By Laura Meckler
Associated Press Writer
Thursday, Sept. 28, 2000; 6:15 p.m. EDT

WASHINGTON –– In a new TV ad, a pretend president weighs into a real-live campaign. And like his character, Martin Sheen is siding with the Democrats.

Handgun Control Inc. is spending about a half million dollars to air a new campaign commercial featuring Sheen talking about Republican George W. Bush's record on gun control.

"Should the next president be the candidate of the gun lobby?" Sheen asks, speaking to the camera with an American flag filling the background. "Should he have signed a bill that allows hidden handguns in churches, hospitals and amusement parks?"

"That's Governor Bush's record," says Sheen, who plays President Bartlett on NBC's "The West Wing."

Handgun Control approached Sheen about taping the ad after his brother, Joe Estevez, did a voiceover for a gun industry commercial. The brothers have similar voices, and Sheen accused the industry of trying to deceive viewers into thinking it was him.

Sheen, who donated his time, also made a second Handgun Control spot that does not mention any candidate. It is not airing yet.

Sheen's commercial will air in Cleveland, Milwaukee and St. Louis, all large cities in states that are important to the presidential election. It comes on the heels of a $1.4 million run in seven cities of another Handgun Control ad about Bush.

Bush spokesman Dan Bartlett said Bush would not be a pawn of the gun lobby but would set his own agenda based on "what's right for America." And he said Bush would "reverse the trend of lax enforcement of existing gun laws by the Clinton-Gore administration."

Separately on Thursday, the Sierra Club launched a $3 million ad and direct mail campaign criticizing Bush's record on the environment and touting Gore's. Both point viewers to the Internet for more information. The TV ads will begin running Monday in 16 markets.

The group, which has run several anti-Bush ads, also is buying e-mail lists of people who said they were interested in the environment.

"It's sort of like the Internet equivalent of direct mail," said political director Dan Weiss.