In one of his final TV ads in the race for governor, Republican Bob McDonnell sticks with the positive.

In the ad, "Hope" McDonnell lays out his vision for the state, which includes keeping taxes low and controlling spending, while noting his service as an army officer and attorney general. Oh, and he also asks Virginians for their vote next Tuesday.

Watch it here:

A week before Election Day, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling released a positive new TV ad today highlighting Bolling's accomplishments.

The ad mentions Virginia's Children's Health Insurance Program, securing funding for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, expanding the Governor's Opportunity Fund in economically depressed areas of the state and his opposition to higher taxes.

The National Rifle Association is airing new TV ads on behalf of Republican Bob McDonnell that appeal to those who are worried about government intervention.

Check it out here:

Meanwhile, two Italian American organizations are calling on McDonnell to ask the NRA to o take down a previous TV commericial because of its "offensive characterization of Italian American."

"This type of negative imagery reinforces defaming stereotypes about an entire ethnic group and undermines the progress made in ending prejudice against all groups in our country,'' says a joint statement by the Columbus Citizens Foundation and the National Italian American Foundation: "We would hope that gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell would appeal to the electorate through substantive policy discussion on issues of importance to the State of Virginia rather than appealing through negative stereotyping."

A new state political action committee called Working Women for Virginia will start airing TV ads in Northern Virginia today to oppose Republican Bob McDonnell's views in his race for governor against Democrat Creigh Deeds.

We told you last week that the group registered with the state three weeks ago, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. It has been raising money through word of mouth, social networking and online advertising to pay for the TV commercials, said Margie Omero, a Democratic pollster who helped form the group.

Watch the ad here:

Republican Bob McDonnell will start airing a radio ad today mentioning three prominent African American leaders -- President Obama, former Virginia governor Doug Wilder and businesswoman Sheila Johnson -- as he tries to cut into the usually Democratic black vote.

All three African Americans in the ad are Democrats, and only Johnson has endorsed him.

The ad mentions that McDonnell, worked as attorney general with Wilder to reduce gang violence, holds the same views with Obama on charter schools and is supported by Johnson, wealthy co-founded of Black Entertainment Television.

"Bob McDonnell is a bipartisan leader who gets results,'' Johnson says in the ad. "That's the kind of governor we need. And that's why this Democrat strongly supports Bob McDonnell.''

The positive 60-second ad is airing on African American stations in Hampton Roads.

Listen to the ad here:

Update: Sen. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) and Del. Lionell Spruill (D-Chesapeake) responded to McDonnell's ad with a joint statement: "This ad is blatantly misleading and a shameful attempt to dupe people into thinking Bob McDonnell supports the President. It would be laughable if it weren't clear that he was trying to lure voters into thinking he would be a partner and friend to our President and a good steward of Virginia's future. When Creigh Deeds stood with Mark Warner and Tim Kaine to make record investments in education, Bob McDonnell voted no. His education policies would rob much needed funding from Virginia classrooms and leave children with fewer books and teachers. His election would erode nearly a decade of progress here in Virginia."

We knew this was coming.

The Republican Governors Association launched a new ad in Northern Virginia today seizing on what it calls Democrat Creigh Deeds's conflicting statements about whether he would consider opting out of a public health insurance option if Congress extended that possibility to the states.

"Creigh Deeds waffles more than IHOP after church lets out on Sunday," RGA spokesman Mike Schrimpf said. "But unlike their customers, Deeds leaves 'everything on the table.'"

Deeds made the comments at Tuesday night's final debate in Salem. Immediately after the debate, he tried to explain to reporters that he believed the public option might help reduce health care costs and expand coverage, but he is not certain it is the best way to achieve those goals. "It may be one way, it might not be the best way," he said.

Watch the ad here:

Ken Cuccinelli, the Republican nominee for attorney general, is up on the air new with a new TV ad that accuses his Democratic opponent Steve Shannon of not knowing much about being attorney general.

At their last debate, Cuccinelli asked Shannon to name all the divisions in the attorney general's office.

Shannon said he would get back to the question, but that first he wanted to return to a previous issue. Later, when he did return to the question, he said it didn't matter. He never did answer the question.

"Shannon didn't answer the questions ... because Shannon doesn't know the job,'' the ad says at the end.

Check out the ad here:

(For the record, Office of the Attorney General spokesman David Clementson shared the following divisions off of the department's internal organizational chart: Administration; Civil Litigation; Financial Law and Government Support; Health, Education and Social Services; Technology Real Estate, Environment and Transportation; Public Safety and Enforcement; and STAG (Sexually Violent Predators, Tobacco and Agriculture) and Debt Collections. The only place these appear to be listed and described online are in annual reports from the state auditor (pdf file).

As we told you earlier this week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is airing radio and TV ads in the pricey Washington media market to target Northern Virginians stuck in traffic.

The hard-hitting ads accuse Democrat Creigh Deeds of having no plan for transportation, while Republican Bob McDonnell has proposed widening I-66 inside the Beltway and extending Metro to Dulles airport.

"Tell Creigh Deeds we need a real transportation plan now,'' a narrator says at the end.

The transportation TV ad -- as well as a second one airing in the rest of the state on the so-called federal card-check legislation -- are part of a significant ad buy by the chamber that began last week.

McDonnell and his backers, which include the Republican Governors Association, the NRA and the chamber, continue to significantly outspend Deeds and his supporters on advertising.

Check out the ads after the jump.

Steve Shannon, the Democratic nominee for attorney general, released two new TV ads today. Both ads attack his Republican opponent, Ken Cuccinelli, for having what Shannon calls a "personal political agenda."

"Unfortunately, my opponent has not released a single public safety proposal,'' Shannon said. "Instead, he has focused on divisive issues and his personal political agenda, and has even said won't enforce laws he disagrees with."

Watch the ads here:

Have you heard or seen the radio or TV ads being paid for by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in the Virginia governor's race?

They've been airing since last week in Northern Virginia and will be up through Election Day. The topic is transportation.

But the chamber, which has not endorsed Democrat Creigh Deeds or Republican Bob McDonnell, refuses to share the ad, script or message with us.

It's an odd strategy -- considering that the ads are already on the air in the state. What is the nation's largest business group trying to hide?

In addition, the chamber is airing TV ads across the state on the so-called card check legislation that would remove the secret ballot from union elections. They won't give us any information on that one either, but we know where chamber officials stands on that issue: They oppose the bill.

McDonnell has repeatedly tried to pressure Deeds to talk about controversial issues, and accused him of supporting the card check bill. I guess we know whose side the chamber is on.

Have you heard or seen the ads? Let us know below.

Democrat Creigh Deeds started airing a new TV ad today in Southwest Virginia accusing Republican Bob McDonnell of mispresenting Deeds on taxes.

The ad refers to the Roanoke Times and the nonpartisian Factcheck.org, both of which have questionned a McDonnell ad claiming Deeds supports a gas tax increase and the federal cap-and -rade bill.

Deeds has said he opposes the cap and trade bill, and has never said what specific tax increase he would support.

