Meg Whitman Uses Bill Clinton Against Rival Jerry Brown
California Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman has a new ad out slamming her Democratic opponent, California Attorney General Jerry Brown. But Whitman herself is nowhere to be seen in the ad. Instead, she lets one of Brown's fellow Democrats, former President Bill Clinton, dish the dirt against him.
Whitman's ad uses footage from a 1992 presidential primary debate between Mr. Clinton and then-opponent Brown.
"He raised taxes as governor of California," Clinton says. "He had a surplus when he took office and a deficit when he left. He doesn't tell the people the truth."
A narrator closes the ad with the statement, "Jerry Brown. Same story. New decade."
The ad is a response to Brown's first ad of the general election season, which is a positive spot that touts his record from his previous stint as governor, which lasted from 1975 through 1982.
Whitman's spot is clearly designed to appeal to California's many Democratic voters. The Democrats have a 45 percent to 31 percent registration advantage over Republicans in California, the Los Angeles Times reports. Another 20 percent are registered as independents.
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Though Republicans are in the minority in California, most recent polls show Whitman, the former eBay CEO, leading Brown by single digits. Her lead could be related to the fact that Whitman has broken campaign spending records, so far spending more than $104 million of her own money on her campaign. Brown's campaign, meanwhile, says it will spend a total of about $44 million on the race.
Brown's campaign spokesman, Sterling Clifford, told the L.A. Times that Whitman's latest ad reflects a pattern of inaccurate.
"Meg Whitman hasn't told the truth since this campaign started, and quoting someone else doesn't make what she says true," he said.
Mr. Clinton, meanwhile, has yet to endorse Brown. Last year, he endorsed Brown's gubernatorial primary challenger, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who later left the race.
