Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Pearce is getting hammered by two new TV ads that were unveiled today.
The first, from Pearce’s Democratic opponent, Tom Udall, uses a parrot named “Polly Big Oil” to make fun of Pearce and accuse him of being a mouthpiece for the oil industry.
Here’s the 30-second ad:
It begins with the parrot saying, “Tax breaks for big oil. Tax breaks for big oil.”
“Every wonder why Steve Pearce repeats everything the big oil companies say?” the ad’s narrator asks as a television displays Pearce’s new ad attacking Udall on energy and other issues.
“Gas prices. Tom Udall’s fault,” the parrot says.
“Tom Udall’s fault?” the narrator asks. “While Tom Udall was working for more alternative energy, Steve Pearce voted against alternative energy and to give billions to big oil.
The ad ends with Udall saying he “did find a good use for Steve Pearce’s negative ads” and sticking a newspaper ad from Pearce in the bottom of the parrot’s cage.
The Udall campaign has created a Web site, PollyBigOil.com, to accompany the ad. Visitors to the site “can put words into Polly Big Oil’s mouth, just like big oil does to Pearce,” a release from the Udall campaign states.
Meanwhile, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, which is backing Udall, unveiled a new ad today hitting Pearce for what a news release calls “blurry details of the sale of Pearce’s oil business to an energy company and potential conflicts of interest.”
Here’s the 60-second TV ad:
The ad points out that in August 2003 Pearce chaired a House committee hearing on natural gas at which Key Energy Services lobbied for reduced industry regulation.
“Behind the scenes, Pearce is privately negotiating the sale of his own company to the same Key Energy,” the ad’s narrator states.
Months before the hearing, Pearce reported the value of his company at less than $5 million, the ad states, but shortly after the hearing Key Energy bought the company for $12 million.
“Pearce has refused to disclose the details of the sale despite the serious questions raised,” the narrator states. “Was Pearce caught in a conflict of interest? Was Pearce paid an inflated price for his company? Call Steve Pearce and tell him
The Pearce campaign has not yet responded to requests for comment on both ads.
Update, 2:15 p.m.
Pearce Campaign Manager John Billingsley said in a news release that Udall is getting desperate because he’s lost 20 points in the polls. Pearce did vote for tax breaks for oil companies, the release states, but they were “to increase drilling — something Americans support 2 to 1.”
“In almost the same breath they say Udall supports drilling but then brag about his vote to kill incentives to drill,” Billingsley added. “The ad proves he’s willing to say and do just about anything to mislead voters.”
“Steve Pearce proudly defends his record to increase drilling and access to
It should be pointed out that, despite what Pearce’s news release says, the newest poll has Udall’s lead over Pearce increasing.