Facing long odds in his election campaign against an upstart Republican challenger, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has released a new ad with a distinctly populist twist.
The ad attacks Republican Bill Brady for his proposal to lower the state's minimum wage. It concludes by pointing out that "millionaire Senator" Brady "drives a Porsche and owns a Florida condo."
Scroll down to watch the new ad.
"Who is this guy?" the incredulous, ominous-sounding narrator asks at the end of the spot. "The more we know about Senator Bill Brady, the worse it gets."
"The gloves are officially off now, campers," writes Rich Miller at the Capitol Fax blog. And for Governor Quinn's campaign, it's high time: polling numbers show him consistently trailing Brady by sizable margins. A woeful economy has caused budget crises in all sectors of state government, and the cutbacks and tax increases the governor has proposed have been met with stiff opposition.
Brady, meanwhile, appeared to be far right of many Illinoisans on social issues, including the minimum wage question as well as abortion, gay rights and family medical leave. But in an election where economic issues have taken center stage, and an unpopular Democratic governor faces abysmal approval ratings, Brady has successfully steered the campaign clear of those concerns.
With this ad, Quinn clearly hopes to change that.
Watch Gov. Quinn's new 30-second spot: