Published: Sun, Sep. 16, 2007 12:00AM

Modified Sun, Sep. 16, 2007 03:33AM

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"We are caught in the middle of a brutal civil war in Iraq without a focused national strategy," Batiste says in the ad. "Congressman Jones is well-informed in challenging those politicians who are are breaking our great Army and Marine Corps."

No plans to switch

Throughout his political career, Jones has frequently been a maverick -- first as a Democratic state legislator in Raleigh and now as a Republican congressman in Washington.

He is on the outs with the Bush White House and the Republican House leadership. Democrats, including House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland, have been courting him.

Jones says he has no plans to switch parties, saying his social conservatism is a better fit in the Republican Party. But he doesn't completely dismiss the idea.

"At this point," Jones said when asked whether he would stay with the GOP. "My strong pro-life position and my strong position on social issues at the national and state level, this party represents those views. But when you get into spending, I've had Republicans say to me there is not a whole difference in the parties."

Jones says the GOP has drifted from the small government philosophy that characterized it in 1995 when Republicans took control of Congress.

He said the views of the 3rd District on the Iraq war have been evolving, just as they have elsewhere in the country. He thinks he has built up a reservoir of good will through his constituent work and social conservatism that will see him through the 2008 election.

Jones says he views himself as more of a populist than a party-line guy. "On some issues my party's right, and on some issues it's wrong," he said. "I don't have blind allegiance. My only allegiance is to my Lord."

(Researcher Lamara Williams-Hackett contributed to this story.)