The presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain began a television advertisement in Virginia and nine other battleground states yesterday.

The ad refers to McCain's captivity in North Vietnam for 5½ years during the Vietnam War.

It also shows the Arizona Republican on Capitol Hill and describes him as a maverick who put the country before his political party.

A spokesman for McCain's Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama, said the ad shows McCain is worried about carrying Virginia, which hasn't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in 44 years.

Trey Walker, regional campaign manager for McCain, said, "Senator McCain always intended to run a very strong campaign in Virginia."

The latest poll showed Obama with a slight lead in Virginia.

Obama has run two TV ads in Virginia already.

Four years ago, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry advertised in Virginia early but pulled out of the state in early October.

President Bush, who did not spend any money on media in Virginia, won the state by almost 8 percentage points in 2004.

While the McCain campaign declined to divulge its media strategy, Democrats monitoring ad buys said the McCain ad is running on broadcast TV in the Richmond, Roanoke, Norfolk and Tri-Cities areas. It also is on national cable TV.

The ad also is running in Iowa, Michigan, Colorado, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

All are expected to be closely contested states.

Its closing line: "Don't 'hope' for a better life. Vote for one. McCain" is an indirect dig at one of Obama's central campaign themes -- that he offers the hope of change.
Contact Tyler Whitley at (804) 649-6780 or twhitley@timesdispatch.com.