"He's running ads fabricating numbers for proposals Creigh Deeds doesn't support,'' Deeds campaign spokesperson Jared Leopold said. "The only thing clear from this ad is that Bob McDonnell will say or do anything to get elected."

Republican Bob McDonnell began airing a new ad today in Roanoke and Southwest featuring an official from MeadWestvaco talking about the impact of the so-called cap and trade bill.

The ad says that Deeds supports the federal climate change legislation, though he has said in recent appearances that he is opposed.

Meadwest, a paper and packaging company, has a plant in Deeds's state senator district. The company has donated $15,000 to McDonnell and John Luke, its chairman, has given $10,000.

Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones and Del. Jennifer McClellan will headline a fundraiser for Democratic gubernatorial nominee Creigh Deeds tonight in downtown Richmond.

The 28-member host committee is a diverse group that includes grocery chain founder Jim Ukrop, developer Mark Merhige, ophthalmologist Shantarm Talegaonkar and lawyers David Gammino, Lakshmi Challa and Nupa Agarwal.

Others include Dominion executive Irene Cimino, Rosa Finch, finance manager at management and technology consulting company BearingPoint and Alice Tousignant, executive director of Virginia Supportive Housing.

Today is the deadline for Deeds, Republican Bob McDonnell and all candidates to turn in their campaign finance reports for September. We'll be bringing you the numbers as we get them throughout the day, so check back often.

Steve Shannon, the Democratic nominee for attorney general, launched a new TV ad today that criticizes Republican Ken Cuccinelli for what Shannon calls a "weak" record on drunk driving legislation.

"My opponent has not released a single plan to combat drunk driving in Virginia, and in the state Senate he has consistently voted against tougher penalties for drunk drivers,'' Shannon said. "Virginia needs better public safety leadership than that."

The Democratic National Committee is launching new ads on Facebook today that will be directed at women, students and supporters of Republican Bob McDonnell.

The ads target McDonnell on his alma mater Regent University, which has a non-discrimination policy that pledges equal opportunities for men and women, consistent with Biblical teachings that men are the head of households.

McDonnell served for eight years on the Board of Trustees at the Virginia Beach college founded by televangelist Pat Robertson. He received both a law and master's degree at the school in 1989. The DNC is trying to spread the word about the school's hiring practice here.

"McDonnell's support for this discriminatory policy can be directly traced to his belief articulated in his thesis that working women were 'detrimental to the family,' " DNC spokesman Hari Sevugan said. "We wanted to ensure that Virginians knew that, despite his denials, Bob McDonnell's radical social agenda not only would deny equal rights for Virginians, but would deny them jobs as well."

You know Election Day is approaching when things get this ugly. Late last week, Republican House of Delegates candidate Rich Anderson sent out a mailer to voters that dropped a bombshell about his opponent, Del. Paul Nichols (D-Prince William). Nichols, it said, had been arrested in North Carolina in 2006 for assaulting a police officer, and it implied that Nichols may have been intoxicated at the time.

Problem is, the mailer failed to note that a judge dropped the charges against Nichols, who has said it was the police officer who got aggressive with him when he came to the aid of a friend who had been pulled over. The mailer, which called Nichols "A Different Kind of 'Slugger,'" also included excerpts of a police report that displayed Nichols's Social Security number. In addition, a judge in September of this year granted Nichols's request that the documents be expunged.

Anderson's campaign has defended the mailer, saying voters deserved to know that the arrest occurred. But on a campaign stop in Occoquan yesterday, Nichols accused his opponent of overstepping the bounds of acceptable behavior and said he was contemplating legal action against the Republican.

Jody Wagner, the Democratic challenger running for lieutenant governor, unveiled her second television ad of the fall this morning and it's a negative one.

The 30-second spot called "Work," which is airing in Richmond, Charlottesville and Norfolk and on cable in Northern Virginia, follows a line of attack Wagner has been pursuing about Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling's (R) attendance record on the boards and commissions to which he has been appointed. It also points out Bolling's second job in the private sector as an insurance industry executive, and concludes: "Virginia has full-time challenges. We can't afford a lieutenant governor like Bill Bolling, who's never there."

Full script after the jump.

Ken Cuccinelli, the Republican candidate for attorney general, has a new advertisement running across Virginia accusing his Democratic opponent, Steve Shannon, of not helping fix state law to address a Supreme Court decision that could have jeopardized thousands of DUI and drug convictions in Virginia.

The ad is so objectionable to Shannon and other Democrats that he and Gov. Timothy M. Kaine held a conference call with reporters to offer their version of events.

View the ad here:

At issue is a recent Supreme Court ruling in the Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts case that says live testimony is needed to introduce scientific reports in criminal trials. After the ruling, Cuccinelli was the first lawmaker in Virginia to publicly ask Kaine to call a legislative session to address the issue.

Both Shannon and Kaine were among those who sought to fix the issue administratively, without legislative intervention. Shannon went so far as to call Cuccinelli's open letter a "political stunt;" he also expressed concerns about the cost of a legislative session.

Today, Kaine said he and his staff had numerous conversations with Shannon, a former prosecutor, on how to address the Melendez-Diaz case. Cuccinelli's implication that Shannon did nothing is "frankly something that either he or somebody on his team just made up," the governor said.

"Everyone agreed that the preferable way to fix this was to try to fix it administratively," Kaine said. "We concluded that there were many items we could fix administratively and we moved to do that, but there were some items that required legislative action and we did that. We didn't wait. We weren't asleep at the switch. We acted to fix this more quickly than anybody else."

Here's the text of Cuccinelli's ad.

Narrator: It's a study in contrasts and judgment. Ken Cuccinelli earning praise for forcing a change in the law to protect the public. Steve Shannon called it a political stunt, offered no solutions, while DUI and felony drug cases were being thrown out of court. Shannon put politics before public safety. The Fraternal Order of Police said "No" to Steve Shannon. They endorsed Ken Cuccinelli for attorney general.

The Republican Governors Association is out this morning with a new TV ad in Northern Virginia.

Guess what this one is about? You guessed it. Taxes again.

The new ad shows Democrat Creigh Deeds making what appears to be conflicting statements on taxes during and after the last debate.

"No amount of political double-talk can hide the fact that Creigh Deeds wants to hike taxes," RGA spokesman Mike Schrimpf said.

Update: By the way, in case you are wondering, McDonnell's and Deeds's campaigns signed an agreement not to use footage of the debate afterward it was over, but the RGA was not part of that agreement.

Democrat Creigh Deeds is not backing off negative campaign ads against Republican Bob McDonnell, at least in the Northern Virginia area.

The campaign this morning releases a new spot already airing in the Washington area, which attacks McDonnell's claim, featured on many campaign signs, that he is "Fairfax's Own" because of his Northern Virginia childhood.

"Bob McDonnell says he's from Fairfax County," the narrator says. "But that was before he attended Pat Robertson's law school. And served on its board." Before, the narrator continues, he wrote that working women are detrimental to the family, he introduced 35 bills on abortion or voted against equal pay for women.

"So no matter what McDonnell claims, all signs say he's not from around here...anymore," it concludes.

