CNN=Politics Daily is The Best Political Podcast from The Best Political Team.

(CNN) — Sen. Barack Obama’s highly publicized trip overseas could very well be one of the biggest events during the presidential race.

As the presumptive Democratic nominee prepares to leave for the Middle East and Europe, he is facing questions about his limited experience, especially in the area of foreign policy. Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley has the story on the challenges and high expectations generated by Obama's planned trip abroad.

Meanwhile: Sen. John McCain is questioning Obama’s motives for making the trip and slamming Obama's Iraq policy. Dana Bash reports on the presumptive Republican nominee's efforts to make the most of his rival's much publicized and much anticipated trip.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sits down with Wolf Blitzer and has very harsh words for President Bush.  Pelosi also addresses Congress's low approval ratings.

Finally: Obama's ad buys show he is making a play for traditionally Republican states. Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider takes a look at Obama's red state strategy.

Click here to subscribe to CNN=Politics Daily

A new McCain ad is aimed at Hispanic voters in key battleground states.

(CNN) – John McCain is airing a new ad — in which he calls Hispanic Americans “God’s Children” — in his latest bid to win over that key voting bloc.

The spot comes amid a major push on that front by the presumptive Republican nominee, including private meetings with community leaders, Spanish-language radio ads, the launch of regular campaign conference calls with Hispanic pastors, and speeches at high-profile gatherings like this week’s address at the League of Latin American Citizens and next Monday’s speech at National Council La Raza — two of the trifecta of major Latino conferences McCain will make an appearance at this cycle.

The new ad – which will air in Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico, all neighbors of McCain’s home state of Arizona which are all heavily-contested states this cycle – features comments from a summer 2007 debate in which the senator praises the service of Hispanic veterans.

“My friends, I want you the next time you're down in Washington, D.C., to go to the Vietnam War Memorial and look at the names engraved in black granite. You'll find a whole lot of Hispanic names,” McCain said in remarks included in the 30-second spot.

He praised the service of members of the military serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, including “some of the few thousand that are still green card holders who are not even citizens of this country, who love this country so much that they're willing to risk their lives in its service in order to accelerate their path to citizenship and enjoy the bountiful, blessed nation.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Sen. McCain's new web ad attacks Sen. Obama on energy policy — in James Bond style.

(CNN) – The battle over energy policy between Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama has ventured into the realm of online video.

A new 40-second web ad launched by the McCain camp Wednesday portrays Obama as “Dr. No,” a label McCain’s campaign debuted Tuesday to represent Obama’s opposition to many of the Arizona senator’s energy policies.

In an homage to the cinematic style associated with the opening of James Bond films, the ad uses background music reminiscent of Bond films and portrays Obama in several settings that all have graphics of the word “No” in the background. The spot also features audio of Obama discussing his positions on a number of energy policy issues.

(full script after the jump)

Read the rest of this entry »

Sen. Obama stars in the latest web ad released by his rival Sen. John McCain.

(CNN) – Sen. John McCain, the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee, debuted a new Web ad Tuesday that criticizes Sen. Barack Obama over his decision to forgo public financing in the general election campaign.

The 48-second ad “Words” begins with footage of Obama declaring “Don’t tell me words don’t matter.” A video chronology of clips of Obama stating his support for the public financing system and pledging to sit down with McCain to discuss the issue follows.

The ad also uses footage from Obama’s own video announcement sent to supporters last week where the presumptive Democratic nominee explained his decision to opt out of the public financing system. The remainder of the ad intersperses press coverage critical of Obama’s decision with the Obama repeatedly declaring “Don’t tell me words don’t’ matter.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Sen. Obama released an ad Thursday that emphasizes patriotism and values.

(CNN) — Barack Obama’s campaign released its first ad of the general election campaign Thursday, a 60-second spot designed to highlight his patriotism and values.

“Country I Love” will air in some perennial swing states including Florida, Michigan and Indiana – but also in some traditionally Republican areas that the Obama campaign is hoping to compete in this fall, such as Georgia, North Dakota and Virginia.

WATCH Sen. Obama's new ad "Country I love"

The spot features a single-camera shot of Obama addressing the camera. “America is a country of strong families and strong values,” says the presumptive Democratic nominee. “My life’s been blessed by both.”

Earlier this week, John McCain released its first general election spot, “Global.” The 30-second spot, which is airing in traditional battleground states, seeks to spotlight McCain’s maverick reputation and environmental credentials.

The Obama campaign said the ad will air Friday in Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Virginia.

(Full script after the jump)

Read the rest of this entry »

Sen. McCain's new TV ad points out his differences with Pres. Bush over climate change.

(CNN) – Sen. John McCain, the Republican Party’s presumptive presidential nominee, is launching a new television ad Tuesday. Titled “Global,” the ad touts McCain’s differences with the Bush administration over global warming.

