Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is firing back at those criticizing his vote against the farm bill with a new spot saying he opposed it because of food stamp provisions.
{mosads}The spot features his dad and family farm before Cotton argues it was a flawed bill.
“On our family farm we have a few dozen head of cattle and one old guy with a head full of common sense — my dad. He taught me early farmers can’t spend more than they take in, and I listened,” he says in the ad. “When President Obama hijacked the farm bill, turned it into a food stamp bill with billions more in spending, I voted no. Career politicians love attaching bad ideas to good ones, then the bad ideas become law and you pay for it. I’m Tom Cotton. I approve this message. I think you’ve paid enough already.”
The spot comes days after the Democratic Senate Majority PAC launched an ad hitting him for the vote, and is the latest attempt to soften Cotton’s image with voters and show he’s in line with Arkansans. He’s also been on the air promising to protect Medicare and Social Security following Democratic attacks.
Cotton’s vote against the farm bill angered some farmers and had some Republicans worried. His aunt told The Hill last spring that her neighbors had expressed “concerns” over his vote against it. He was the only member of the Arkansas congressional delegation to vote against the bill.
Recent public polling indicates Cotton has pulled a bit ahead of Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) in the conservative state.