Democrat Creigh Deeds is out with a new ad, a spot that does not mention his Republican opponent at all and instead focuses on Deeds' education proposals. The ad particularly highlights Deeds' Virginia Forward scholarship proposal, in which Deeds has said he would offer a 50 percent scholarship to any Virginia student at a Virginia public college who maintains a B average and commits to spending two years in public service after graduation.

The ad begins airing now in Richmond and will expand to other markets next week--no word yet on which.

Watch it here.

Republican Bob McDonnell launched a new TV ad in Southwest Virginia today that talks about his desire to be a "jobs governor." It's the second ad in a week that accuses Democrat Creigh Deeds of costing families $7,800 -- a number that includes the estimated costs of a gas tax increase and the federal cap and trade bill.

The ad assumes Deeds would support a gas increase, which he has voted for many times in the past, to raise the $1 billion that he says is needed for road and transit improvements, and that he favors a climate proposal with a greater emissions cap than the one being considered by Congress. But Deeds has never said what, if any, gax tax increase he would support as governor and has specifically said he does not support the cap and trade bill.

Read the script below:

A political action committee tied to the conservative Family Research Council began airing TV ads accusing Democratic gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds of flip-flopping on the issues of same-sex marriage and partial-birth abortion.

The Virginia Values Voter PAC ad is airing for one week on cable TV in Southwest Virginia.

"Creigh Deeds is willing to do anything to appease the most radical special interest groups within his party,'' PAC president Connie Mackey said. "His rhetoric doesn't match his votes. It appears he will do and say anything for votes except stick by his own."

Deeds voted for a ban on partial-birth abortion but later changed his mind because he said he worried that the bills were unconstitutional. He, voted to put on the ballot a state constitutional amendment prohibiting civil unions and same-sex marriage, but said he came to regret his decision and to believe that the language was discriminatory and said so publicly before the 2006 balloting.

"Another day, another false attack from Bob McDonnell and his allies,'' said Jared Leopold, a Deeds spokesman. "But all their false attacks don't change the fact that Bob McDonnell pushed 35 bills to restrict a woman's right to choose while not personally sponsoring one bill to create a job."

Friday, Oct. 9, 2009

Good morning and happy Friday everyone. Here's what's happening in politics around the state today.

Big news. The Washington Post released a new poll showing that Republican Bob McDonnell has widened his lead over Democrat Creigh Deeds. The entire GOP ticket is up by a hefty nine points.

The poll shows a lack of enthusiasm among many voters who elected President Obama last year and raises questions for the Democrats as they head into the 2010 mid-term elections. Democrats continue to wonder what Deeds's message will be and what the White House's role will be in the remaining weeks of the campaign.

Deeds will be a guest on Mark Plotkin's radio show on WTOP at 10 a.m. Listen here. Tonight, he'll join fans at the Riverbend High football game in Fredericksburg.

McDonnell will attend the Patrick County Rally with former U.S. Rep. Virgil Goode in Stuart and the Greater Richmond Urban League of Young Professionals candidate's forum tonight.

It doesn't appear that Democrat Creigh Deeds is taking the advice of some of his party's elected officials to stop going negative.

Deeds today released a new statewide TV ad, entitled Dishonest, that, well, is negative. It outlines what some newspapers are saying about Republican Bob McDonnell's transportation plan -- calling it "dishonest" and "dead on arrival."

"This ad proves two points,'' said Tucker Martin, a McDonnell spokesman. "First, Creigh Deeds and The Washington Post editorial board both agree on hitting Virginians with a massive tax hike in the middle of a recession. Second, Terry McAuliffe still knows his politics. He presciently noted yesterday "Creigh pretty much doesn't have to say anything because the Washington Post is out there every day doing it."

Read the script below:

The National Rifle Association is airing TV ads on behalf of Republican Bob McDonnell targeting New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg -- and the mob, too.

In the ad, a mobster explains to Virginia voters that it would be in their best interest not to vote for McDonnell if they "know what's good" for them.

"When Mayor Bloomberg got down here, your guy, Bob McDonnell, kicked him out of Virginia, and it was very disrespectful," the man says. "When you vote, I strongly suggest you forget about your freedoms and your Mr. Second Amendment Bob McDonnell."

"I haven't seen the ad; heard about it. I'll leave Virginia politics to Virginians and worry about the politics here," Bloomberg told the New York Times.

Thursday, Oct. 8, 2009

Good morning everyone. Here's what's happening in politics around the state today.

Vice President Joe Biden returns to Virginia for a second time to help Democrat Creigh Deeds raise some cash at a mid-day event in Alexandria. It's a busy fundraising day for Deeds. Tonight, he appears with Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley at the Potomac home of lobbyist Barbara Goldberg Goldman.

Republican Bob McDonnell will discuss plans to aid senior citizens at the Herndon Senior Center. Yes, McDonnell is still rolling out policy proposals less than four weeks before the big day.

Questions continue to arise about Deeds's negative message and whether he can make his case to voters in the last month of the race -- with or without help from President Obama.

The Wall Street Journal weighs into the Virginia governor's race for the second day in a row. This time, the paper reports on the Deeds campaign's formation of 60 book clubs to talk about McDonnell's graduate thesis.

Republican Bob McDonnell launched a new TV ad today that calculates the cost of a pair of proposals that Democrat Creigh Deeds has indicated he supports -- a gas tax increase and the federal cap and trade bill.

The ad assume Deeds would support a gas increase, which has voted for many times in the past, to raise the $1 billion that he says is needed for road and transit improvements. In Virginia, the gas tax produces roughly $50 million per penny, and would take a 20-cent increase to produce $1 billion a year. McDonnell's ad uses information from the state Department of Taxation to determine that a 20-cent increase would cost a household with two cars an average of $300 a year.

The ad assumes Deeds supports a climate proposal with a greater emissions cap than the one being considered by Congress. The cap and trade number comes a U.S. States Department of the Treasury report that found that Americans would see an impact of $1,761 per household if the bill passed.

The ad calculates the number over four years. It is airing statewide except for Northern Virginia:

"Creigh Deeds has the only realistic plan to solve Virginia's transportation crisis,'' said Jared Leopold, Deeds spokesman. "Bob McDonnell's dishonest ads are a desperate attempt to distract from his 'phony baloney' transportation scheme that would take $5.4 billion from Virginia schools. On transportation, the contrast is clear: Creigh Deeds has an honest plan, Bob McDonnell has dishonest, negative ads."

Read the script below:

Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling began a new statewide TV ad today -- and his first one attacking his Democratic opponent, Jody Wagner.

What's the attack? Taxes, taxes, taxes. We saw that one coming.

Bolling accuses Wagner, the former state treasurer and secretary of finance, of supporting "every major tax increase proposed over the last eight years."

"During a time of record unemployment and significant economic decline, Virginians should be very concerned about Jody Wagner's consistent support of job-killing tax increases," said Matt Wells, Bolling campaign manager.

"Bolling and his campaign once again proved they just do not understand the state's finances if their chosen line of attack is to degrade Jody Wagner's fiscal record -- a record that includes balanced budgets, the two largest investments in education in Virginia history, two 'Best Managed State' awards, eight 'Best State for Business' awards, and maintaining our AAA credit rating," said Elisabeth Pearson, Wagner campaign manager.

