FEINSTEIN'S FIRST AD ON TV

In the first TV ad of her re-election stretch drive, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein features her positions on education, health care and victims rights and underscores her support by major California law enforcement organizations.

The 30-second ad, a $1 million statewide TV buy, is the first in what is expected to be a blitz on behalf of the California Democrat running until the Nov. 7 election.

Feinstein carried a war chest of at least $3.3 million into the campaign's final weeks, compared to just $723,000 for her challenger, Rep. Tom Campbell, R-San Jose, whose senior strategist characterized the Feinstein ad as disingenuous.

The thrust of the ad is to show that "basically, she solves problems, looks for common sense solutions and gets things done," said Feinstein's campaign manager, Kam Kuwata.

In the ad, a voice over says, "Senator Feinstein knows our children are our future. That's why she's working hard for smaller classes, smaller schools and larger dreams."

Feinstein, the ad notes, sponsored the Excellence in Education Act, which would "authorize $1 billion annually for five years to build new smaller schools, reduce class size" and raise academic standards.

Voiceover: "Dianne Feinstein is leading the fight to guarantee that treating physicians, not HMO bureaucrats, make personal medical decisions." The ad notes that Feinstein "has pushed for and voted for such a bill."

Voiceover: "Senator Feinstein is fighting to give victims of violent crime basic rights, like knowing when your attacker is released from jail." She is "the prime Democratic sponsor of the Victims Rights Amendment," which addresses the issue, according to the ad.

The ad also notes that Feinstein has been endorsed by the Organization of Police and Sheriffs, California Peace Officers Association, California Police Chiefs Association and California Narcotics Officers Association.

Sean Walsh, Campbell's senior strategist, said that if Feinstein "really cared about helping children, she would have the courage to join Congressman Campbell and start providing the necessary treatment to young drug addicts, who are currently met with a slammed door."

And he suggested that if it is Feinstein's aim to reduce the crime rate, "she would stop wasting billions of dollars on a war in Colombia" and work to direct that money toward teatment of drug addicts.

Feinstein and Campbell will hold their first debate in Santa Monica on Tuesday at 11 a.m.