Muckraker: Grist on Politics

MoveOn is dropping a cool half a million dollars on a new TV ad in North Carolina that accuses Republican presidential candidate John McCain and Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R) of being “in the pocket of Big Oil.” The ad highlights their support for tax breaks for oil companies.

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Dole is facing a tough reelection bid against Democratic challenger and state Sen. Kay Hagan (D). McCain is currently ahead of Obama in the presidential polls in North Carolina, but even though the state has leaned heavily Republican for the past 40 years, it appears Obama might have a chance of pulling ahead.

Here’s the MoveOn ad, which begins airing tonight: