SAVE MONEY ON TRAVEL DEALS

The ad, sponsored by a coalition of labor unions, healthcare advocates and left-leaning think tanks, appeared in Wednesday's edition of The New York Times and attacked healthcare reform policies advocated by Republican U.S. presidential nominee John McCain, although it doesn't mention the U.S. senator from Arizona by name.

The group Health Care for America Now said in a release that "conservatives" would make the problem of uninsured Americans worse because "they propose to tax, as income, the health benefits that 160 million people get on the job. This is purposely designed to destroy the incentive for companies to provide health insurance to their workers."

McCain's campaign says his healthcare platform seeks to make individually purchased insurance plans more attractive by eliminating the income tax exclusion given to employer-based health benefits but denied to those holding individual plans. He would couple it with $5,000 tax credit for all, the Times said.

But the coalition contends it's an effort to undermine traditional employer-based healthcare and a ploy to reduce business costs that will only increase the number of uninsured, the newspaper said.

 BREAKING STORIES

Hero busboy sues Timberlake eatery

Civil case to open in dog shooting

Dozens Killed, Scores Wounded in Spate of Iraq Attacks

FBI informant testifies in Fort Dix case

Czech mayors protest missile shield plans

U.S. troops to bolster domestic security

Soldiers run amok in Harare, Zimbabwe

Navy pilot lost bearings before crash

Gates honored to 'do my duty' with Obama

Fla. GOP refuses to seat white supremacist

Palin stumps for Georgia's Chambliss

Dubai film fest bosses sued for libel

Nuke, bioterror attack called likely

Pakistan envoy: Time for calm

Thai police, protesters meet after blast

38 bodies found in Iraq mass grave

Official says Sistani concerned with SOFA

Report: India may end Pakistan cease-fire

Matthews of 'Hardball' eyeing Senate run

Palin still fascinates Internet surfers