McCain Releases New Radio Ad in Virginia

Republican presidential nominee John McCain unveiled a new radio ad in Virginia today criticizing rival Barack Obama's energy plan.

The ad, entitled Clean Coal, accuses the Democratic presidential nominee of opposing clean coal technology in states like Virginia, Colorado, Ohio and Pennsylvania, where thousands of jobs rely on the industry.

Former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore (R) told reporters this afternoon that the ad is calling attention to Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden's contradictary statements on supporting the coal industry while campaigning in Southwest Virginia and other parts of the country.

"It's very alarming,'' Kilgore said. "This type of double speak has been caught onto by Southwest Virginians and Virginians."

The focus of coal comes amid signs that Obama may be making some inroads in Southwest Virginia. A Washington Post poll last week shows that 36 percent of likely voters in the western part of the state support Obama. The western part of the state includes Shenandoah Valley, which tends to be more Republican than Southwest Virginia.