Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is hitting John McCain over the closure of North Carolina textile mill.

In a new TV ad airing in North Carolina, the Obama campaign ties the closure of Maiden-based Carolina Mills factories to McCain's support for free-trade measures.

"Workers once proud to make their thread for American flags have their futures outsourced to Asia," a narrator says in the ad. "Washington sold them out with the help of politicians like John McCain."

Facing competition from Chinese factories, Carolina Mills laid off 2,600 workers at 17 plants in recent years.

Today, the company has been restructured as an investment firm with a stake in several manufacturers that employ a total of 200 workers in North Carolina.

Chairman of the Board George Moretz was not aware of the ad until contacted by Dome this afternoon.

"Being a lifelong Republican, it intrigues me that the Democrats are using our company as a resource for their ads," he said. "But I would agree that trade policies have been detrimental to us."

Robert Pittenger received $1.9 million in contributions by the end of June.

The Republican nominee for lieutenant governor raised $435,102 in the second quarter of 2008, according to his most recent campaign finance report.

Major donors included real estate developer Justus Ammons, Carolina Panthers coach John Fox and Carolina Mills chairman George Moretz.

He also received money from political action committees such as Carolina Conservatives, the Kerr Drug PAC, Wal-Mart's Wal-PAC, the Mid-Atlantic Emergency Medical Association PAC and the Wilmington Anesthesiologists PAC.

His campaign still owes a $500,000 loan from his wife, Suzanne.

He spent $450,216 in the second quarter, leaving him with $316,190 in cash on hand.

Update: Pittenger also gave his own campaign $150,000 in the second quarter.