Wildlife defenders new headache for McCain & Palin

“The more voters learn about Sarah Palin the less there is to like”. That’s what an ad by Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund says about the U.S. Republican vice presidential nominee. The ad appeared on the Internet weeks ago, and now the ad’s c

The 60-second commercial titled “Brutal” denounces Sarah Palin's support for an aerial wolf killing programme as well as a policy that places bounties on the forelegs of killed wolves.

The ad displays dark images of Palin against footage of wolves being hunted down in the snow from low-flying planes. A wolf's carcass is shown tied to the wing strut of a plane.

“Defenders of Wildlife has found a more effective critique of Palin than the Obama campaign or Democratic Party,” a source with the organisation said in an interview with The Huffington Post. “The ad damages Palin with exactly the voters McCain put her on the ticket to attract – suburban women, moderate Independents.”

The group's initial spot scored incredibly well among focus groups. A study of 312 Democrats, Republicans and Independents showed that the ad produced “moderate movement among all parties” in Obama's favour.

And now the wildlife group is expanding the reach of the provocative ad. Starting this week, what had been limited to certain markets in Florida, Michigan and Ohio will now air in Colorado, Virginia and Wisconsin. It also will air in Missouri in time for Thursday's vice presidential debate in St. Louis.