Get ready for even more TV ads.

The National Rifle Association is spending more than $500,000 on TV and radio ads for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, which tracks campaign spending.

We told you last week that McDonnell and his supporters were outspending Democrat Creigh Deeds and his backers nearly 2 to 1 on TV ads. The NRA ad buy is only going to add to McDonnell's advantage.

Deeds's gun-friendly record earned him the NRA's endorsement in 2005 but cost him the support of former governor L. Douglas Wilder. This year the NRA switched to McDonnell, citing his record as attorney general and Deeds's "flip-flop" on the gun show loophole.

The NRA refused to disclose any details on the radio or TV ads -- so let us know when you see or hear them!

Jody Wagner, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, began airing her first TV ads of the general election today in Richmond, Norfolk and Roanoke.

The positive ad highlights Wagner's role as treasurer and secretary of finance for Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and touts her role in cutting billions of dollars to balance the budget during the worst national recession in decades.

Her Republican opponent, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, has been on the air for several weeks.

The script is below:

Remember when Democrat Creigh Deeds made that sharp remark to a female reporter who asked him about his plan to pay for road improvements? "I think I made myself clear, young lady," Deeds said.

The exchange, which was quickly posted on YouTube and sent out by the state Republican Party, has now made it into a TV ad paid for by the Republican Governors Association and airing in Northern Virginia.

Watch it here:

Some wondered whether Deeds might have hurt his attempts to appeal to women voters when he made that comment after the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce debate. Deeds later called to apologize to the reporter, Chelyen Davis of the Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star, who said she was not offended by the remark.

The Virginia Education Association has launched a new TV ad, accusing Republican Bob McDonnell of opposing smaller class sizes and teacher raises while supporting vouchers for private schools.

The group, which has been airing ads for two weeks in Richmond and Hampton Roads, directs viewers to a Web site that compares McDonnell's and Democrat Creigh Deeds's education plans. (Check out The Post's take on their education plans).

Republican Bob McDonnell began airing a new TV ad on transportation today in traffic-clogged Northern Virginia.

McDonnell hopes to pick up some votes in the left-leaning region by touting his plan to fund road and transit improvements and by accusing Democrat Creigh Deeds of only having a vague plan that may include raising taxes (though the ad does not specifically mention Deeds.)

McDonnell has proposed paying for transportation by shifting state money and relying on funding sources that don't involve tax increases, such as privatizing the state's liquor stores and adding tolls on some highways, though some have criticized him for offering a plan that would take money from core services.

Democrat Creigh Deeds has been the star of the most recent Republican ads in the governor's race. Now Deeds is making Republican Bob McDonnell the star of his most recent spot.

This ad is designed to the be exclamation point on the Deeds argument that social issues have been the driving force in McDonnell's public career, using footage of McDonnell telling the National Right to Life Committee last year that elections are important because they determine whether pro-life lawmakers reach office. The Deeds campaign says it will air statewide from now until Nov. 3.

Watch the ad here:

... and boy, are they tough.

The first, called "Trust," shows a series of women defending Republican Bob McDonnell's record of working with women and advocating on behalf of women and children.

The second, called "Reality TV," mirrors the new Republican Governors Association piece that shows video of Democrat Creigh Deeds answering questions last month after the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce debate about whether he would raise taxes. It features a starring role for Washington Post columnist Bob McCartney.

One interesting note about "Trust" is that McDonnell's campaign did what Deeds refused to do when the Democrat launched an ad of women criticizing McDonnell: He provided the names and affiliations of the women in the spot. All are current or past co-workers of McDonnell's who are supporting him for governor.

Another interesting note about "Trust" is that it sure seems like the McDonnell campaign is placing new emphasis on the women's vote -- contrary to spokesman Tucker Martin's assertion to the contrary earlier this week.

And on "Reality TV": It's a minute long, but it's in rotation across Virginia, even pricey NoVa. The other one's rotating across the land as well.

View the two ads here:

Read on for the scripts.

Post columnist Robert McCartney is judging the Virginia governor's race candidates, tallying the blows week by week until the Nov. 3 election. Here's his analysis of the past week:

"It was a slow week with both candidates busy raising money before a Wednesday deadline, and I was tempted to declare a draw. But McDonnell wins by a hair, as it emerges that his side is putting out more advertising, partly because of support from outside groups such as the Republican Governors Association. The Republican also steadily picked up endorsements, including that of the Northern Virginia Technology Council. (Deeds got the Police Benevolent Association.) The latest polls aren't statistically reliable, but for what it's worth, they all still have McDonnell in the lead."

Check out how McCartney has scored the race so far.

It's never a good thing for a candidate when he is the star of the video clips used in campaign ads by the other side. But as soon as the media scrum concluded after the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce debate, it was pretty obvious that Republicans would be using footage of Creigh Deeds's bumbling answer on taxes for transportation in an ad sometime soon. And now they have.

The Republican Governors Association will spend $1.7 million over the next three weeks to air "Deeds Uncut" in Northern Virginia. Also featured prominently in the ad is our colleague Bob McCartney, pressing Deeds on taxes.

Watch the ad here.

Democrat Creigh Deeds has a new radio ad, versions of which will play in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. Both are about jobs, education and transportation, slamming Bob McDonnell's plans on the topic and then transitioning to praise for Deeds's proposals. It opens by trying to make McDonnell regret accepting that Chris Wallace invitation to appear on Fox News last weekend.

The ad's got a woman and man talking to each other. "So this Bob McDonnell is not all he's cracked up to be..." the woman says to the man.

"I know, Fox News just said his jobs and transportation plan just doesn't add up," the man says.

And she responds: "Fox News?"

Take a listen to the Nova version here:

First, Democrat Creigh Deeds aired an ad accusing Republican Bob McDonnell of supporting power rate increases during an economic downturn. Then, McDonnell responded with an ad saying he saved $300 million in rate increases as attorney general.

Here we go again. Deeds is back with another ad about rate increases in response to McDonnell's ad.

Deeds' campaign did not initially release the ad or post it on its Web site, leading the McDonnell campaign to issue this press release: "After multiple editorials finding Creigh Deeds's attacks on Bob McDonnell regarding electricity rate increases to be completely without merit and false, the Democrat has now gone up with a NEW ad reiterating the same erroneous claims. As of this press release, it does not appear the Deeds' campaign has posted this new ad to their website, perhaps aware of the new lows the ad reaches."

Post reporter Derek Kravitz fact-checked the electricity-rate issue earlier this month.

Republican Bob McDonnell is up on air with two new TV ads today, as predicted in this morning's First Click.

The first ad accuses Democrat Creigh Deeds of "disingenuous" and "deceitful" attacks against him. The second is another attempt to appeal to the female vote post-thesis. For this ad, he had his eldest daughter speak about the values her father taught her and her service in Iraq.

Read the scripts below:

Democratic candidate for governor R. Creigh Deeds unveiled two new ads this week hitting Republican Robert F. McDonnell over issues related to McDonnell's 1989 master's thesis. One is entitled "Why Did You?"

Script:

Woman: Bob McDonnell, we know what you wrote about working women ...

