DeWine drops pretty, new campaign ad

Sen. Mike DeWine just released another campaign ad today. It’s what you might call a stealth attack ad. Kind of like a backward compliment.

It looks pretty and nice – DeWine’s wearing a blue plaid shirt and sitting on the white railing of his farm in Cedarville with a turning buckeye tree in the background and light guitar music playing – but it’s actually a subtle attack ad on his opponent, Democratic Rep. Sherrod Brown.

The ad, featuring DeWine himself speaking directly to the camera, starts like this: “We all have to work together – Democrats and Republicans.”

It continues: “Together, we lowered taxes for millions of Ohioans. We just passed a law to help protect the retirement benefits of Ohio workers and retirees. And we gave law enforcement better tools to fight terrorists.”

Here’s the zinger, delivered by DeWine as he shakes his head: “Incredibly, Congressman Brown voted ‘NO’ each and every time.”

Finally, in case you didn’t get his point: “I’m Mike DeWine and I approved this message because working together is the only way to solve our problems.”

DeWine called the Enquirer to talk about the ad, letting loose some more zingers not featured on a television set near you:

“I have a proven record of working with Democrats and Republicans in a bipartisan way to get things done,” he said, ticking off a list of bills he’s worked on with Democrats: Great Lakes restoration with Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich, funding for AIDS prevention in Africa with Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., legislation to prevent underage drinking with Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn.

Then this: “My opponent in this race (Brown) in 14 years in Congress has been unable, unwilling to reach across the aisle. He’s partisan. He’s ineffective. He prefers to talk about problems instead of doing what it takes to solve them.”

Brown campaign reaction?

Joanna Kuebler, Brown's communications director, was all over it. Here's what she said:

“Mike DeWine, in an attempt to try to keep his job will say and do anything. Sherrod has a very proud record of working with Republicans, Democrats and independents. Instead of talking of about the issues that Ohioans care about, Mike DeWine is trying to hide his record of siding with big oil and big drug companies, giving billions in tax subsidies to the wealthiest one percent.

“Sherrod Brown has voted for tax cuts for middle class families and worked with Senator Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) on the first ever bio-terroristm legislation and ... with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to close loopholes for prescription drugs, and led the bipartisan opposition to the Central American Free Trade Agreement last summer.

“Mike DeWine is part of the problem, not the solution.”

What do you think? Watch the ad, which is posted on DeWine's campaign Web site HERE.