WATCH McCain's new ad "Global"

“John McCain stood up to the President and sounded the alarm on global warming five years ago. Today, he has a realistic plan that will curb greenhouse gas emissions,” an announcer says in the ad. The 30-second spot also says that McCain’s plan “will help grow our economy and protect our environment.”

The advertisement will air "in key battleground states and on national cable," the McCain campaign said Tuesday morning in a statement announcing the ad.

The ad is being released the same day McCain is set to give a speech on energy policy in Houston. During the address, McCain will propose lifting the federal moratorium on offshore drilling for oil. McCain’s proposal would then allow individual states to decide whether to allow drilling off their coasts.

UPDATE: McCain's new "Global" ad is "universally misleading," the Democratic National Committee said in a press release issued Tuesday afternoon.

Sen. McCain laid out a bold vision of what he intends to accomplish during his first term in a new web ad.

(CNN) – On the same day that Sen. John McCain gave an ambitious speech laying out what he intends to accomplish by the end of his first term in office, his campaign released an accompanying Web ad dramatizing those hypothetical achievements.

“The year: 2013,” an announcer says as the words “2013” appear on screen. Then the ad goes through a laundry list of accomplishments McCain envisions: stabilizing the Middle East, reducing the threat of nuclear terrorism, strengthening border security, advancing energy independence, reforming wasteful spending by the federal government, delivering health care choice, and restoring economic confidence. “The year: 2013, the president: John McCain,” the announcer says as McCain’s image appears on screen.

McCain, the Republican Party’s presumptive presidential nominee, has been touring fall battleground states for the past several weeks while he lays out his policy proposals and reaches out to constituencies he will need to win the White House in November.

Related: McCain predicts Iraq war over by 2013

A Clinton ad on the economy mirrors a spot that aired in March.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — When it comes to campaign commercials, Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are going where no candidate has gone before.

Obama and Clinton have spent a combined $110 million on TV ads to this point; we've had a race that's literally gone on since last summer for ad spending," said Evan Tracey of TNS Media Intelligence/Campaign Media Analysis Group, CNN's consultants on campaign commercials.

"We're beyond what has been record spending in previous presidential nomination campaigns. John Kerry spent close to $20 million to get the nomination four years ago. Barack Obama's already approaching $70 million."

Full story

(CNN) — The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is accusing the House Republicans’ campaign committee of illegally coordinating advertising with an outside group in a competitive Louisiana special election.

The DCCC, which works to elect House Democrats, filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission Wednesday arguing there’s evidence The National Republican Congressional Committee was involved in a TV script for an ad by the conservative group Freedom' s Watch. According to campaign finance laws, it is illegal for party committees to coordinate with outside groups within 90 days of a federal election.

The ad says that Democratic candidate Don Cazayoux will raise taxes if elected. Democrats say the document for the ad script sent to Louisiana television stations includes a stamp, referred to as "metadata," that shows “NRCC.”

Democrats argue that Freedom's Watch launched the TV ad right after the NRCC finished a week-long run of an ad with similar images of Cazayoux.

Read the rest of this entry »

Sen. Clinton recently released an ad trumpeting her ability to handle a 3 a.m. phone call if elected to the Oval Office.

WESTERVILLE, Ohio (CNN) — In a high school gym just north of Columbus on Sunday, Hillary Clinton elaborated on just what kind of phone call she is prepared to take at three in the morning.

In tandem with a new campaign ad, Clinton has warned over the last three days that a president needs the right kind of experience to deal with such a phone call, and to make a split-second decision without advisers at her side.

“When those calls come in at 3 a.m. it might be a national security crisis,” she said in a hushed voice. “You know, it could be an economic crisis. The economy is facing some really troubled waters.”

Clinton linked a hypothetical middle-of-the-night economic crisis to terrorism or political upheaval abroad.

“Think about what could happen if there were unrest in Nigeria, or a terrorist act in Saudi Arabia,” she continued. “Oil would shoot to 150 dollars a barrel.”

The crowd applauded as she then criticized the Bush administration for wanting to “hold hands with the Saudis” rather than stand up to them.

In recent days, Clinton has demurred when asked to name a crucial 3 a.m. decision from her own experience.

Related: Dems battle in Texas

– CNN Political Producer Peter Hamby

Sen. Hillary Clinton emphasizes economic issues in one of her television ads.

NEW YORK (CNN) – Democratic White House hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have spent more than $21 million on television advertising in the past two weeks, outspending the remaining Republican presidential contenders by more than 3-to-1.

Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Ron Paul have spent slightly more than $6.3 million since January 21, with McCain and Romney accounting for most of that amount. The new spending totals, compiled by TNS Media Intelligence/CMAG, CNN’s consultant on political ad spending, also shows that Obama is the new overall leader in television ad spending.

