Obama TV ads to air

Democrat Barack Obama will become the first presidential candidate to advertise on Nevada television in this election, his campaign announced Friday.

Ads touting the Illinois senator's record on ethics and opposition to Washington business-as-usual will air statewide on broadcast and cable networks Tuesday, and the campaign will continue TV advertising through to the Jan. 19 caucuses, campaign officials said.

The "Take It Back" ad has aired in Iowa and New Hampshire, both states where Obama has gained ground in recent polls.

"What we've found everywhere we've gone is that when people get to know Senator Obama, we do very well," Obama national adviser David Axelrod said in a conference call with Nevada reporters Friday.

"We're very bullish on Nevada," he added. "We have a big investment here in terms of organization -- we think we've got the biggest and best in the state, the most extensive -- and we intend to contend vigorously in the caucuses, and we're very optimistic about where we will be on Jan. 19."

The ad starts with footage of Obama announcing his presidential campaign in February on the steps of the state Capitol in Springfield, Ill., the same place President Lincoln gave his famous 1858 speech denouncing the divisiveness of slavery.

"I know that I haven't spent a lot of time learning the ways of Washington," Obama says in the ad. "But I've been there long enough to know that the ways of Washington must change."

The ad touts Obama's efforts to reduce the influence of lobbyists on Congress.

Obama is scheduled to be in Las Vegas on Monday, where he will conduct a roundtable discussion with residents. The event is not open to the public.

Obama and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson have aired radio ads in Nevada, but no candidate, Republican or Democrat, has bought local television time until now. Axelrod said the campaign believes the time is right because now is when "people begin to focus on their choices."

Contact reporter Molly Ball at mball @reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2919.