CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – Presidential contender Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign chief on Friday had a simple message for rival Barack Obama’s camp: stop running a misleading television ad.

Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle sent the letter to her counterpart, David Plouffe, and told him the ad contains incorrect information about Obama’s health care plan. The ad claims Obama’s plan would provide insurance for everyone, but critics say the Illinois Democrat’s plan would leave 15 million people without insurance.

“On an issue of this magnitude, Americans are looking for more than a nice ad or a good speech. It’s not enough for Senator Obama to say he covers everyone, especially when that is inaccurate,” Solis Doyle wrote. “Until the time comes when Senator Obama has a plan that will cover everyone, you should stop running this false advertisement. The American people deserve an honest debate about health care.”

Obama’s campaign said it doesn’t plan to take down the ad that has been running for weeks in Iowa. Polls there show a tight contest between Clinton, Obama and John Edwards. The ad went on the air in New Hampshire this week.

“The Clinton campaign didn’t say a word when this ad was released a month ago, and the only thing that’s changed since then is the poll numbers,” Obama spokesman Reid Cherlin said in a statement. “Rather than spending their time attacking Barack Obama, the Clinton campaign should explain how exactly they plan to force every American to buy health insurance even if they can’t afford it.”

Solis Doyle’s letter on Friday also said Obama hasn’t even been consistent in describing his plan.

“Your advertisement not only contradicts the judgment of health care experts, but public statements by your campaign and your candidate. Senator Obama has pledged to put ‘honesty first’ in this campaign,” she writes.

“Even Senator Obama himself has admitted that his plan would not cover everyone, calling the plan ‘virtually universal.”‘

Obama, hoping to parry the ongoing dispute, told reporters in a conference call earlier this week that Clinton was making “more of a political point” than anything else. He said that while her plan nominally requires coverage for all, “she hasn’t told anybody how she would enforce this mandate.”

During a conference call with reporters, Clinton policy director Neera Tanden said a mandate is the only way to guarantee universal coverage. She said anyone who seeks emergency room treatment or has contact with government agencies – such as paying taxes – would be automatically enrolled.

“She’d look at other steps as well: working with employers to automatically enroll employees, going through and withholding part of their salaries to pay for it – those are reasonable steps to enforce a mandate,” she said.

AP-ES-11-30-07 1554EST