I think this ad does well by the criteria set out under the adwatch program.

It is Kirsten's second ad to lead with Iraq. This one hits hardest by pointing the truth about Bush's failures there.

It then paints Bush and John Sweeney side by side.

It goes on to account for John Sweeney's 100% voting record with Bush on the war and his "stay the course" position.

What it leaves out is mentioning either political party and I don't believe it uses the word "accountable" at ny point.

Kirsten Gillibrand comes on at the end to approve the message by saying she believes we need a change of direction in Iraq.

Earlier in the ad it said we needed a change of direction in Iraq but that we wouldn't get it until we had a change of direction at home. This strongly implied the accountability theme but didn't say it outright.

Kirsten Gillibrand has "picked her fight" with John Sweeney and it is on the Iraq War. She has challenged him to an Iraq War debate not once, not twice, but three times. At a house party in Eagle Bridge Friday she vowed she will continue to do so until he stops running away and actually debates the issue.

Kirsten has made accountability and the role of Congress in oversight a centerpiece of her campaign. She has said that day one she would call for or support existing resolutions calling for investigations into the lead-up to the Iraq War and into the NSA warrantless wiretapping scandal. She talks regularly about the failures of John Sweeney and this congress to fulfill it's responsibility to the nation of oversight of the executive branch.

We'll see if Sweeney stops with his smear and slime campaign long enough to actual talk about the issues or whether he will continue a campaign of attacking Kirsten's home, her husband, her brother, her father, her job, and whatever other non-issue he can think of. Next thing we know he'll be attacking her 2 1/2 year old son.

All in all a good strong ad even if it does leave out a couple pieces of the suggested pie.

Kirsten started airing on WAMC radio this week in a series of interviews with Alan Chartock at 10:50 AM each morning. Be sure to catch her tomorrow and Thursday.

For more of her media please see her multimedia page