• Reuters via Yahoo, Friday, October 20, 2006 12:15 PM

On TV, radio and through the mail, a blizzard of negative attack ads call U.S. congressional candidates cheats, extremist hypocrites--or even worse. In Missouri, an ad for Republican Sen. Jim Talent says his Democratic opponent "is a liar ... she'll cheat" to get elected. In Montana, the Democratic Senate candidate is labeled "deceitful," while an Arizona Republican House candidate is nailed as "so extreme and irresponsible he is dangerous."

Linda Fowler, a political analyst at Dartmouth College, says the climate is getting nasty. Negative campaigning is a long tradition going back to when the founding fathers beat each other up over mistresses and more. But the overall tone of campaign ads as the November 7 vote approaches is harsher than in the past few elections.

"The closing argument in this campaign is centered around Iraq, corruption in Washington and the Foley scandal," says Evan Tracey of the Campaign Media Analysis Group. "There aren't a lot of sunny ads to run on those topics."

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