GOP turns to national security to save seat

Just over a week out from Election Day, Rep. Steve Southerland (R-Fla.) is out with a new ad attacking his Democratic opponent for being soft on national security issues. 

{mosads}The 30-second spot, titled “Keep Us Safe,” ties challenger Gwen Graham to President Obama and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and hammers them for not doing enough to confront various threats, including the deadly Ebola outbreak and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS.)

The new spot airs a week after Southerland’s campaign released an ad charging Graham is not up to the challenge of securing America’s borders or confronting ISIS. 

“The first obligation of the government is to keep us safe. But look around: open borders, threats of terrorism, Ebola,” a narrator says.

“Obama has no plan. Pelosi just points fingers. This election is about our safety, our future,” he adds. “Can you trust Obama, Pelosi and Gwen Graham to protect us? The stakes are high. Steve Southerland is the leader we need.”

Southerland then appears, saying he approved the message “because our families deserve to be protected.”

The Republican is in one of the toughest races in the country, and the Tallahassee-based seat is one of Democrats’ few pick-up opportunities.