Sweet blog extra: GOP Gen. McPeak vouches for Obama in new Iowa ad. VIDEO

WASHINGTON–Enough with the flag lapel pins! To try to change the conversation–and to pour paid media on top of the free stuff White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is getting on his anti-Iraq war Iowa tour–the campaign starts a new ad Friday. It features former Air Force Chief of Staff Tony McPeak, a Republican. Lots of messages in this one. VIDEO LINK

DEVELOPING McPeak and Obama campaign manager David Plouffe on conference call at 10:30 Chicago time.

from the Obama campaign….

Obama Campaign Unveils New Television Featuring Former Air Force Chief of Staff General Tony McPeak

DES MOINES The Obama for America campaign today announced that it will begin airing a new television ad in Iowa featuring Former Air Force Chief of Staff General Merrill A. (Tony) McPeak. To discuss the ad, General McPeak and Obama Campaign Manager David Plouffe will host a conference call at 10:30 AM CT.

General Tony McPeak served 37 years in the Air Force and retired as Air Force Chief of Staff in 1994. McPeak campaigned for Bob Dole in 1996 and was a co-chairman of Veterans for Bush in 2000. After President Bush led the United States into a war that should never have been waged in Iraq, McPeak broke from the Washington establishment and spoke out against the misguided war.