Things are heating up down south as John McCain’s latest ad brands him as “the original maverick” (and here I thought that was James Garner) and proclaims “we’re worse off now than we were four years ago.” Serves Americans right for electing a Democrat to the White House in 2004!

This, of course, comes hot on the heels of McCain’s “everybody loves my opponent” ad, which has generated this response:

And here’s the McCain response to Paris’ response:

Hilton’s video is a good-humored attempt at spoofing the first ad, but representatives for McCain’s campaign nevertheless immediately responded to the clip on TMZ.com.

“Sounds like Paris is taking the ‘All of the Above’ energy approach that John McCain has advocated — both alternatives and drilling,” spokesman Tucker Bounds told the gossip site. “Perhaps the reality is that Paris has a more substantive energy plan than Barack Obama.”

There are two things I love about this quote by Tucker Bounds (three if you include the name “Tucker Bounds”):

1. The McCain campaign is spinning for a gossip site.

2. They are spinning that Paris and John advocate the same position on energy policy.