'The Democrat running against Arlen Specter' releases TV ad (updated)

Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) went up Tuesday with his first TV ad of the Senate primary campaign.

The minute-long spot doesn't attack his rival, Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), directly but instead focuses on his biography and his support for healthcare reform.

The ad opens with the implication that Sestak is the only real Democrat in the race. It closes with him saying, "If we want real change in Washington, we can't keep sending the same career politicians to represent us."

The ad is airing "throughout" the state and was produced by The Campaign Group, according to a Sestak spokesman. Specter launched three TV spots last week. [Update: Specter is also up with a new attack ad hitting Sestak as "no-show Joe" and saying he was "relieved of duty" in the Navy.]

Here's the script of Sestak's ad:

Announcer: "Meet Joe Sestak, he's the Democrat running against Arlen Specter. Sestak has been called Pennsylvania's most effective new congressman. But he's not a career politician. Sestak served in the Navy for 31 years and became a three-star admiral. He commanded an aircraft carrier battlegroup in Afghanistan and served in President Clinton’s White House. Democrat Joe Sestak."

Sestak: "Five years ago, my daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor. We had great healthcare and my daughter made a full recovery. But the experience changed my life. I decided to run for congress because every American deserves the healthcare I got from the Navy. When I got to Washington, I found that too many politicians are more concerned about keeping their jobs instead of serving the public, instead of helping people. If we want real change in Washington, we can't keep sending the same career politicians to represent us. I'm Joe Sestak. And I authorize this message because it's time for a new generation of leadership."

Watch the video after the jump.