Woman: ... and we've seen all your ads and heard your excuses.

Woman: But your RECORD troubles me.

Woman: ... 35 bills restricting a woman's choice

Woman: And you opposed birth control for married adults.

Woman: Mr. McDonnell: We've read your words ...

Woman: We've checked your record.

Woman: Why did you vote that way?

Images:

Each line is spoken sternly by a different woman, looking straight into the camera. They are diverse in age and race and are featured in different settings--one in what looks like an office, another in front of a house. The Deeds campaign says the women are Virginia residents--not actors. They include Phyllis Randall, who ran for supervisor as a Democrat in Loudoun, and party activist Chrisi West. The campaign refused to release a full list.

Keep reading for an analysuis

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R) debuted his second television ad of the campaign this week, making use of the ample financial advantage over Democratic challenger Jody Wagner he reported in recent fundraising disclosure forms.

In the ad, titled "Plan," Bolling promises to act as the state's first "jobs creation officer," to "continue" creating incentives to attract jobs to Virginia, to "root out" wasteful government spending and to oppose "job-killing" tax increases.

"These are challenging times," Bolling says. "We have to do more to create jobs and help families."

In Bolling's first ad, "Lessons," the lieutenant governor took credit for writing legislation extending health care to lower-income children, and he promised to increase teacher pay and send more money to classrooms (without raising taxes). "Lessons" has been on the air for two weeks, but the campaign boosted the ad's airtime on Tuesday, so now it is airing everywhere (except pricey Northern Virginia, where it appears on cable only).

According to the Virginia Public Access report, Bolling had $1.3 milllion in the bank on Aug. 30, compared to Wagner's $600,000.

Watch "Plan" below, and "Lessons" below that:

The Virginia Education Association is airing TV ads in Richmond and Hampton Roads that criticize Republican Bob McDonnell for opposing money for smaller class sizes and teacher raises, and for supporting vouchers for private schools.

The commercial directs viewers to a Web site that gives them the VEA's take on McDonnell's and Democrat Creigh Deeds's education plans and urges them to sign a petition asking McDonnell to change his positions while encouraging Deeds to continue his education efforts.

"Our commercial asks those who agree with us to ask the candidates for governor to support our positions for smaller class sizes and increased teacher salaries and against draining dollars from public schools to fund private school tuition vouchers," VEA President Kitty Boitnott said.

McDonnell's campaign's response: "Only one candidate in this race is actually advocating bold reforms for Virginia's public education system: Bob McDonnell,'' said Tucker Martin, a McDonnell spokesman. "He has put forward an innovative plan to get nearly half a billion dollars more each year into the classroom, increasing teacher salaries and improving technology, without raising taxes. And he is standing with President Barack Obama in strong support of charter schools and performance pay, policies opposed by the VEA and Creigh Deeds. We know the VEA is backing Creigh Deeds, but Virginia's parents, students and teachers in the classroom are standing with Bob McDonnell."

Steve Shannon, the Democratic nominee for attorney general, debuted two television ads this week describing his plans to be tough on sexual predators if he's elected attorney general.

According to the most recent campaign finance reports, Shannon holds a more than two-to-one financial advantage over his opponent, Republican Ken Cuccinelli, with $1.6 million in the bank compared to Cuccinelli's $752,000. Shannon has decided to start spending it with a television ad buy in Hampton Roads, Richmond, Roanoke and the Abingdon/Bristol market, as well as a cable buy in Northern Virginia.

In the new ads, Shannon touts his background as a prosecutor and his role creating Virginia's AMBER Alert system. He promises to be tough on sexual predators, Internet criminals and gang leaders who recruit children. We all know that the attorney general's office is mostly about providing legal advice to state government and defending state laws in court. But according to the Shannon campaign, Internet crimes are one area where state code gives the attorney general authority to play a role in prosecutions.

Here are the ads, with the scripts below.

Script: When a child is abducted, the first few hours are the most important. It's why Steve Shannon and his wife brought the AMBER Alert to Virginia, to make every minute count. As a prosecutor Steve Shannon sent sexual predators, drunk drivers and child molesters to prison. As Attorney General, Steve Shannon will target internet predators and gang leaders that recruit children. As Attorney General, Steve Shannon will focus on keeping families safe.

Script: If you're trafficking in child pornography you should listen to what I am saying. We know who you are. Law enforcement has tracked child pornography to 19,357 specific computers across Virginia. I am Steve Shannon and when I am Attorney General we will use that information to track down exactly where you are. We will find you, and we will find those children and bring them to safety. Steve Shannon for Attorney General- A Prosecutor to Protect our Families.

Republican Bob McDonnell unveiled a pair of positive new TV ads today -- including one in which he refutes criticism about his 20-year-old graduate thesis and his stance on working women. In the ads, he speaks directly into the camera, talking about the kind of governor he would be and his quest to create more jobs in the state.

"Protect" began airing today in the Northern Virginia, Norfolk, Richmond, Charlottesville and Harrisonburg markets.

"Jobs Agenda" began airing today statewide, except Northern Virginia.

Updated: Here's a response from Democrat Creigh Deeds campaign: "Bob's new ad is correct -- attacks on his character HAVE raised questions about who he is and what kind of governor he'll be,'' said Jared Leopold, a Deeds spokesman. "And he still doesn't explain why he sponsored 35 bills to restrict a woman's right to choose; why he voted against equal pay for women; why he voted repeatedly against public schools; why he voted against child care programs; or why he voted against access to contraception. The problem with his thesis is that it was a blueprint for how he legislated."

Read the scripts below:

Democrat Creigh Deeds launched yet another new TV ad today -- this one, accusing Republican Bob McDonnell of supporting power rate hikes in Southwest and Southside Virginia during tough economic times.

The ad, which is running in Roanoke and Bristol, references McDonnell's comment from the July 25 debate that utility companies "are entitled to rate increases."

UPDATE: McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin said Deeds should know that the attorney general does not approve rate increase, but rather serves as the consumer counsel. "We know Creigh is desperate, but he should still treat Virginia voters with a little more respect,'' he said. "This negative ad sets a new standard for political duplicity. Creigh voted for the bill that allows utility companies to recoup expenses. ... This ad is an insult to the intelligence of the people of Virginia."

Read the script below:

Another day, another new ad.

The Republican Governors Association started airing new negative TV and radio ads across the state (except for Northern Virginia) today against Democrat Creigh Deeds.

The ads focus on Deeds's vote last year to raise the gas tax (to pay for roads and transit) and says that he would support other tax increases "even in a bad economy."

"We already know that Creigh Deeds wants to pump up spending in Richmond," RGA spokesman Mike Schrimpf said. "So it's no surprise that he wants to pump up the taxes too, even if it means further deflating the economy."

The RGA ads come a day after Deeds started his own attack ad against Republican Bob McDonnell on social issues. We did ask the Deeds campaign for a reaction to the RGA ads but have yet to hear back

See below for the longer radio version:

Today, Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling became the first statewide candidate in one of the downticket races to air TV ads.

The positive ad is airing solely in Hampton Roads -- the home base of his Democratic opponent Jody Wagner -- and focuses on children and education.

