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Alabama GOP Campaign Ad Uses Forged Obama Photo

As regular readers of Hotsheet know, Alabama has been the nation's leader in churning out memorable political ads this campaign season.

A few of our favorites, all from the GOP side: The Agriculture Commission candidate with the Winchester who vows to take no prisoners; the gubernatorial candidate attacked for believing in evolution (he denies it); and the dramatic Tim James spot in which he proclaims, "We Speak English. If You Want to Live Here, Learn It."

Now comes a spot from Les Phillip, a black Republican hoping to unseat Democrat-turned-Republican Rep. Parker Griffith. The ad sets up a contrast between Phillip and President Obama, who Phillip says "fell in with left-wing radicals," "played with terrorists," and "allowed his America-hating pastor to baptize his children."

It includes a shot of Mr. Obama smoking a cigarette - an image, as the Washington Post's Dave Weigel notes, that is a forgery

Philip says in the spot that while he loves America, "President Obama is ashamed of it." He says he wants to stop Mr. Obama from "destroying our nation."

In a comment seemingly designed to address the concerns of charges of racism against the Tea Party movement, Philips adds, "and they're not going to call me a racist."

The spot closes with a shot of Philips in a National Rifle Association baseball cap.

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