The MoveOn.org Petraeus ad has moved from the united States House of Representatives into the American heartland. Former Air America host turned Minnesota Senate candidate Al Franken is tangled in the never-ending saga, which has become a de facto litmus test for patriotism. Franken, a former SNL writer, bought a full page campaign ad in The Star Tribune of Minneapolis questioning Senator Norm Coleman's on a resolution that would return American troops. Coleman replied. Coleman was charged less for his ad than Franken. From Editor and Publisher:

''This week, Sen. Norm Coleman's campaign took out a full-page ad in the newspaper criticizing Franken for not condemning a New York Times ad by MoveOn.org, which had attacked General David Petraeus.

''Coleman's campaign says it paid a little over $23,000 on the ad -- far less than the $37,000 that Franken's campaign says it paid for a full-page ad two months ago.

''Franken campaign spokesman Andy Barr says that after contacting the Star Tribune, the paper agreed to refund a little over $12,000.''

Newspaper ad scrutiny is the new political black.