Pennsylvania state Sen. Daylin Leach (D) has released a new Web ad in his congressional campaign criticizing former President Bill Clinton, as Clinton prepares to hold a duo of Philadelphia fundraisers for one of Leach's opponents, former Rep. Marjorie Margolies (D-Pa.).
Leach is facing off against Margolies, state Rep. Brendan Boyle and physician Val Arkoosh in the competitive Democratic primary for Pennsylvania's 13th District. Clinton's daughter, Chelsea, married Margolies' son Marc Mezvinsky in 2010.
In a press release introducing the ad, Leach's campaign hits squarely on a central issue in Margolies' campaign -- her decisive vote for Clinton's 1994 budget, which raised taxes and contributed to Margolies losing her seat after one term in the House.
The former president spoke at an "entitlement reform" summit hosted by Margolies in 1993 after her budget vote. The Philadelphia-Inquirer reported at the time that “Clinton's participation in the conference was brokered in exchange for Margolies-Mezvinsky's last-minute support of the President's budget package last summer."
"[The ad] focuses on Margolies' decision to campaign on a single action taken over 20 years ago, rather than address any current issues relevant to voters in the 13th Congressional district — choosing to always talk about the past instead of the future," the release reads. "However, when Margolies discusses her past record, she neglects to mention the legislation she championed that would have ended Social Security as we know it by raising the retirement age and limiting seniors' cost of living income adjustments."
Margolies' campaign website does in fact state her current position on the issue. "As a member of Congress, Marjorie will fight to keep Social Security benefits intact while ensuring the program remains solvent and able to help generations of Americans retire with economic security," it reads.
Leach's ad stars his daughter Brennan, who says her dad "is running for the future" and will work to expand Social Security, pass gun control legislation and hold big banks accountable.
"While some cling to the past, we just can't go backwards," Brennan Leach says in the ad, which ends with a clip of Clinton saying, "Don't stop thinking about tomorrow" at the Democratic National Convention in 2000.
Clinton's fundraisers for Margolies, which a Democratic source in the state says could raise $100,000 to $150,000 for the candidate, will help her get on the air ahead of the May 20 primary in the strongly Democratic district.
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