AD SLAMS FEINSTEIN FOR WAR ON DRUGS

Rival Campbell Says She's Backing A Losing Cause.

Rep. Tom Campbell, challenging incumbent U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, has
begun running a TV ad criticizing Feinstein for her support of the war on
drugs, the first major ad of the fall campaign.

The Campbell ad, running on network television affiliates in.

Southern California, the Central Valley and the Sacramento region, features
Campbell, R-San Jose, speaking directly to the camera over a somber musical
track.

In the ad, he says Feinstein, D- Calif., is ``in denial'' over his record
on American drug policies, ``just like drug users deny they have a habit.
Dianne can't admit the war on drugs has failed.''

The ad chides Feinstein for voting to spend ``billions more to send
American troops to Colombia. Everyone wants the drug dealers in jail. But
for the victims of dealers, let's rehabilitate, not incarcerate. Drugs are
a health problem.

``Treat the victims of dealers at public health clinics under a doctor's
supervision. After all, what would you want for your child?''

The ad began running Sunday during network morning talk shows and will run
through this week, Campbell campaign officials said. They said the campaign
spent $400,000 to purchase TV time.

Campbell has made drug policy a central issue of his campaign, calling for
major shift of resources toward treatment of addicts.

Shifting the focus to treatment, from incarcerating addicts, would
eventually result in the elimination of the drug market and the profits
that make it so attractive, Campbell says.

Campbell would even allow local treatment centers to distribute heroin to
addicts under a medically supervised program.

Feinstein ``vehemently disagrees with Congressman Campbell over this
experiment he wants to allow to happen,'' said Kuwata.

``She's not in denial about his record. She just thinks it's a bad idea,''
he said.

Feinstein voted for $1.3 billion in American military aid to Colombia to
help that nation fight drug production and trafficking, a commitment that
includes sending U.S. helicopters and providing military training.

But she has been vigilant in assuring that all money in the drug war has
been well spent, even as she supports local treatment programs, Kuwata said.

``She believes you have to deal with both the so-called supply side, as
well as the demand side. He believes it's either/or.''

Even as Campbell fired the first salvo in the final weeks of the campaign,
the latest spending reports by the two candidates show Feinstein with
substantially more resources to wage a TV war.

The latest Federal Election Commission reports filed by both candidates
show Feinstein with $3.3 million on hand entering October to Campbell's
$802,000 -- an advantage of better than 4 to 1.

The Feinstein campaign, meanwhile, can be expected to start airing its ads
``in the near future,'' said Feinstein campaign manager Kam Kuwata.

FIGHT OVER WAR ON DRUGS

The Chronicle's Ad Watch provides an occasional look at the truth behind
the claims, charges and political statements made in the campaign spots
that run on television and radio in California. Today: South Bay Rep. Tom
Campbell's campaign for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Democrat Dianne
Feinstein.

MAIN CLAIMS: TV ads in Southern California, Sacramento and the Central
Valley assert that Feinstein is ``in denial'' over the failure of America's
war on drugs, voting to spend ``billions of dollars'' to send American
troops to Colombia to wage the war. Campbell says the real answer is to
``rehabilitate, not incarcerate'' drug users by treating them at public
health clinics under a doctor's supervision.

BOTTOM LINE: There are some slight exaggerations and some politically
meaningful ommissions. Feinstein voted to spend $1.3 billion on a drug
interdiction program in Colombia, not billions, and the measure sends
military advisers, not combat troops to the South American country.
Campbell has openly opposed the expenditure and commitment of American
military. He has said the war on drugs has failed and the money should be
spent on treatment, including locally managed health clinics to treat drug
users. Further, he has said drug users should be treated, not sent to jail
or prison. The ad does not mention his own position that would allow local
clinics to distribute heroin to drug users if that is deemed an effective
medical treatment. The ad gives an incomplete picture of Feinstein's
position, which also includes local treatment of users and effective
oversight of the war on drugs.