WASHINGTON---White House hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) hits Iowa television with ads for the first time, as Hawkeye state polls show either a tie between Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) and Clinton, or with Edwards in the lead.
Asked the size of the buy, Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said “major.” Clinton says in the spot, “Americans from all walks of life across our country may be invisible to this President, but they’re not invisible to me and they won’t be invisible to the next President of the United States.”
Obama started moving poll numbers after running paid ads; Clinton has been holding her own with free media and rolls out her inaugural paid spot---there have been lots of videos on her website—as Dems cluster in Iowa in the coming days.
Clinton’s ad blitz comes as Obama starts a three-day “Road to Change” bus tour in Iowa this week set to hit an anti-Washington theme.
Edwards, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Ct.), Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richards also have Iowa dates this week. On Sunday, the Dems meet again for a debate at Drake University in Des Moines.
Clinton’s sixty-second positive spot is titled “Invisible” and deals with families, health and child care and poorly treated Iraq and Afghanistan vets. Lots of targeted groups stuffed into one ad.
Here’s the script
“Invisible”
HRC: As I travel around America, I hear from so many people who feel like they’re just invisible to their government
VO: Hillary Clinton has spent her life standing up for people others don’t see
HRC: You know, if you’re a family that is struggling, and you don’t have health care well you are invisible to this President
HRC: If you’re a single mom trying to find affordable child care so you can go to work, well you’re invisible too
HRC: And I never thought I would see that our soldiers who serve in Iraq and Afghanistan would be treated as though they were invisible as well
HRC: Americans from all walks of life across our country may be invisible to this President, but they’re not invisible to me and they won’t be invisible to the next President of the United States
HRC: I’m Hillary Clinton and I approve this message.
Lynn Sweet is a columnist and the Washington Bureau Chief for the 
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