Obama has laid out more than $31 million for campaign commercials — $12 million since January 21 — in his battle with Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. Romney, who was the spending leader on ads for the past year, has invested more than $30 million on campaign commercials, $3.5 million in the past two weeks.

Clinton has spent $24.6 million this election cycle on television ads – more than $9 million in the past 14 days.

“He is putting his money to work,” Evan Tracey, CMAG’s chief operating officer, said of Obama’s use of campaign funds to pay for television advertising. “He has turned up the volume, not only in the February 5th states but beyond.”

More than 20 states are currently holding presidential nominating contests on what is being called “Super Tuesday.”

The campaigns are already looking beyond Tuesday in what is expected to be an extended battle for the presidential nominations.

In the Republican contest, frontrunner John McCain has spent more than $8.5 million on television campaign ads ($2.4 million in the last two weeks), while Mike Huckabee has put slightly more than $2.9 million of television ads on air ($300,000 since January 21), and Ron Paul has spent a total of $3 million (more than $166,000 in the past two weeks).

So far, more than $169 million has been spent by candidates and special interest groups on television campaign ads this election cycle – an all-time record.

– CNN’s Mark Preston and Rebecca Sinderbrand

(CNN) — As they fight for momentum on the campaign trail, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have also spent the past week-and-a-half dueling it out on the airwaves in multiple Super Tuesday states, to the tune of $2.5 to 3 million each.

The outcome of the Republican contest may be just as uncertain – but no GOP candidate is currently on the air in any of the 21 states that will weigh in on their party’s presidential nomination next Tuesday.

“They made a gamble that someone would have momentum,” says Evan Tracey of TNS Media Intelligence/CMAG, which tracks campaign ad spending. “But no one has captured it. They’re all looking to see what happens in Florida today.”

Currently, just two Republican contenders are reaching viewers in states which vote after Florida’s primary. Mike Huckabee – who is facing a campaign cash crush — has made a less-expensive national cable buy which will also show up in those states. And Ron Paul has purchased airtime in Hawaii, which votes February 19, and his home state of Texas, which weighs in March 4.

–CNN Associate Political Editor Rebecca Sinderbrand

Romney has spent the most on New Hampshire TV ads of any presidential candidate.

MANCHESTER, N.H. (CNN) — Candidates and advocacy groups seeking to influence Tuesday's presidential primaries have spent more than $30 million on television advertising over the past year, an all-time record for New Hampshire, a state with a population of just over 1.3 million.

Political commercials are running back-to-back on WMUR — New Hampshire's only network affiliate — as well as stations in Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont, which cover parts of the Granite State. Monday night, a handful of candidates were set to air two-minute "closing argument" ads on WMUR.

Mitt Romney, the former governor of neighboring Massachusetts, is leading in money spent on campaign commercials in New Hampshire, but he is trailing John McCain in the polls in this critical early primary state.

Romney has put $8 million worth of TV ads on New Hampshire airwaves, compared to the $4 million McCain has invested, according to TNS Media Intelligence/CMAG, CNN's consultant on television campaign advertising.

A CNN/WMUR poll released Monday night showed McCain with a 5-point lead over Romney, 31 percent to 26 percent, within the sampling margin of plus or minus 4 points.

In the Democratic primary, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have each spent $5 million. Obama leads Clinton 39 percent to 29 percent, according to the same CNN/WMUR poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire.

"As in Iowa, spending in New Hampshire has been at historic levels," said Evan Tracey, CMAG's chief operating officer. Tracey estimates that $50 million was spent by candidates and outside groups in the Iowa caucuses.

Total political ad spending for the year in all of the early primary and caucus states is more than $117 million, an all-time record for this point in the race.

Read the rest of this entry »

WASHINGTON (CNN) — It's New Years Eve and a hard-fought year of campaigning by the field of White House hopefuls will finally be subjected to its first test with Iowa's caucuses on January 3.

In Monday's Best Political Podcast, Dana Bash reports on Mike Huckabee's last-minute decision not to air an attack ad.

Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider explains why Iowa may be make-or-break for one GOP and one Democratic front-runner and Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley reports from the Hawkeye State about the Democrats' unprecedented get-out-the vote effort for the caucuses.

Wolf Blitzer speaks with Mitt Romney about Huckabee's decision to stay positive on the eve of the voting in Iowa and Blitzer also shares with you the hottest stories on the Political Ticker.

Click here to subscribe to The Best Political Podcast.

–CNN Associate Producer Martina Stewart

Sen. Obama is running a new ad in Iowa.

(CNN) – Democrats Barack Obama and John Edwards are both making populist pitches in Iowa, with just over a week to go until the state’s presidential caucuses.