Democrat Creigh Deeds will launch a new attack TV ad against Republican Bob McDonnell in Northern Virginia starting tonight. Yes, he has had negative ads before, but this one mentions the hot-button issues of abortion and birth control. Take a look:

Updated: Here's a response from the McDonnell campaign: "Creigh Deeds refuses to put together even an outline of a transportation plan, but he's got plenty of time to craft negative, backwards looking attack ads and run a campaign which divides Virginians,'' said Tucker Martin, a McDonnell spokesman. "In these tough times Virginians deserve far better from candidates for the Commonwealth's highest office."

Read the script below:

The ads are coming fast and furious.

And we told you that when they started, we'd be analyzing the commercials, picking apart claims made by the campaigns and assessing the messages they are intending to send.

Here's our latest installment: a Republican Governors Association ad -- the first one of the general election -- attacking Democrat Creigh Deeds, which began airing Wednesday.

The liberal group Americans United for Change is airing TV ads criticizing U.S. Reps. Frank Wolf of Northern Virginia and Eric Cantor of Richmond for voting against a climate bill that would establish limits on greenhouse gases, create a trading system for emission permits and provide incentives to alter how companies use energy.

The group is spending $430,000 on the ads, which began airing this week and will run through Sept. 7. The "Dear Congressman" ads will run on cable TV in Washington (for Wolf) and on broadcast TV in Richmond (for Cantor).

Bob McDonnell goes negative. Sort of. The Republican Governors Association is doing it for him.

The RGA's political action committee, Virginia Common Sense, launched TV and radio ads across the state (except pricey Northern Virginia) that criticize Democrat Creigh Deeds for supposedly supporting big government spending.

The ads feature footage from remarks Deeds made to a crowd in Lexington April 4 when he said: "In Richmond we don't have earmarks, we have budget amendments. And I had the most budget amendments in 2008 of all."

As the ads begin running in the governor's race, we'll be analyzing the commercials, picking apart claims made by the campaigns and analyzing messages they are intending to send. First up, Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds, whose first ad of the general election campaign began airing Friday.

"Are you an asset or a liability for Creigh Deeds?"

That's the question Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine was asked today on his monthly call-in show on WTOP.

As we reported Sunday, much has been made in recent days about U.S. Sen. Mark Warner -- not Kaine -- appearing in Deeds' first TV ad. And privately, some Deeds staffers have said they realize it's not always politically beneficial for Deeds to be associated with Kaine because of his sagging approval ratings and tie to national politics.

But Kaine said today that he is "working my tail off for Creigh as an individual, as a governor and also as DNC chair."

"I'm around the country raisiing funds for him. I'm doing events for him,'' Kaine said. "I think it's great to have an ad with Mark in it...I've done radio ads for Creigh that are up and running...I'm sure he's going to have Jim Webb in ads...He's got a lot of assets on the field. He doesn't have to use me in every ad."

Kaine cited a recent Washington Post poll that showed he had a 55 percent approval rating -- considerably lower than where he was a year ago and considerably lower than Warner -- but higher than other governors during the worst recession since the 1930s. "There are governors who have had no scandals, no challenges that are at approval ratings of 19 percent right now," he said.

Get ready to see more political ads -- a lot more.

Democrat Creigh Deeds went on the air with his first TV ad of the general election a few days ago. Now, Republican Bob McDonnell has decided to go up on TV too.

McDonnell will begin airing ads Wednesday, and the the Republican Governors Association's PAC Virginia Common Sense is expected to start ads on his behalf Thursday. (You'll recall that the RGA formed the group only after criticizing the Democratic Governors Association for creating its own PAC called Common Sense Virginia. Don't you just love politics?)

No word on yet on what the ads will say, but with McDonnell leading in the polls you can expect his to be positive. The RGA's ad, on the other hand, will most likely be negative.

McDonnell aired a slew of TV ads in May before the general election began, and then another 10 days worth of ads on the economy in late June.

We told you a bit earlier how much the Democrats are spending on TV ads in the hotly-contested three-way gubernatorial primary.

So where does Bob McDonnell fit in?

McDonnell, who will officially accept the Republican nomination tomorrow, is outspending all of the Democrats -- even though the general election hasn't even started yet. And he is about spend a lot more.

In just over two weeks, McDonenell has aired a whopping $1.2 million worth of spots all over the state, including pricey Northern Virginia, according to sources familiar with the purchase. He will spend another $700,000 In spots -- more than half in Northern Virginia -- in the nine-day period starting Monday following the state GOP convention, sources say.

So how dramatically is Brian Moran now being outspent on television ads by both Creigh Deeds and Terry McAuliffe? As of May 27, Moran had aired a mere $43,000 worth of spots in Norfolk and Richmond. Meanwhile, McAuliffe had spent $900,000, in every Virginia market except the D.C. suburbs and Deeds had spent almost $400,000.

Those figures come from Evan Tracey, who tracks such things for the Campaign Media Analysis Group. Tracey says the gap between McAuliffe and Deeds has been narrowing. He says all of Deeds money has come within the last 30 days; McAuliffe's has spent about $535,000 in that time. And over the last two weeks, McAuliffe has outspent Deeds only $280,000 to $200,000.

For the moment, at least, it seems the Democratic political action committee Common Sense Virginia, and its patron saint, the Democratic Governor's Association, has virtually endless money to spend softening the ground for whichever Democrat the party nominates in the June 9 primary.

Yesterday, the group announced yet another huge ad buy in Northern Virginia, a significant six-figure expenditure for another week of commercials slamming Republican Bob McDonnell.

The National Rifle Association, which had to halt plans to run anti-Barack Obama ads on Election Day because newspapers declined to run them, found a home for its ads today.

Two days before Tuesday's historic election, the NRA is running full-page ads in some Virginia newspapers listing eight reasons to vote against the Democratic pesidential nominee under the banner "Can Obama be Trusted to Protect Your Gun Rights? You Decide."

The NRA, based in Fairfax County, contacted some newspapers in Virginia and other battleground states about wrapping their newspapers Tuesday in plastic bags that would read: "Vote for Freedom... Defeat Obama." Two of the state's biggest newspapers, the Virginian-Pilot and Richmond Times-Dispatch, declined the ads.

The NRA endorsed Republican presidential nominee John McCain. The group's political action committee created an anti-Obama Website that says he "would be the most anti-gun president in American history."

"In his many trips to the Commonwealth, Sen. Obama has spoken directly to Virginians about his unequivocal support for Second Amendment rights,'' said Clark Stevens, a spokesman for Obama in Virginia. "Once again the NRA is launching last minute, false attacks -- something that Virginia voters have come to expect every election cycle."

A radio ad supporting Republican presidential nominee John McCain is airing on at least one station in Northern Virginia.

"More for big government, less for you. Just as you suspected, Barack Obama's wrong for you,'' a woman tells listeners.

"Your savings, your job and your financial security are under siege. Congressional liberals will make it worse. Congressional liberals plan nearly a trillion dollars in new government spending,'' a man continues. "To pay for it, congressional liberals promise higher taxes on American families making over $42,000 a year. Congressional liberals call it spreading the wealth. We call it higher taxes for you."

