WASHINGTON (AFP)--A liberal American group Friday released an advertisement that rails on presumptive Republican White House nominee John McCain for backing a U.S. Air Force decision to award a huge contract to Europe's Airbus. 

"A message of thanks to John McCain from the French people," says the video ad, which is in French with English subtitles and was issued by the Campaign for America's Future, a self-described "progressive" think tank. 

"John McCain, hero of France," reads a banner on the Arc de Triomphe in the opening scene, and later McCain is depicted as wearing a beret and a curly mustache. 

"Thanks for helping the U.S. military choose a French company, Airbus. Tens of thousands of jobs for the French and thousands fewer for Americans, ha, ha, ha!" it says. 

"It's a great day for France. Long live John McCain and long live France." 

The ad was issued the same day as a meeting between McCain and French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris. 

McCain has been criticized by Democratic lawmakers for backing a legislative change in 2004 that allowed the deal to take place, and the liberal group cited press reports that said his aides had lobbied for Airbus' parent company, European Aeronautical Defence and Space Co. (EADSY), to win the deal. 

On Feb. 29, the contract to build up to 179 military refueling planes was awarded to Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC) and EADS, Boeing Co.'s (BA) arch-rival in commercial aircraft. 

It was a stunning upset for Boeing, until now the sole supplier of air refueling planes to the U.S. military. 

Boeing earlier this month officially challenged the decision, a move that temporarily freezes the estimated $35 billion contract.