Ever Positive, Dean Starts Running Negative TV Ads (Already)

[DrFunkenstein]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean began airing a pair of TV ads in New Hampshire Wednesday that criticize his rivals' records on the war in Iraq and prescription drug benefits.

The front-runner hasn't been on the air in the first primary state in nearly two months and one recent opinion poll showed the race tightening between Dean and Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, with a margin of 6 percentage points. Other surveys show Dean with a double-digit advantage.

In the 30-second spots, the sweater-clad former Vermont governor talks directly into the camera, highlighting his own record on each issue and assailing the positions of his foes, whom he does not name.

Dean says: ``The best my opponents can do'' is question the wisdom of the Iraq war only after supporting it and talk about fixing the prescription drug problem instead of actually changing the system.

``It is awfully early in the year for negative ads, even for the most negative campaign in the race. The only plausible explanation is they're seeing their poll numbers heading south,'' Kerry spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-3297514,00.html

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