Democratic Senate candidate Bruce Braley, a member of Congress from Iowa, has put up a new TV ad touting bipartisan bona fides.
The spot ran on the local Des Moines NBC affiliate on Oct. 6. As of that evening, it hadn’t been widely publicized by the campaign.
But by positioning him as a bipartisan problem-solver, it could draw new scrutiny for the Democratic candidate.
“There are so many issues that we could solve problems if we just came together and ignored what people on the extremes are trying to prevent from happening,” Braley says in the ad.
“I’ll work with anyone who will help solve the tough problems that we face,” he adds.
Republicans note that Braley voted with then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi 94 percent of the time during the 112th Congress and 98.5 percent of the time during the 111th Congress. The Hill dubbed him a member of Pelosi’s “go-to gang” and noted that his ambition “impressed Democratic leaders.”
Iowa Republicans are already criticizing Braley for airing the spot.
“Congressman Braley is an unapologetic liberal, so it’s ridiculous that he’s talking about bipartisanship,” said Jahan Wilcox, a spokesman for the Republican Party of Iowa. “After supporting Nancy Pelosi’s failed agenda over 95 percent of the time, Congressman Braley is the last person anyone would trust to be bipartisan.”