The ad is authorized by McCain's campaign and the Republican National Committee.

Gail Gitcho, a McCain spokeswoman in Virginia, said she did not have any information about the ads. The RNC did not return messages.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama launched a new TV ad In key states, including Virginia, today about the Illinois senator's proposed tax cuts.

The 30-second ad, entitled Try This, tells views that millions of Americans are visiting TaxCutFacts.org, where they can use an online calculator to learn about Obama and his Republican opponent John McCain's tax plans.

Former governor Mark R. Warner (D) has recorded a series of radio ads for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama that will begin airing around the state tonight.

In the ads, Warner talks about how Obama will take a bipartisan approach to restoring the economy, creating jobs, lowering taxes for middle-class families and providing affordable healthcare.

"This is exactly the kind of change our economy needs,'' Warner says in the ad while folksy music plays in the background. "So please join me, Mark Warner, in supporting Barack Obama for president. His steady hand, family values and common sense approach will help get our country back on track."

The 60-second ads will run across the state including Northern Virginia, central Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley and Southside and Southwest, rural areas that have traditionally supported Republicans but where Warner is extremely popular.

Warner, who is running for U.S. Senate against former governor James S. Gilmore III, will appear with Obama in Richmond and Leesburg tomorrow.

Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) cut a radio ad for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama that will run in southwest Virginia and perhaps North Carolina and other states in the South.

Obama has also asked Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) and former governor Mark R. Warner (D) to do the same, according to Democratic sources.

Kaine, who was on Obama's short list for vice president, is likely to appear in an ad for his friend Obama. It's unclear whether Warner, who is trying to draw bipartisan support for his bid for U.S. Senate against former James S. Gimore III, will star in an ad.

In his ad, Webb, a veteran and NRA member, recounts his own gun history and then explains why listeners can trust Obama, who he calls a friend, to not infringe on their Second Amendment rights.

Webb, elected in 2006, will campaign for Obama in southwest Virginia Thursday. Rallies are scheduled for Bristol, Marion, Pulaski and Blacksburg.

By calling on the state's top three Democratic politicans, Obama's campaign is indicating that it still needs help to win the battleground state of Virginia. Polls show the race between Obama and Sen. John McCain (R) is extremely close but Republican presidential candidates often outperform their final poll numbers.

Former governor Mark R. Warner will begin broadcasting new radio and television ads tomorrow in his U.S. Senate race against former governor James S. Gilmore III.

The 30-second TV ad, called "Fresh Approach," features Warner discussing the nation's economic crisis. A similar 60-second version will be broadcast on statewide radio.

"For too long, there were too many people both in Washington and on Wall Street asleep at the switch," Warner says in the ad. "We need a fresh approach where we don't allow CEOs on Wall Street to walk away with millions of dollars while their companies go into the ditch. We've got to have leaders in Washington who put our country's interest first, not partisanship. That's what I'll do if you send me to Washington."

A series of new Spanish-language radio ads will begin airing in the Washington metro area to urge residents to "move forward and vote."

The New Policy Institute, an affiliate of the NDN progressive think tank and advocacy organization, has been airing in Nevada and Colorado. The Washington area ads start tomorrow.

The media campaign, Adelante, Spanish for "Moving Forward," is a public education campaign that encourages people to vote, explains the process of voting (including early and absentee voting) and targets what is projected to be a large pool of first-time Hispanic voters.

Three ads will start airing on three radio stations, which serve Northern Virgina, southern Maryland and the District. Ads will air through Nov. 3.

Several residents of Northern Virginia report they received an automated call last night that critcizes the Democratic Party and Sen. Barack Obama for wasteful spending. The caller asks voters to fill out an absentee ballot, which will be mailed in the coming days.

On one of the calls, a women named Kate accused Democrats in Congress of approving billions of dollars in unnecessary projects.

"I can't stand the billions of dollars wasted by corrupt politicians on pet projects," Kate says. "You should get an absentee ballot in the mail this week....If you are like me and ... think the 'Bridge to Nowhere is an outrageous waste of taxpayer money, you should fill out your absentee ballot."

The Republican Party of Virginia paid for and authorized the automated message.

"We are looking for some absentee ballot voters." said Gerry Scimeca, a spokesman for the Virginia Republican Party. "We are looking for people, especially in Northern Virginia where you have a lot of people who work really long hours, and don't make it the polls and are prime candidates to request an absentee ballot."

As reported in Monday's Washington Post, Republican Senate Candidate James S. Gilmore III has begun airing his first campaign commercial.

In the ad, which is airing in television markets downstate but not in Northern Virginia, a narrator criticizes Democratic Candidate Mark R. Warner and seeks to link him to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). Gilmore tries to associate himself with Arizona Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee for president.

The Virginia Republican Party is paying for the ad, but Gilmore authorized it.

Democratic strategists describe the ad, which won't be released to the media until today, as a meager $80,000 buy, but it still underscores the following eight points:

Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, released a new television ad today in key states, including Virginia.

The 30-second ad, Three Times, touts Obama's plan to cut taxes for middle-class families while criticizing Republican Sen. John McCain's plan to target billions in tax cuts to big corporations, according to a press release.

The ad will air in Virginia, Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

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John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, began airing a new ad on TV Friday in key states, including Virginia.

The ad, entitled "Painful," highlights presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's record of voting to raise taxes on middle class families and his tax increase proposals.

"The last thing we need to do is raise taxes that force families to make even tougher choices with less money in their pockets,'' according to a press release.

Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, began airing a new ad on TV today in key states, including Virginia.

The ad, entitled "Family," accuses Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, of supporting higher taxes and increased government spending that will hurt small businesses and cost jobs.

"While Barack Obama is the biggest celebrity in the world, that doesn't do much to help American families who are hurting from higher gas prices and the threat of home foreclosure,'' according to a press release.

Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, began airing a new ad on national cable TV in key states, including Virginia.

The 30-second ad, entitled "Celeb," highlights the opposition of Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, to offshore drilling and proposals to raise taxes on energy sources that produce electricity.

"This ad shows a clear contrast between John McCain and Barack Obama on the issues important to Virginia voters,'' said Gail Gitcho, McCain's mid-Atlantic regional communications director.

"John McCain believes that lowering taxes is the best way to create jobs here in America. Barack Obama believes tax hikes are the solution to our economic problems,'' she said. "John McCain believes those have to be a part of a comprehensive solution that include renewables and new innovative energy sources. Barack Obama opposes nuclear power and additional drilling. John McCain will end the war but he believes we must come home in victory based on the conditions on the ground. Barack Obama supports an unconditional timetable for withdrawal in Iraq that has the real possibility of leading to a third Iraq war."

Democratic Senate candidate Mark R. Warner released a new television ad today that focuses on his plan for driving down gas prices and reforming the nation's energy policies.

Warner's 30-second ad, his second of the campaign, comes on the same day updated campaign finance reports are due at the Federal Election Commission. By unveiling the ad today, Warner is showcasing what is expected to be his sizeable cash advantage over his Republican opponent, James S. Gilmore III.

The Republican National Committee will air a radio ad in the Washington region tomorrow to welcome Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to Northern Virginia.

