Republican Party of Virginia: Va. GOP complaint targets DNC ad

FROM THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF VIRGINIA

April 25, 2008

RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia Republican Party chairman John Hager filed a complaint Friday over a Democratic National Committee ad attacking John McCain.

Hager alleged in an affidavit to the Federal Election Commission that the DNC coordinated the ad with the campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. That would violate federal election law.

"This is just another GOP lie in the Bush-McCain tradition, but it doesn't change the fact that John McCain doesn't understand the economy," said DNC spokesman Luis Miranda.

The 30-second ad shows McCain in a debate saying Americans are better off economically, but overlaid statistics contradict him. It closes with an announcer asking, "Do you think you're better off?"

The ad, airing nationally on cable, omits McCain saying moments later, "things are tough right now."

Hager's son, Henry Hager, will marry President Bush's daughter, Jenna Bush, on May 10 in Crawford, Texas.