blueprint of how an immediate plan might be structured until I can fully review the details of the plan proposed by the Treasury and the Federal Reserve." In response to the ad, Obama spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement, "This ad is laughable. If you believe John McCain, George Bush, and the Republicans in Washington have led on reforming Wall Street and restraining CEO pay, I've got a bridge in Alaska to sell you." FactCheck.org reviewed the ad and concluded that it is false because Obama has made several statements and given speeches on the market crisis. The group also called McCain's statement about Obama's tax plan into question. FactCheck.org said under Obama's tax plan, most families would pay less in taxes.

John McCain: “Chicago Machine”
In this ad, McCain attempts to link Obama to political figures from Obama's home turf in Illinois. The announcer says that Obama was "born of the corrupt Chicago political machine" and then describes Obama's ties to economic adviser William Daley, real estate developer and convicted felon Tony Rezko, Illinois Senate President Emil Jones, and Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The ad cites reports of their questionable ethics and concludes, "With friends like that, Obama is not ready to lead." Obama spokesman Bill Burton responded to the ad by pointing to the recent news that McCain campaign manager Rick Davis has ties to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He said in a statement: "It's no coincidence that on the very day newspapers reported that John McCain's campaign manager was paid $2 million to lobby against tighter regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the McCain campaign would launch this false, gratuitous attack."

Barack Obama: “Article”
Following the publication of a by John McCain in Contingencies magazine on health policy reform, Barack Obama launched this ad, pouncing on quotes from the piece. The announcer says, "We've seen what Bush-McCain policies have done to our economy. Now John McCain wants to do the same to our healthcare." The ad says that according to the column, McCain wants to "reduce oversight of the health insurance industry . . . just as we have done over the last decade in banking." McCain's senior economic advisor Douglas Holtz-Eakin responded to the ad in a statement: "This is absurd. If Barack Obama thinks that today's financial troubles were caused by policies which allowed Americans to use an ATM anywhere in this country, then it is better that he continue to be silent about solutions to the crisis on Wall Street." The Miami-Herald reported that McCain's camp accused Obama of distorting the Contingencies piece, which was really about "giving American families greater access to health care and the ability to buy it across state lines."

Barack Obama: “No Hay Mayor Obligación,” “Crisis Económica”
Barack Obama targets Latino voters in two new Spanish-language ads: a radio ad called "No Hay Mayor Obligación" ("There Is No Greater Obligation") and a TV ad called "Crisis Económica" ("Economic Crisis"). Both of the ads highlight John McCain's comment that "the fundamentals of our economy are strong." "Crisis Económica" claims that "McCain and the Republicans have no clue about the struggles of the middle class and working people," and "No Hay Mayor Obligación" claims that "McCain and the Republicans don't want to bother themselves with the prosperity of our families. But for us, there's no greater obligation." Former U.S. treasurer Rosario Marin responded on McCain's behalf with a statement, saying that "Barack Obama has once again lied and distorted John McCain's record on the economy...the only thing Barack Obama can offer to Hispanics is total lack of leadership."

Freedom’s Defense Fund Ad Features Reverend Wright
This ad, launched by right-wing political action committee Freedom's Defense Fund (the second in a series of three so far that attack Barack Obama), features Obama's former pastor the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. The ad shows a clip of a controversial sermon and ends with text that reads, "You should know who Barack Obama's friends are." The ad has drawn scrutiny because one of Freedom's Defense Fund's paid consultants is Jerome S. Corsi, the author of the controversial and largely discredited biography of Obama, Obama Nation. The New York Times also reported on the racial overtones of the group's ad campaign, being run solely in the predominantly white Macomb County in Michigan. Executive Director of the Freedom's Defense Fund Todd Zirkle said of the Wright ad in a press release, "Barack Obama's spiritual adviser for more than two decades is America's sharpest critic . . . we think it underscores Obama's vulnerability (his judgment) in the general election." In March, Obama wrote about Wright in the Huffington Post, "I categorically denounce any statement that disparages our great country . . . I reject outright the statements by Rev. Wright that are at issue."

Brave New Pac, Democracy for America: “McCain’s Health Records”
Two left-wing groups have released this ad that questions McCain's refusal to release his medical records. The ad begins with text that reads, "John McCain is 72 years old and has had cancer 4 times." The ad then shows clips of doctors weighing in on the diagnosis of melanoma patients and images of McCain's scars. One doctor says, "Another bout of cancer for John McCain while he is president of the United States would profoundly impact his capacity to lead." The ad concludes by asking, "Why won't John McCain release his medical records?" According to National Journal, the two groups have also circulated a letter signed by 2,300 doctors that urges McCain to offer "full, public disclosure of all his medical records." The New York Times quotes Republican National Committee spokesman Danny Diaz, who calls the ad "cheap and despicable."

Barack Obama: “A Stronger Economy”
In this 60-second ad, Barack Obama speaks directly to voters and outlines his plan for getting the economy back on track if he is elected president. He says he will "end the Wall Street free-for-all with common-sense safeguards that put homeowners and struggling families first, not corporate greed and CEO bonuses. Jump-start our economy with a middle- class tax cut . . . get serious about energy independence. A 10-year mission to create millions of good paying jobs." Both McCain and Obama have struggled to emerge as leaders in the wake of the financial crisis, but recent polls have given Obama the edge in terms of who voters think will improve the economy.