Roll Call: Childers Seeks Distance From Obama in New Ad

Roll Call
Mississippi: Childers Seeks Distance From Obama in New Ad
By: John McArdle

In the tight 1st district special election that now is less than two weeks away, Democrat Travis Childers released a new ad Wednesday in response to attempts by Republicans to link his campaign to Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.).

Republicans have actively tried to turn this runoff — Childers outperformed Republican Greg Davis on the first ballot in April — into a purely partisan battle rather than a contest between two conservative candidates. The Davis campaign has run ads blasting Childers for his ties to the Obama campaign and for not condemning the words of Obama’s controversial former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

“This campaign has been one for the books,” Childers says in his new ads. “My family has heard the lies and attacks linking me to politicians I don’t know and have never even met.”

Childers goes on to say that the 1st district race should be about the local issues that are important to northern Mississippi.

Republicans, however, were happy to continue to discuss the national implications of Childers distancing himself from Obama.

“Travis Childers has resorted to lying about Barack Obama in order to save his candidacy,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Ken Spain said. “His new television ad not only says a lot about himself, but also about the toxicity an Obama candidacy can bring to Democratic campaigns down-ballot.”