Analysis: Obama ad stretches McCain car connection

By The Associated Press

Tools

By Beth Boehne

TITLE: "Foreign Vehicles"

LENGTH: 30 seconds.

AIRING: The ad will be airing in Michigan beginning Wednesday on broadcast stations. The campaign didn't provide details on where the ad will be airing or for how long.

SCRIPT: John McCain: "I've bought American literally all my life." Narrator: "Oh, really?" McCain: "Bought American literally all my life." Narrator: "Sounds like John McCain giving Michigan straight talk. But John McCain owns 13 vehicles — including three foreign cars — a foreign made Lexus, Volkswagen and Honda sedan. McCain even refused to support loan guarantees for the auto industry. But now he's telling a different story. So don't believe John McCain when he says he'll help Michigan." Barack Obama: I'm Barack Obama and I approve this message."

KEY IMAGES: The ad starts with John McCain answering a question on WXYZ-TV, saying he has "bought American literally all my life." Then it shows the words, "John McCain: Michigan Straight Talk?" After noting that the senator owns 13 cars, it shows a black-and-white image of a smiling McCain and the logos for Lexus, Volkswagen and Honda along with the words, "McCain owns three foreign cars." It ends with another image of McCain and the words, "John McCain: Not Talking Straight To Michigan" and video of Obama in safety glasses shaking hands with workers in hard hats.

ANALYSIS: This ad tries to hurt McCain in Michigan by telling voters — many of them auto workers — that McCain's family owns foreign cars. But it has to look at all 13 cars owned by his family to make the point. The only car registered to McCain is a 2004 Cadillac CTS (a car made in Lansing, by the way).

McCain and his wife Cindy own the other 12 vehicles together, but 11 are registered to Cindy McCain. Among them are a 2005 Volkswagen convertible and a 2001 Honda sedan. The Lexus is registered to the Anheuser-Busch beer distributorship Cindy McCain inherited. Last year, McCain either bought his daughter Meghan or she bought herself a Toyota Prius, although that's not mentioned in the ad. Democrats have been holding news conferences with 13 vehicles matching the ones the McCains own while saying it's a stretch for McCain to contend he has "bought American literally all my life."

The McCain campaign says the senator supports the domestic auto industry, one reason he now backs $25 billion in loan guarantees for the domestic automakers. McCain wasn't on board with the idea as soon as Democratic rival Barack Obama, who has said he would support as much as $50 billion in loan guarantees.

McCain's supporters say bringing up what cars McCain owns is just an attempt by the Obama campaign to distract voters from focusing on what the two rivals plan to do to help Michigan's struggling economy and auto industry. But Obama supporters say the ad shows McCain isn't being truthful with the voters, and United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger says he plans to make that clear to UAW members.

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Analysis by AP Political Writer Kathy Barks Hoffman.

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On the Net:

Obama campaign ad: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/foreignvehicles_ad/

McCain campaign: http://www.johnmccain.com/

Obama campaign: http://www.barackobama.com/

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