(Columbia-AP) Dec. 2, 2003 -- Wesley Clark has taken his presidential primary bid to South Carolina's airwaves.

The retired general launched $200,000 advertising campaigns Tuesday in South Carolina and Oklahoma that will be followed later this week in Arizona. All three states have February Third primaries - with South Carolina's being the first in the South - and big military and veteran populations.

The 60-second ad notes Clark was wounded in Vietnam and tells about his long military career that followed. Clark's South Carolina campaign director Scott Anderson says these ads emphasize leadership. He says later ads will emphasize other aspects of Clark's life.

The ad buy is relatively large for each state, mainly because the ad is 60 seconds. South Carolina native and North Carolina Senator John Edwards has spent the most time on the air in the Palmetto State. He spent at least $500,000 in August and September, but aired nothing in October. He resumed television buys last month, spending more than $100,000 since then. Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean aired television ads for a short period in August and followed those later with radio ads.

Posted 5:11pm by BrettWitt