Ads Infinitum: Perry's "Sergeant Johnson"

Republican Gov. Rick Perry's newest ad features the widow of a slain Houston police officer who implies that then-Mayor Bill White's policies led to her husband's death.

White appeared at a press conference in Austin on Monday morning, saying the ad exploits Johnson's widow, herself a police sergeant. Though she's the only one on camera and speaking — obviously approving her message — White said "she didn't put up millions" to run the ad and, with three law enforcement officials there to back him, said the commercial goes over the line.

"Professional politicians like Rick Perry in the last stages of a campaign will do anything to push emotional buttons to try to stay in office," White said.

White's campaign produced a 2006 letter from city of Houston officials to the Texas Department of Public Safety questioning the state's decision to drop sex offenders from the state's registry once they've been deported. One of those deportees came back into the U.S. and shot and killed Johnson, who was trying to arrest him. The policy, according to White, was changed once the Houston officials pointed it out.