King Defends Clinton's Commitment To National Security

Sen. Hillary Clinton got a pat on the back from the other side of the aisle today.

Reacting to an ad run by one of Clinton's Republican opponents, Rep. Peter King, himself a Republican from the 3rd District on Long Island, defended Clinton's patriotism and commitment to winning the so-called war on terror.

King's comments were in reaction to a now infamous TV ad being run by John Spencer's campaign, which puts Clinton on-screen with Osama bin Laden and says Clinton's policies would leave the U.S. vulnerable to terrorists.

The ad has become notorious because of its misspelling of the word "fascist," but more so because it incorrectly says Clinton is opposed to the Patriot Act.

The truth of it is Clinton once voted against a proposal to end debate on the Patriot Act until some compromises were made, but she voted for the original and the renewal.

Clinton's campaign unveiled an ad of its own today. It repeats the "standing up" theme Clinton debuted at the state Democratic Party convention in the spring, and makes no mention of Spencer or Clinton's other opponents in the race, Democrat Jonathan Tasini and Republican KT McFarland.

The ad has a somewhat over-the-top tearjerker of an ending.

GILLIBRAND DEBUTS ANTI-BUSH AD

Kirstin Gillibrand, who was endorsed by Clinton yesterday in her bid to unseat Republican Rep. John Sweeney in New York's 2oth Congressional District, ratcheted up her criticism of President Bush and his Republican allies in Congress.

Gillibrand's criticism of Bush's Iraq and energy policies comes by way of a new ad released today by her campaign.