The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is premiering an independent, online attack ad Monday against Congressman Scott Rigell, R-Virginia Beach, that accuses him of wanting to give a tax cut to "millionaires" at the expense of the middle class.
The DCCC ad is based on what it says is information from the Tax Policy Center, a joint enterprise between the Urban Institute and Brookings Institution focused on federal tax policy, that Congress will take up a measure next week to give individuals making over one million annually an additional $130,000 dollar tax break.
The 30-second ad begins with a photo of a man working in a super market with the voice over, "Good news! Republicans want to cut your taxes.
"Not you," the narrator says over the photo of the supermarket employee.
The ad then jumps to a photo of a man sitting in a smoking jacket and slippers in front of a mansion as the narrator says "You!"
Pictures of a luxury yacht and a private jet are added as the narrator continues:
"And you deserve a tax break—after all, these things are expensive. So Republicans want to give you, the millionaire, another tax break—all while charging seniors $6,000 more for Medicare!"
Other images show another supermarket employee and a woman shopping with the voice over saying:
"This guy? Her? They don’t need it. They’ll just buy groceries and pay the mortgage."
The ad then shows a man boarding a private jet with the narrator warning, "But you’re going places and Congressman Scott Rigell will knock down anyone in your way. "
The ad includes a disclaimer that the DCCC and not the campaign of Rigell's opponent in the state's 2nd Congressional District - which picks up portions of Newport News and increases precincts in Hampton due to redistricting - Virginia Beach businessman Paul Hirschbiel.
Hirschbiel is a part of the DCCC's top-tier "Red to Blue" campaign effort to gain 25 net seats in the U.S. House of Representatives to win the chamber back to Democratic control. the DCCC plans to make a number of independent efforts for Hirschbiel ahead of the Nov. 6 general election.
Rigell is part of a similar program by the National Republican Congressional Committee. As part of the NRCC's top-tier "Patriot" program to protect incumbents, RIgell gets similar assistance from the House's GOP campaign organ as Hirschbiel does from the DCCC.
Rigell campaign spokesman Jason Miyares said the independent attack ad distorts Rigell's record, "and frankly isn't being honest at all."
"Congressman Rigell has the same position President Obama had two years ago," Miyares said. "Which is we shouldn't raise taxes on anyone during a recession.
"The bottom line is Scott Rigell has fought for middle-class tax relief repeatedly. So that's not being honest with the voters of the district.
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