Obama is scheduled to hold a town hall meeting Thursday afternoon in Fairfax County. In the ad, a teacher accuses Obama of voting to raise taxes on people who earn more than $32,000 a year.

"I hear a lot of promises from politicians," the woman states. "Barack Obama promises to cut taxes, but he voted to raise taxes on folks earning as little as $32,000. I'm a teacher, and I feel the strain of rising gas prices and food prices every day. I don't understand why Obama insists on raising my taxes."

Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, released his first television ad today that will air in local Virginia markets.

In the one-minute ad, entitled Love, a narrator contrasts McCain's experience as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War with that of other Americans back home in 1967.

"It was a time of uncertainty, hope and change. The 'Summer Of Love,' the ad states. "Half a world away, another kind of love -- of country. John McCain: Shot down. Bayoneted. Tortured. Offered early release, he said 'no'. He's sworn an oath."

U.S. Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is expected to start airing ads in Virginia on Tuesday.

His campaign bought air time for 60-second TV ads in Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, Harrisonburg, Charlottesville and southwest Virginia.

The Republican Party of Virginia announced today that it will file a second complaint with the Federal Elections Commission over what it calls the Democratic National Committee's continued coordination with its presidential candidates to launch attacks against presumptive GOP nominee John McCain.

"A disturbing trend has developed among the DNC and its presidential candidates," said John H. Hager, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. "First, the DNC shows complete disregard for federal election laws by coordinating strategy with the presidential campaigns, and then the DNC puts out intentionally misleading negative ads.

Former governor Mark R. Warner (D) has been a U.S. Senate candidate for two months. Former governor James S. Gilmore III (R) has been a Senate candidate for two days.

Who do you think has the better website?

You can find Warner's website here. You can find Gilmore's website here.

You may notice one distinction. Warner's website doesn't include a section outlining his views on the issues yet. But Gilmore's includes his positions on illegal immigration, energy independence, taxes, transportation, education and terrorism.

RICHMOND- Here are the answers to the election questions asked in the Oct. 25 Virginia Notebook after Democrats won the four seats needed to reclaim control of the state Senate and also make inroads in the House of Delegates.

Q Can a Republican still win inside the Beltway?

A Maybe. With Democrat Margaret G. Vanderhye's victory over Republican David M. Hunt for the seat of retiring Del. Vincent F. Callahan Jr. (R-Fairfax), there will be no elected Republican state official next year representing an inside-the-Beltway district. Hunt lost by just 540 votes, however. In Alexandria, Del. David L. Englin (D) beat Republican challenger Mark S. Allen by nearly 2 to 1. Even so, I wouldn't write off a Republican candidate's chance to someday prevail in Arlington, Alexandria or Fairfax.

Spotted yesterday, a sign on the back of a tanker truck carrying septic waste in the Reston area: "Transporting Leftover Campaign Debates."

Share your favorite sign, or quote from this fall's campaign.

Democratic Senate candidate Karen Schultz has purchased air time in the expensive Washington media market.

Schultz, who is running against Republican Jill Holtzman Vogel, started a $250,000 media buy today. In the ad, Schultz says she is a "hometown leader" who has been endorsed by former governor Mark R. Warner (D). Schultz also criticizes Vogel for being a "Washington insider" who has ties to the energy industry. Holtzman Vogel responded Friday with her own ads.

On Tuesday, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's political action committee, Moving Virginia Forward, gave Schultz's campaign $68,000. Schultz also wrote a $50,000 check to her campaign yesterday, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

You can view Schultz's ad here

Democrat Janet Oleszek has gone up on network television as she seeks to unseat Sen. Ken Cuccinelli II (R-Fairfax) in Tuesday's election.

Oleszek's foray into network television in the expensive Washington media market, which also reaches viewers in Maryland and the District, signals such television buys could become the norm in future state legislative races.

Earlier this month, Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis (R-Fairfax) began airing commercials on network television. Devolites Davis's Democratic opponent, J. Chapman "Chap" Petersen, responded by last week by starting his own network television blitz.

You can view Oleszek's ad here.

Democrat J. Chapman "Chap" Petersen is going up on network television tonight in the Washington media market in response to a two-week media blitz by his opponent, Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites (R-Fairfax).

Devolites Davis has been airing commercials on network television criticizing Petersen's record on gun control and taxes. Devolites Davis is believed to be the first legislative candidate in Virginia to purchase air time in the expensive Washington media market, which also reaches the District and Maryland.

Several Democrats say Devolites Davis' strategy has caused the race to tighten. Petersen is responding with this ad.

Late last week, Del. Timothy D. Hugo (R-Fairfax) wrote a letter to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) asking him to denounce a campaign mailer sent out by Hugo's Democratic opponent, Rex Simmons, and apologize for the Democratic party's involvement.

"As a good father, I ask you to consider how you would respond when a child or family member asks you why someone would falsely accuse you of complicity in human torture,'' Hugo wrote Thursday. "As a man of honor, I call on you to direct the Democratic Party of Virginia to issue a retraction and an apology to me and my family."

Three days later, Kaine's political action committee, Moving Virginia Forward, sent out an email to supporters highlighting two candidates for the General Assembly including Simmons.

"Rex Simmons believes in Virginia's future. He was an underdog. But he's fought hard and clawed his way into a race that has great potential for Virginia Democrats,'' Kaine wrote. "He's proven himself 100%, and I'm proud to support his campaign."

Yesterday, top Republican and Democratic leaders traded barbs over who is responsible for the strength of the state's economy and whether President Bush should be a factor in voters' decisions this year.

With the Nov. 6 election less than a month away, the rhetoric and campaign promises are increasing as Democrats try to retake the state Senate and make inroads in the GOP-led House of Delegates.

In recent weeks, Democrats have stepped up efforts to link GOP candidates to the policies of the Bush administration. In Fairfax County, House Democratic candidate Rex Simmons has sent out a mailer with a photo of Del. Timothy D. Hugo (R) standing with Vice President Cheney.

Read the full story here.

The Democratic Party of Virginia has sent letters to radio stations asking them to stop airing an ad that criticizes a Senate candidate for letting illegal immigrants get taxpayer subsidized in-state tuition rates.

The party says that's not true, and that when Democrat Albert Pollard was in the House he voted to deny in-state tuition -- not to give it -- as the ad by his opponent, Republican Richard Stuart, claims. Pollard and Stuart are running for Senate District 28 which includes the city of Frederickburg, part of Prince William County and Stafford County.

"Although a broadcast station should provide contrasting views on issues of public importance, it should not broadcast an inflammatory advertisement that contains what is nothing more than a blatant lie,'' the letter states.

Attorneys for the Democratic Party of Virginia are asking cable stations to stop running a controversial TV campaign ad by a Republican state legislator from Fairfax County that uses unidentified, unverified quotes from a blog.

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Some candidates for the Nov. 6 state elections are angering some voters with their over the top campaign ads.

The ad wars have begun in Fairfax County, where two incumbent Republican state senators -- Ken Cuccinelli and Jay O'Brien -- went up on cable TV last week. Cuccinelli's opponent, Democrat Janet Oleszek, is also running an ad on cable.