Today, with just nine days until Cincinnati voters select a new, stronger mayor, Charlie Luken will unleash a $112,000 ad blitz that criticizes his opponent on the issues of police, curfews and experience.

        The 30-second television commercial accuses Courtis Fuller of “flipping” on whether to hire more police.

        It shows a photo of Mr. Fuller leading a “street march” in Over-the-Rhine the night of Officer Stephen Roach's not-guilty verdict in the Timothy Thomas shooting.

        And it says Mr. Fuller “brags” about his inexperience.

        Mr. Fuller did not return phone calls Saturday.

        Mr. Luken's ad is based, in large part, on Mr. Fuller's own statements:

        • On the hiring of 75 additional police officers, Mr. Fuller said Aug. 28, “I do support the proposal” as part of a broader look at staffing needs.

LUKEN AD

The script of Charlie Luken's new 30-second television commercial, which starts today:   “When it comes to our neighborhoods, Charlie Luken said yes to more community policing. Courtis Fuller agreed, then flipped and said no.   “When it came time to protect the public, Mayor Luken acted, and called a curfew. Fuller called the curfew "unnecessary' and even led a street march in Over-the-Rhine.   “Now Fuller brags about his inexperience. Can we afford to take that chance? Charlie Luken: steady, experienced leadership when we need it most.”

        Seven weeks later, in a broadcast debate, he said: “The fact of the matter is that I've said that we don't need more police officers until we take a critical look at the staffing needs of the Police Division.”

        • Mr. Fuller criticized Mr. Luken's curfew order after the Roach verdict as “unnecessary” in an Oct. 11 forum.

        “The thing about the ad I wanted to make clear is this: when the Roach verdict came out, I did the right thing and he did the wrong

        thing,” Mr. Luken said Saturday.

        • When a voter asked Mr. Fuller Oct. 16 whether he had any government experience, he replied that experience was not a qualification for the job.

        “We are at this crossroads because of everyone who claims they have government experience,” he said. “Had the government experience been working, chances are so would I — I'd still be working at Channel 5.”

        “Can we afford to take that chance?” asks the narrator in Mr. Luken's ad.

        With just $12,360 in cash as of Oct. 17, it's unlikely that Mr. Fuller will have the chance to answer that rhetorical question with an ad of his own.

        Brian Lawlor, general sales manager at WCPO— TV (Channel 9), said the Fuller campaign told him last week it would not be purchasing the time it had previously reserved to run campaign ads.

        “They told us they were comfortable with their position in the campaign and wouldn't be producing any television commercials,” Mr. Lawlor said.

        So far, at least 10 candidates for City Council have launched campaign ads. But until today, the mayor's race had been relatively quiet.

        “We thought the candidates in the mayor's race would be very active buying commercials, but it has been the least active,” said Jerry Imsicke, an account executive for WLWT-TV (Channel 5). “Fuller is not doing a thing, and that to me is amazing. And Luken is not doing anything until (today).”

        But the importance of television in this race — Cincinnati's first direct election for mayor in 76 years — is open to debate.

        Cincinnati City Councilman Phil Heimlich, a term-limited Republican who has used television successfully in prior campaigns, said Mr. Fuller's lack of television ads will hurt him.

        “TV ads are resources to be used by candidates in a campaign,” Mr. Heimlich said Friday. “And if you don't have that resource and your opponent does, then it can be damaging.”

        But veteran Cincinnati political consultant Brewster Rhoads said the lack of ads may not be that harmful.

        “If there is very little undecided vote then Courtis Fuller does not need TV to mobilize his base because they are going to come out regardless and vote,” said Mr. Rhoads, who is not working in this year's mayoral race.

        “And you could argue that Charlie Luken needs TV to mobilize and motivate his base,” he said. “But if there are a lot of undecided voters and all they are seeing are Luken ads, then Courtis will be hurt by not having any TV.”

        Mr. Rhoads said by spending $110,000 in the campaign's last 10 days Mr. Luken will be able to get his commercials in front of the average voter 11 to 12 times by Election Day.

        “I'm not surprised this is a late-breaking campaign,” he said. “(Mr. Luken) has probably been waiting and devising a message and now it's time to take that message to the voters.”

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