During a rally with supporters in Cedar Rapids, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama ridiculed an ad being run by his opponent, John McCain.
In the ad, McCain suggests Obama’s merely a celebrity like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. "Is that really what this election’s about? Is that really what’s worthy of the American people?" Obama asked.
The crowd responded: "No."
Obama suggested the reason McCain’s talking about Obama "so much" is because McCain has no new ideas. "These negative ads, these negative attacks, spending all this time talking about me, instead of talking about what he’s going to do, that’s not going to lower your gas prices, that’s not going to help you stay in your home if you’re falling behind on the mortgage. That’s not going to help you find a job if its been shipped overseas," Obama says, " It doesn’t do a single thing to help the American people. It’s politics as a game. But the time for game playing is over. That’s why I’m running for president of the United States of America."
Obama said he wasn’t interested in getting into a "tit for tat" with McCain, adding he was disappointed McCain had "fallen back into the predictable political attacks" and "demonstrably false statements."
McCain said during an appearance in Wisconsin today that he’s "proud" of the commercial. A campaign spokeswoman based in Des Moines says the ad "uses humor and a tough stance to celebrate Obama being a celebrity," adding that "Americans are beginning to really question whether being famous makes him a credible leader who is ready to serve as commander in chief."