George H.W. Bush bristles at new Nunn ad

Former President George H.W. Bush is unimpressed that Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Michelle Nunn has again used his image in an ad despite requests not to do so.

The Democrat’s 30-second ad released Sunday includes an image of the pair at an October 2009 event honoring Bush for his Atlanta-based nonprofit Points of Light, which Nunn led for several years.

{mosads}“Michelle and her team have been clearly, repeatedly and consistently told that President Bush did not want them to use his photo as part of this campaign,” Bush spokesman Jim McGrath told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an email.

“Apparently, the Nunn team feels they can repeatedly disregard the former president’s wishes, which is very disappointing because it’s so disrespectful,” he added. 

Bush, who last month endorsed Nunn’s GOP opponent, David Perdue, was “disappointed” when Nunn’s campaign used the same photo in an ad earlier this year. McGrath told the newspaper at the time that while Bush “personally likes Michelle and appreciates the job she did at Points of Light, he’s even stronger in his belief that the Republicans need to retake the Senate.”

Nunn’s latest spot in the close race comes in response to another ad from Perdue that features a photo of Nunn and President Obama at the same event.

“Throughout my career I’ve been able to work with Republicans and Democrats, and that’s the same approach I’ll bring to the U.S. Senate,” the Democratic candidate says in the ad while images of former Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush slide across the frame.

Nunn is on a leave of absence from the organization while she runs for Senate.