Michele Bachmann: “A Lobbyist’s Worst Nightmare” (:30)

Can a retreat from Minnesota be far behind?

There are doubts as to whether there’s really any money behind efforts to get the ad on TV, as Dan Morain writes at the LA Times’ Top of the Ticket blog. But it certainly won’t be the last time Wright is put in play. Mike Allen at Politico has a piece today claiming John McCain doesn’t want to go there, but that may be simply prefatory spin.

Our Country Deserves Better PAC: “Wrong Values” (:30)

Madia: Do 3rd District voters really care whether he's married or plays soccer?

DFL 3rd District congressional candidate Ashwin Madia, pledging to push a positive message on the economy and not negative personal attacks, said he would have voted for the bailout bill the U.S. House of Representatives rejected Monday — if inaction were the alternative. But he said he wanted any bailout to include guarantees for middle-class mortgage foreclosure relief and oversight from outside the U.S. Department of Treasury.

Madia called recent attacks against him by allies of Republican state Sen. Erik Paulsen’s campaign — which have focused on his status as an unmarried non-homeowner, among other things — “bizarre,” stating that he didn’t see their relevance to the campaign. Several times, Madia repeated that he thought it didn’t matter to voters that he doesn’t play soccer. But Madia added that he didn’t see coded racism behind the charges that he didn’t fit the district’s demographics as well as Paulsen.

Asked about Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ads attacking Paulsen that some observers have called unfair, Madia said he condemned them to the extent that they were inaccurate. But he said campaign law prevents him from having any contact with such outside groups, so he couldn’t ask that the ads stop.

Madia said his own ads have been uniformly positive — with the notable exception of the latest, he acknowledged, which was issued in response to a Paulsen ad that marked the first candidate-sponsored attack video of the campaign.

Madia’s comments came at an afternoon news conference called today in response to a news conference held yesterday by Paulsen ally state Sen. Geoff Michel, R-Edina. After Madia finished, Michel and state Republican Chair Ron Carey, who were present for the press conference at the State Capitol, commandeered the microphone while reporters were still present and held another impromptu news confab of their own.

They continued to push the line that Paulsen better fit the district demographically because of his home ownership, children and spouse, and participation in youth activities — traits they said applied to the majority of people in the 3rd District. They denied that the argument contained coded words and phrases for racial or ethnic differences. (Madia’s parents are immigrants from India.)

Carey also called on Madia to sign a letter to the DCCC decrying its ads. Madia, earlier, had pointed out that like him, Paulsen is unable to do anything to rein in right-wing groups’ advertisements in the contest to replace retiring Republican Rep. Jim Ramstad.

To see video clips from the Madia press conference and the Republicans’ remarks afterwards, click here.

Half of Americans polled think that abortion should be legal most of the time. Less than a third support McCain’s position of making abortion illegal except in cases of incest, rape or health risks to the life of the mother. Around 18 percent of Americans share the view of McCain’s running mate Sarah Palin that abortion should be illegal in all cases.

While the majority of Americans support Obama’s position on the issue, only 20 percent of voters say the issue will sway them toward or away from a particular candidate.

The radio ads are running in a number of states where the candidates are closely matched: Indiana, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire.

Here’s a transcript of the radio spot:

OBAMA: I’m Barack Obama, candidate for president, and I approved this message.

VAL BARON: As a nurse practitioner with Planned Parenthood, I know abortion is one of the most difficult decisions a woman will ever make. I’m Val Baron. Let me tell you: If Roe v Wade is overturned, the lives and health of women will be put at risk. That’s why this election is so important. John McCain’s out of touch with women today. McCain wants to take away our right to choose. That’s what women need to understand. That’s how high the stakes are.

ANNCR: As president, John McCain will make abortion illegal. McCain says quote, “I do not support Roe v. Wade. It should be overturned.” And listen to McCain’s answer on Meet the Press:

RUSSERT: “A constitutional amendment to ban all abortions. You’re for that?”
McCAIN: “Yes, sir.”

VAL BARON: We can’t let John McCain take away our right to choose. We can’t let him take us back.

ANNCR: Paid for by Obama for America.

There’s video of the ad, plus Barack Obama’s “No Mavericks” spot, below the jump.

John McCain: “Education” (:30)

Team Obama’s latest, “No Maverick,” flashes more snarl than its predecessors–its closing line actually says McCain and Palin are “lying” about their records–but still seems too genteel by half. (Salon sums up the worries among Democrats about the Obama camp’s response to Palin.)

Barack Obama: “No Mavericks” (:30)

Is this really the spot that McCainiacs were touting earlier today as “historic” and “very exciting”? Or was something a little worthier of the hype scuttled owing to disagreements and/or unreadiness?

In any case, Paul Schmelzer has posted the video here.