The Clinton campaign unveiled a new television ad overnight, titled, “Admits It.” For those who can’t watch clips online, here’s the script:
Audio voice-over and text on screen: The Republicans finally admit it.MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell: Republican Kevin McCarthy saying the committee investigating Benghazi and Clinton’s emails was created to destroy her candidacy.Kevin McCarthy: Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a Benghazi special committee. What are her numbers today?Audio voice-over: The Republicans have spent millions attacking Hillary because she’s fighting for everything they oppose — from affordable health care to equal pay. She’ll never stop fighting for you and the Republicans know it.
The 30-second ad is part of a national cable-TV ad buy, which will begin reaching viewers today.
The spot is a reminder of just how valuable Kevin McCarthy’s accidental candor is to Clinton and her supporters. For much of the summer, the Democratic presidential hopeful has been on the defensive, leading to “a poll-deflating feedback loop.” All of a sudden, however, the likely next Speaker of the House inadvertently told the truth, acknowledging facts that Republicans aren’t supposed to admit in public, and Clinton is bouncing off the ropes.
The ad shows the extent to which the Democratic frontrunner intends to exploit McCarthy’s slip, but it also comes at a difficult time for the Majority Leader. Remember, the California Republican is eagerly trying to secure the votes necessary to become Speaker, and the election is now just two days away.
It’s against this backdrop that Hillary Clinton is making McCarthy look even worse at a terribly inconvenient time.
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Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."