The ad, first released for certain markets in Florida, Michigan and Ohio, will now be airing in Colorado, Virginia and Wisconsin. The AP reports that the wildlife group is also expanding the reach of the provocative ad so that it will air in Missouri in time for Thursday’s vice presidential debate in St. Louis.

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That’s what I was left saying to myself after watching the latest logically bereft John McCain ad. This one continues on with the ‘Obama-is-a-celebrity-therefore-he’s-unfit-to-lead’ theme by asking if he is “ready to help your family?” The narrator goes on to say, “The real Obama promises higher taxes, more government spending - so, fewer jobs.”

Wait, what?

The ad then goes on to flash the iconic images of wind turbines and John McCain at some sort of manufacturing plant and the narrator says: “Renewable energy to transform our economy, create jobs and energy independence. That’s John McCain.”

Now you understand why I was dumbfounded, right? Here, watch it for yourself. Please, if you can help me understand it, I invite your comments. This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post.

Cathy Duval, the Sierra Club’s political director was quick to pounce on the ad:

“John McCain could’ve been the deciding vote on this issue twice — something that would’ve truly helped America’s workers and moved us toward energy independence — but he was the only Senator who didn’t even bother to show up and vote. And just last week, John McCain’s allies in the Senate blocked extending these energy incentives twice because they were determined to hold Congress hostage in order to push the Bush-McCain-Big Oil energy agenda at all costs.”

The Sierra Club also released a fact-check of the new McCain. Here are the highlights:

John McCain Offers Nothing More Than Empty Rhetoric on Renewable Energy

• John McCain opposes a Renewable Electricity Standard and has consistently voted against such a standard in the past. (Sources: 2005 Senate Vote #141, 6/16/2005; 2002 Senate Vote #50, 3/14/2002; 2002 Senate Vote #55, 3/21/2002; 2002 Senate Vote #59, 3/21/2002)
• John McCain believes the renewable energy industry is “doing fine” and doesn’t need any incentives.  While he offered a $300 million gimmick on electric cars, he has voted against $290 million for clean energy. Meanwhile, John McCain favors billions in new and existing subsidies for dirty, dangerous, and distracting nuclear power. (Sources: Grist, 10/1/07; 2006 Senate Vote #42, 3/14/2006)
• If key clean energy incentives that are in danger of expiring soon are not renewed, it could cost more than 116,000 hardworking Americans in the wind and solar industries alone their jobs and sacrifice $19 billion in economic growth.  Twice, when every single other Senator voted and measures to renew these critical incentives lost by just a single vote, John McCain didn’t even show up to vote when he could have made the difference. (Sources:  Navigant Consulting study, 02/04/2008, http://www.awea.org/newsroom/pdf/Tax_Credit_Impact.pdf; 2007 Senate Vote #425, 2008 Senate Vote #8)

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• New McCain Ad Blames Obama for High Gas Price