Americans to see more presidential election ads_English

Special Report: U.S. presidential election 2008

·Presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain have intensified reach to voters.

·Obama has spent 27 million U.S. dollars on general-election ads.

·While his Republican rival John McCain has spent 25 million dollars.

WASHINGTON, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Americans are seeing more TV campaign ads in this presidential election, because presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain have intensified reach to voters, the USA Today reported Wednesday.

Democrat Obama has spent 27 million U.S. dollars on general-election ads while his Republican rival John McCain has spent 25 million dollars.

Presumptive Democratic nominee for president Senator Barack Obama speaks to the media after the Democratic Caucus meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, July 29, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
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Both are on the air in key states including Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Obama advertises in Virginia, and McCain reaches voters in the northern part of the state by running ads in Washington.

Obama's five-million-dollar ad buy on NBC and its cable networks includes prime-time spots during the two weeks of the Beijing Olympics, which end Aug. 24, the day before the Democratic National Convention begins.

Republican presidential candidate U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) speaks to voters and supporters at a campaign picnic outside the Maine Military Museum in South Portland, Maine July 21, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
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It's the first network ad by a presidential candidate since Republican Bob Dole aired commercials during the 1996 World Series.

Via NBC, Obama could reach 25 million U.S. viewers at once during the Olympics.

Due to financial disadvantage, rather than buying airtime for some ads, the McCain campaign has relied on the lower-cost alternative of launching them on Internet sites such as YouTube.

McCain extends olive branch to top Democrats

WASHINGTON, July 30 (Xinhua)-- While increasing sharp attacks on rival Barack Obama, U.S. Republican presidential hopeful John McCain extended olive branch to other top Democrats, ABC News reported Wednesday.

The senator from Arizona pledged that if elected president, he would work closely with Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, praising her as an effective leader and an "inspiration to millions of Americans." Full story

Poll: Obama's overseas trip doesn't boost rating

Tom Brokaw (R) interviews presumptive U.S. Democratic Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) during a taping of "Meet the Press" in London July 26, 2008. Picture taken July 26, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
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WASHINGTON, July 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama's overseas trip last week didn't boost his standing in presidential race, a new CNN poll has found.

Survey results, released Wednesday, show the race has remained virtually unchanged since late June, with Obama holding a 51-44 percent edge over his Republican rival John McCain. Full story

McCain says he could endorse an Iraq withdrawal timetable

WASHINGTON, July 29 (Xinhua) -- For the first time, U.S. Republican presidential hopeful John McCain left the door open on the issue of whether the country should set a timetable to withdraw troops from Iraq.

In an interview with CNN broadcast Tuesday, the Arizona senator said he could support a 16-month timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, which, is the central theme of Barack Obama, his Democratic rival, on Iraq policy. Full story

Obama gains ground in new poll

WASHINGTON, July 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Republican presidential hopeful John McCain gained ground in a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll that also found his Democratic rival Barack Obama's foreign trip hasn't boosted his image among voters.

The survey, released Tuesday, showed a surge since last month in likely Republican voters and suggested Obama's trip may have helped energize voters who favor McCain.