BY WESLEY P. HESTER

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has launched a Virginia TV ad blitz in support of Republican U.S. Senate candidate George Allen, who is looking to reclaim the seat he lost in 2006.

According to a release from the Chamber, the ads support Allen’s “pro-growth plan to create jobs and get the state’s economy back on track.”

If he receives the Republican nomination, Allen, the GOP front-runner, is likely to face fellow former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, who is directly targeted in one of the ads for his support of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul.

The release from the Chamber said that the ads are designed to “ensure that the people of Virginia understand the contrast between leaders who support big government and those who support free enterprise.”

Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber, pointed to Allen’s support of the Bush-era tax cuts as a U.S. Senator, as well as his support for a balanced budget amendment and “record of cutting spending and waste.”

Brandi Hoffine, a spokeswoman for Kaine’s campaign, responded by “fact-checking” the ads.

“As Governor, Allen increased state spending by more than 45 percent. As a Senator, Allen took an economy in record surplus and drove it into a record deficit, added $3 trillion to our national debt, voted four times to raise the debt ceiling, all while voting against common sense measures to help balance the budget,” she said.

Hoffine added that “while George Allen was part of a Congress that took a wrecking ball to our economy, Governor Kaine supported policies that helped Virginia weather that economic crisis better than nearly every other state.”

See the ads below.