Democrats are planning a $40 million anti-John McCain media blitz over the next four months, though their original fundraising goals have been downsized.

The Politico reported Thursday that the revived effort will be led by David Brock, the conservative-turned-liberal founder of Media Matters who last month took the helm of a group called Progressive Media USA.

The group, which is not coordinating with any campaign, is expected to take the lead in launching attacks on McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, despite an earlier fundraising effort that fell short.

"We're a little behind where we need to be," Brock told The Politico.

The Fund for America and the Campaign to Defend America were initially planning to raise up to $100 million for the general election Democratic effort -- the latter group released an ad in early March taunting McCain for the being the "McSame" as President Bush.

The game plan for the ad campaign was revived during a dinner Tuesday night in New York at the home of liberal contributor George Soros, who has given $2.5 million to the Fund for America, the newspaper reported.

Brock told The Politico that since his group took the lead it has attracted $7.5 million worth of commitments and will start running the ads before reaching the $40 million in funds. Brock said his goal is to pick up the slack where the media give McCain a free pass.

"A void that might be filled ... by the press is not going to be filled, because the press is in love with John McCain," he said.

Meanwhile, MoveOn. org, the liberal advocacy group, launched a new ad abutting images of McCain, President Bush and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeldsaying that success in Iraq is critical and within reach.

The ad campaign was used by the McCain camp in its latest fundraising pitch out Thursday night.

Click here to read the full story about the anti-McCain campaign in The Politico.

Click here to watch the new MoveOn.org ad.