Candidates are buying airtime in New Hampshire.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Democrat Wesley Clark had never sought or held elective office until his bid for the presidency, but a commercial that begins airing Tuesday in New Hampshire highlights what his campaign says is his record on domestic issues.

In the 30-second spot, an announcer says that the retired Army general “fought for better schools and better health care for those he led because it was the right thing to do.”

Bill Buck, a Clark spokesman in New Hampshire, said the ad refers to Clark’s work as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, when his duties included overseeing a school system in Europe for soldiers and their families and ensuring they had adequate medical benefits.

“One of his responsibilities as a general was to make sure that the troops and their families had a strong quality of life,” Buck said.

The campaign also pointed out that Clark testified before Congress in 1998 on the defense budget and the need for enough money to ensure troops a standard of living comparable to that of their counterparts in the United States.

The campaign is spending about $80,000, a relatively large amount compared to other candidates’ buys for 30-second ads in New Hampshire, to air the spot on stations for at least a week.

The ad, titled “Independence,” uses black-and-white photographs of Clark graduating from West Point and interacting with troops. The spot is similar to Clark’s first commercial, with a patriotic theme and focus on his military experience.

In New Hampshire polls, Clark is one of four candidates trailing front-runner Howard Dean and Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts. The others are Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri.

On Monday, Edwards began airing a new ad in Iowa in which he argues against President Bush’s tax breaks for the wealthy.

“This president should be made to explain why a multimillionaire sitting beside his swimming pool should be paying a lower tax rate than a teacher, than a police officer, than a secretary,” Edwards says.

The ad then talks about Edwards’ plan – repeal Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthiest in place of cuts for the middle class.

AP-ES-12-01-03 1200EST