Visiting churches and schools, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama hope for a big turn out in today's first ever Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC primary.

Barack Obama told a crowd in Alexandria, Virginia, "Like your son sees someone different as president after 43 of them, the 44th, hey that guy has a funny name like me. It changes our perceptions in this country but it also changes perceptions overseas."

Hillary Clinton told a group of supporters in Bowie, Maryland that "The most important question is who can be the best President on day one. Who can go into that oval office, start solving our problems, lifting our sights."

Green party candidates will also get their chance today. Washington, DC, is the only other place were green party will hold a primary this year. Former US Representative Cynthia McKinney won in green party primaries in Arkansas and Illinois but lost to the undeclared Ralph Nader in California. Massachusetts results are still out.

Republican John McCain has announced he will opt out of public financing. Seems he's finally raising enough money to go it alone, with out any matching funds. He made this decision despite campaign finance reform a central theme of his election, not only in this Presidential race, but in his Senate runs as well.

And finally, another politico won a Hollywood award… Barack Obama won a grammy for "Best Spoken Album" for his recording of his book The Audacity of Hope.

In the week since the February 5th super-Tuesday primaries, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have raised more than $10 million dollars a piece. Much of that money was used to pay for advertising in the states with primaries this past weekend, and the Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia primaries today. Andrew Stelzer has more on some of the ads that in many ways, have become the focus of the presidential candidates' campaigns.

Despite his large lead in delegates, and the medias crowning of John McCain as the likely Republican nominee, his campaign continues to air ads throughout Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC. Many of McCain's' recent TV and internet spots feature black and white photos of him in recovery after being rescued as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, and video clips of him and former President Reagan.

"As a prisoner of war, John McCain was inspired by Ronald Reagan... 'I enlisted as a foot soldier in the Reagan revolution.''

Conservatives unhappy with his candidacy have launched attacks on McCain as well. One ad, funded by a group called the Citizens United Victory Fund, aired heavily on fox TV last week, and labeled McCain's views on many issues as 'Surprisingly Liberal'.

"The same candidate joined Ted Kennedy to sponsor amnesty for illegals and was even mentioned as a running mate for John Kerry. Hillary Clinton? No, John McCain."

The ad echoes earlier attempts by FORMER candidate Mitt Romney to paint McCain as similar to Hillary Clinton.

Barack Obama's ads in this weeks primary states of Maine, Washington, Nebraska, Louisiana, Virginia, Maryland, and DC, began running a few days earlier than Clintons. Obama's ads continue with inspirational speeches to lively crowds full of young, excited multi-ethnic supporters. Besides her usual criticism of President Bush, one of Senator Clintons ads running in Virginia, Maryland, and DC mentions that she would freeze foreclosures and mortgage rates, and give tax cuts to the middle class. The American Federation of Teachers has paid half a million dollars for radio ads supporting Clinton, in those three primary states, along with Wisconsin.

And while the majority of ads are focused on the primary season, there's at least one internet-only spot bashing the Democrats in preparation for November. Paid for by the Republican National Committee, the ad criticizes Obama, Clinton, and Senate Majority leader Harry Reid, as members of a democratically controlled senate that thus far, has resisted President Bush's request to renew the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, with language that would give immunity to telecom companies that conducted illegal wiretaps on Americans phones and internet.

" If senators Reid, Clinton, Obama and other democrats do not make the FISA updates permanent, they'll deny intelligence and law enforcement communities the tools they need to protect Americans from foreign terrorists. After all, the terrorist threat to America never expires."

With well over 100 million dollars already spent on traditional TV and radio spots, Internet only ads like the RNC's are proving a much more affordable and popular alternative.

Campaign advertising is still the number one way to reach mass population. But it's expensive and only the well financed campaigns are able to compete. No candidate has been able to keep up with Barack Obama, who was able to invest in a 30 second advertisement during the Super Bowl. The most expensive campaign advertisement ever.

Joining us today to talk about this is Josh Israel, Senior Researcher for The Buying of the President project with the Center for Public Integrity.

"Numbers seem to indicate .. that the Obama campaign has spent more than 31 million dollars on campaign commercials, and the Clinton campaign just behind that with almost 25 million dollars in TV ads... Certainly, its a very profitable business to be selling advertisements to political candidates. If you want to be on at prime time, they are going to charge you as much as they can. And, unfortunately for the candidates, they can charge a lot."

The Barack Obama Super Bowl ad: