Campaigns Unveil Dueling Celebrity Ads

John McCain’s Paris Hilton-Britney Spears ad insults not only Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama but also his supporters, the Obama camp says.

Campaign manager David Plouffe is using the ad and any possible backlash in hopes of pushing Obama over the 2 million individual donor mark by the end of August, CNN reported Tuesday.

“While supporters like you are out knocking on doors, registering new voters, and organizing in your local communities, our opponents are not even trying to match your efforts. Instead, they’re spending millions to spread the smear that Barack is just a ‘celebrity’ and that our grassroots movement is just a bunch of mindless fans,” Plouffe wrote in an e-mail.

On Tuesday Obama’s campaign offered its twist on the “Celebrity” ad put out by Republicans, with an ad portraying the Arizona senator as “Washington’s biggest celebrity” playing the “same old Washington games,” The Boston Globe reported.

The campaign for the presumptive GOP nominee unveiled a Web ad Monday tackling Obama’s “rock star” appeal. The video starts with a reference to Obama’s overseas tour. “You’ve seen him in London, Paris, and Berlin,” the voiceover says. “Now you too can join ‘The One’s’ fan club right here in America.”