Obama counters upcoming negative ads

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Barack Obama is preparing to pre-empt Republican attacks linking him with unsavory Chicago figures, his campaign says.

The Washington Web site Politico said campaigners for the U.S. senator from Illinois have already produced a tough ad questioning the honesty of his GOP opponent, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, in attempting to tie Obama to a 1960s radical and a convicted Illinois money launderer.

McCain's ads referencing William Ayers, a University of Illinois-Chicago professor and Weather Underground co-founder, and Antoin "Tony" Rezko, a convicted Chicago political figure, are to begin running after Tuesday's second presidential debate in Nashville, Politico said.

But Obama's new ad will air on national cable television stations starting Monday. The Web site reports the ad's narration as saying: "Three quarters of a million jobs lost this year. Our financial system in turmoil. And John McCain? Erratic in a crisis. Out of touch on the economy. No wonder his campaign wants to change the subject.

"Turn the page on the financial crisis by launching dishonorable, dishonest 'assaults' against Barack Obama. Struggling families can't turn the page on this economy, and we can't afford another president who is this out of touch."