Some candidates buying ads prior to straw poll

A few of the Republican presidential candidates are spending their campaigncash on radio and television ads designed to curry favor with Iowans who mayturn-out for the Iowa Republican Party’s Straw Poll on Saturday. Lamar Alexander’s t-v ad accuses George W. Bush of trying to buy the G.O.P.nomination. A Pat Buchanan radio ad touts his “pro-life” position. GaryBauer is running radio ads, too. But the biggest ad buyer of them all ismagazine publisher Steve Forbes. The Forbes ads focus on issues, likeSocial Security, as well as Forbes as a person — his wife and daughters arefeatured in testimonials. University of Iowa political science professorPeverill Squire says it’s unusual the candidates would spend their resourceson MASS media when so few Iowans will be turning out at the Straw Poll.Here’s the irony of the ad wars: George W. Bush, the candidate with thebiggest bank account, isn’t using his money on radio and t-v ads.