Obama's 1st ad targets middle class

The Obama campaign released its first general election TV ad in Pennsylvania today focusing on the middle class economic issues set to dominate the fall. The clip (also showing in Virginia, Ohio, Nevada, New Hampshire, Iowa, North Carolina, Florida and Colorado) starts on a down beat, reviewing the economic conditions already in place when the president entered the White House in January 2009, then references his job-creation efforts, the auto bailout and killing Osama bin Laden.

It ends with "We're not there yet. It's still too hard for too many. But we're coming back. Because America's greatness comes from a strong middle class. Because you don't quit. And neither does he."

RNC chair Reince Priebus said the president should shoulder more blame for the nation's enduring economic woes:

"For someone whose campaign slogan is 'forward,' President Obama spends a lot of time looking backward and blaming others for the state of the American economy. While Obama may want you to forget he's been president for the past three and a half years, the fact that his policies have wreaked havoc on the middle class from high unemployment, high energy and higher education costs won't be forgotten. America deserves better than Obama's brand of hype and blame."

UPDATE: Obama strategist David Axelrod says the overall ad buy is a giant $25 million this month alone.