Landrieu team slams ‘sexist’ attack ad

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Sen. Mary Landrieu’s (D-La.) reelection campaign team is decrying as “sexist” an attack ad from an outside group supporting Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) in the Louisiana Senate runoff next month.

The ad from the conservative Ending Spending Action Fund argues that Landrieu’s 18 years in office have “changed” her and illustrates the point by showing her face aging through time lapse over that period, and later by displaying pictures of her side by side as she gets older.

“Washington has changed Mary Landrieu, it’s time for her to go,” the ad concludes.

The Landrieu campaign is calling foul.

{mosads}“It is appalling that Congressman Cassidy and his allies would illustrate the Senator’s age progression with a leading phrase that Washington has ‘changed’ her,” spokesman Fabien Levy said in a statement.

“This ad is as classless, as it is sexist, and Congressman Cassidy and his allies should remove [it] from television immediately,” he continued. “This is simply another example of our opponents’ desperation and their efforts to detract from the real issues facing Louisiana voters, like raising the minimum wage, safeguarding Social Security, lowering student loan debt, and protecting women in abusive relationships.”

The Cassidy campaign did not return a request for comment.

Brian Baker, the president of Ending Spending Action Fund, didn’t address the sexism allegations, but said the Landrieu campaign’s response is further evidence that she’s lost touch with Louisiana voters.

“The fact that the Landrieu campaign doesn’t even bother to dispute the central claim in the ad — that the Senator violated federal law by billing taxpayers for charter flights so she could attend campaign fundraisers — is further proof of how much Washington, D.C., has changed Mary Landrieu,” he said.

Ending Spending Action Fund describes itself as “an independent organization that proudly supports candidates regardless of party affiliation who favor enhancing free enterprise, reducing the size of government, and balancing our nation’s budget.”

The group has been active in Senate races this cycle, releasing ads in support of former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) in his bid for New Hampshire Senate, as well as Senator-elect David Perdue (R-Ga.), among others.

Separately on Monday, the Cassidy campaign released its own ad, which is set to run statewide in Louisiana, tying Landrieu to President Obama’s planned executive action on immigration.

“Louisianans clearly oppose President Obama’s plan to unilaterally grant amnesty to five million illegal immigrants, but instead of fighting for Louisiana, Senator Landrieu placed the President’s interests first,” Cassidy spokesman, John Cummins said in a statement. “Louisianans deserve a Senator who will standup to President Obama, not rubber stamp his agenda 97 percent of the time.”