Eric Idle threatens to sue GOP committee over use of Monty Python song in ad

English actor and comedian Eric Idle on Friday threatened to sue the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) for using a Monty Python song in a political attack ad released Tuesday.

Idle, a member of legendary British comedy group, tweeted that the congressional committee had “stolen” Monty Python’s “Lumberjack Song” in an ad criticizing Democratic Rep. Cindy Axne (Iowa). 

“While we sue these low life thieving reprobates lets VOTE for Cindy to piss them off,” Idle said in the tweet. “Are all Republicans now lawless? Whatever happened to America?”

The National Republican Congressional Committee has stolen the Lumberjack Song for an ad against Cindy Axne in Iowa. While we sue these low life thieving reprobates lets VOTE for Cindy to piss them off. Are all Republicans now lawless? Whatever happened to America?

— Eric Idle (@EricIdle) September 18, 2020

Axne is currently running against former Iowa Rep. David Young (R), whom she defeated in 2018. Recent polling published by FiveThirtyEight places Axne approximately 11 percentage points ahead of Young. 

Tuesday’s ad, which says it was paid for by the NRCC, is titled “She Wants to Take Our Tax Money,” and uses the tune of the Monty Python song along with new lyrics highlighting Axne’s voting history in Washington. 

“She’s a liberal named Angry Axne. She wants to take out tax money. She’ll take our cash to fund herself, then vote with Pelosi,” it says.

The video then goes on to say that Axne has sided with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on congressional votes “95 percent of the time” in the past two years, and that her plans “could cost over $1 trillion.” 

Axne’s campaign website highlights her votes to raise the national minimum wage to $15, as well as for legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs.