Wives get spotlight in new campaign ads

Ann Romney and Anita Perry are the stars of a pair of feel-good new campaign ads running in Iowa designed to boost their husband's chances in the first-in-the-nation caucuses on January 3.

In "Character," Ann Romney argues that her husband Mitt can be counted on to "do the right thing, and maybe the hard thing, and maybe not the popular thing." As black-and-white images of the Romneys appear onscreen, she continues, "if you really want to know how a person will operate, look at how they've lived their life."

That appears to be an implicit shot at Romney's main rival for the GOP presidential nomination, Newt Gingrich, who has been married three times and has admitted infidelity and personal "mistakes."

"And I think that's why it is so important to understand the character of a person," Ann Romney continues. "To me that makes a huge difference. Maybe some voters it doesn't, but for me it makes a huge difference."

The Romney campaign says the spot will start airing in Iowa on Friday. It is not clear how often the ad will run.

The Perry ad, "American Story," opens with Anita Perry talking about the "old fashioned American story" that is her marriage to her husband Rick. "I married my high school sweetheart, but first I had to wait as he volunteered for the Air Force and flew planes all over the world," she says, as images from the Texas governor's military service are shown.

"I'm Anita Perry," she continues. "When Rick's tour of duty as a captain in the Air Force ended, he returned home to farm with his dad and asked me to marry him. We grew up in small towns, raised with Christian values -- values we still believe in. And we know Washington, D.C., could use some of that."

The spot closes with Perry appearing from off screen and leaning down behind his wife to say, "I'm Rick Perry, and I really approve this message."

The Perry campaign says the ad will run both in Iowa and on national cable, though they did not disclose the size of the ad buy.