Senate nominee Alison Lundergan Grimes has raised a few eyebrows with a recent TV spot.
The ad, called “Proud Man,” highlights the Kentucky Democrat’s grandparents’ struggles to pay medical bills after her grandfather’s stroke, and criticizes Grimes’ opponent, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, for votes he’s taken on Medicare.
“His last ten years, he couldn’t speak or work,” Grimes says of her grandfather in the spot, “and they could barely afford the medicines.”
“Our life became something else,” Grimes’ grandmother says. “No vacations, no retirement.”
One hiccup: During the time period when Grimes’ grandparents were struggling with basic necessities, her politically connected father made some hefty campaign donations and oversaw multimillion-dollar business deals.
“Grimes comes from a wealthy family,” the AP noted in its write-up on the ad. “Her father owns several successful businesses, and records show her family has made political contributions of more than $100,000 over the years.”
Per the AP report, a statement from the Grimes campaign said her grandparents “wanted to do it on [their] own” and are proud people.
Jacob Payne, who blogs at Page One Kentucky, tweeted that he found the ads offensive.
“As someone who comes from a poor ass broke family in the hollows of Eastern Kentucky, I was insulted by @AlisonForKY’s latest ad,” he wrote.
“My grandparents scrimped & saved because they made $8,000 a year. They didn’t have wealthy kids making millions per month. Unreal,” he added.
“If someone in your immediate family drives a Bentley Mulsanne, don’t talk about scrimping & saving to buy your medication on the teevee,” he concluded.
McConnell is widely considered one of this cycle’s most vulnerable incumbent Republican senators. But Grimes has lagged in recent polls and has struggled to separate herself from President Obama, who has an anemic 31-percent approval rating in the state.