In ‘Enough’, a 30-second spot that debuted in the Hawkeye State this weekend, Barack Obama tells an Iowa crowd that “We gotta stop giving tax breaks to companies that are moving overseas and give those tax breaks to companies that are investing right here in Iowa…Enough is enough.

“If the plant moves to China, and you’ve been working there for 20, 30 years and suddenly you have the rug pulled out from under ya…and you don’t have health care, and you don’t have a pension, you’re on your own,” says the Illinois senator.

The ad was unveiled the same weekend as John Edwards’ $25 billion job creation plan. It calls for increasing federal aid to help “hard-working families across America [who] are already struggling to make ends meet,” the former North Carolina senator said in a statement.

Obama and Edwards have sparred in recent weeks over who is best-equipped to take on corporate interests and fight for economic reform.

– CNN’s Emily Sherman

WASHINGTON (CNN) – White House hopefuls and independent groups backing their candidacies are now spending an eye-popping $1.9 million a day on network television advertising, less than two weeks before Iowa holds the first presidential nominating contest of the 2008 presidential race.

This is an all time record, as is the $83 million total that has been spent in 2007 alone on ads related to the presidential race, according to the analysis by TNS Media Intelligence/CMAG, CNN’s consultant on campaign television advertising spending. Comparatively, $45 million was spent at this same date in 2003, by the Democratic candidates vying to challenge President Bush.

“Presidential campaigns continue to get longer and more expensive,” said Evan Tracey, chief operating officer of CMAG. “Advertising is the amplifier for politics.”

Most of these commercials are airing in Iowa at all times of the day. A comprehensive review of airtime in Iowa on December 18 shows that 1093 campaign ads aired, which equals more than nine solid hours of commercials in a 24-hour time span.

Read the rest of this entry »

WASHINGTON (CNN) — The presidential nomination races in both parties remain unsettled less than three weeks before Iowa's caucuses when the first primary votes in the nation will be cast.

In Friday's The Best Political Podcast Jessica Yellin reports on Sen. Hillary Clinton's, D-New York, final push to make the case for her electability next November.

A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll of likely South Carolina voters shows a new Republican front-runner and a tightening race among Democrats.

Dana Bash reports from the campaign trail in Iowa about the addition of a veteran GOP strategist as the Huckabee campaign's new national chairman and Special Correspondent Frank Sesno joins Wolf Blitzer in The Situation Room to take a closer look at a new campaign ad released by Sen. Barack Obama.

Plus, a look back at this week's top moments in the 2008 presidential race in Jennifer Mikell's Trail Mix.

Click here to subscribe to The Best Political Podcast

–CNN Associate Producer Martina Stewart

Edwards, Clinton, and Obama have invested millions in Iowa televsion ads.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Less than one month before the Iowa caucuses, several presidential candidates are opening up their wallets and targeting Hawkeye State voters in a television ad blitz that so far has cost more than $13 million.

Most of the money is being spent by the three Democratic frontrunners, who view a win in Iowa as important in the march to their party’s presidential nomination.

Leading the pack is Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who has run nearly 8,000 television ads this year at a cost of more than $4 million, according to an analysis conducted by TNS Media Intelligence/CMAG, CNN’s consultant on television ad spending. Meanwhile, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has spent $3 million on 5,100-plus ads, and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards has devoted $1.3 million to air more than 2,000 ads.

In the race for the Republican presidential nomination, new polling shows that former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is leading in Iowa even though former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has saturated the airwaves with campaign ads. Romney has invested $4.1 million to run more than 7,000 ads in the Hawkeye State, while Huckabee’s television advertising buys has been negligible. Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson trails a distant second to Romney in Iowa in terms of ad buys with around 1,050 campaign commercials aired at a cost of $600,000.

Read the rest of this entry »

The infamous Willie Horton ad was devastating to the 1988 Michael Dukakis campaign.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Sucker punches and below-the-belts can be expected as we enter the slugfest season of political attack ads. They're already taking off the gloves for what promises to be nasty 2008 campaigns that use the newfound enormous strength and reach of the Web.

"If I'm going to get punched in the stomach, I'm going to take a knife out and get you right back," said John Lapp of the consulting firm McMahon, Squier, Lapp and Associates.

Lapp considers himself one of a new breed of Democratic ad-makers who don't hesitate to hit hard in the ad war.

"I'm going to use every single weapon I have in my quiver."

Full story

CNN's Cambell grown takes a look at the man behind stophernow.com

WASHINGTON (CNN) – CNN's Campbell Brown goes inside a guerrilla group with its sights set on presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Related: With no apologies for its hard hitting ads, MoveOn.org is raising millions to play a visible role in the '08 election