[img_assist|nid=3415|title=Harris and Kratovil|desc=In their new ads|link=none|url=undefined|align=right|width=190|height=158]The ads may be positive, but the barbs are still being traded between the campaigns of Maryland's open 1st District U.S. House seat.

Frank Kratovil (D-Stevensville) and Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville) each released a new campaign spot this week, with both focusing on positive biographical aspects of their respective candidates. And as the ads airwaves, both campaigns responded to the perceived inaccuracies of each other's commercials.

"Frank Kratovil will need a magician better than Harry Houdini if he thinks he can trick voters into believing that he is no longer the O'Malley loving, anti-energy exploring, high taxing, big spending liberal he called himself before the primary." said Harris' campaign manager, Chris Meekins.

As he's done previously, Meekins rebutted all the key points of Kratovil's commercial as "misleading statements" by pointing to several contradictory statements he's made over the last year.

Kratovil's campaign manager, Tim McCann, assailed Harris for being disingenuous about the medical theme of his new ad.

"Perhaps the only thing more ridiculous than Andy Harris casting himself as a champion of renewable energy is Andy Harris now casting himself as a champion of health care," he said.

"We're talking about the only guy in the entire Maryland Senate who voted against creating the state's cancer prevention and treatment program. He opposed requiring health insurance companies to cover colon cancer screenings for men and OB/GYN services from qualified providers for women. In his ten years in Annapolis, Andy Harris has consistently worked to make quality health care less affordable and less accessible to Maryland families."

The Kratovil-Harris race is ranked the 51st most competitive Congressional race in the nation on Politicker.com's the Pindell Report. Politicker.com Managing Editor James Pindell lists the the race as 'leans Republican.'