U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) on Monday urged his Democratic challenger Tammy Duckworth to pull a new ad attacking the congressman over $117,00 in back child support the Tea Party-affiliated congressman's ex-wife alleged he owed in a now-settled lawsuit.
Walsh called the new ad (embedded above) "absolutely dirty," the Chicago Tribune reports.
"My call is to have some class, Tammy. Have some grace and pull these ads which are hurtful to my kids," the Illinois congressman told the Tribune.
In a Monday press release, Walsh went on say the Duckworth ad represents "Chicago machine politics at its worse, but it is what is expected from a Blago protege like Ms. Duckworth."
Walsh's child support dispute with his ex-wife has also been the subject of at least one of the Duckworth campaign's direct mail pieces in the heated, increasingly negative 8th District congressional race, according to the Capitol Fax blog.
In April, Walsh arrived at a settlement with ex-wife Laura Walsh. A Cook County judge dismissed the complaint which alleged the congressman loaned his own campaign $35,000 and took vacations abroad while claiming that he couldn't afford to pay the child support payments.
Per the settlement, the two parties agreed that "Joe is not and was not a deadbeat dad and does not owe child support."
Last week, Walsh grabbed national headlines when he told reporters there should be no abortion exception for the "life of the mother" because "with modern technology and science, you can't find one instance" where it is needed.
After medical experts slammed the congressman's claim, Walsh attempted to clarify the incendiary claim in a press conference Friday when he admitted that, in some circumstances, an abortion is necessary to safe the life of the mother.
In response to the firestorm, Duckworth reiterated in a statement Monday that Walsh's comments on abortion were "dangerous" and "irresponsible."
While previous polling on the race has rendered wildly conflicting results, an Anzalone Liszt Research poll released Friday reported that Walsh is decisively trailing Duckworth 39 percent to 54 percent among likely voters. The poll was commissioned by the League of Conservation Voters.
Hat tip to the Capitol Fax on the Duckworth ad clip.
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