The McCain Campaign has put out an amusing new ad called “Trust Huckabee,” which takes excerpts of Mike Huckabee saying nice things about McCain, many presumably out of context.

CHYRON: Supporters of Mike Huckabee are attacking John McCain.

CHYRON: What does Mike Huckabee say about John McCain?

GOVERNOR MIKE HUCKABEE: Senator McCain, no matter what anyone may say, is a genuine conservative.

HUCKABEE: John McCain is a hero in this country. He’s a hero to me.

HUCKABEE: If you look at his record, he’s got a solid record on things that really matter. He’s pro-life, he’s strong for our country’s defense and security.

HUCKABEE: John McCain is a true, honest-to-God American hero.

CHYRON: If you want the truth about John McCain, just ask Mike Huckabee.

JOHN MCCAIN: I’m John McCain and I approve this message.

I especially love the last line. I know that it’s mandated by law (one, incidentally, that McCain co-sponsored and that I continue to think blatantly unconstitutional, the Supreme Court’s ruling notwithstanding) but it’s amusing for a candidate to “approve” of a message saying what a swell guy he is.

I’m sure this ad concept — cherry picking nice statements made by one’s opponent — isn’t new but it’s a good one. It’s a bit unfair, of course, since I’m sure a lot of these were followed by a “but he’d make a bad president for reasons X, Y, and Z,” but hardly outside the realm of a spirited campaign.