The liberal advocacy group Americans United for Change is out with a new ad that seeks to tie Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to an al-Qaeda terrorist over the senior Kentucky senator’s opposition to universal background checks.
“Most Kentucky residents want comprehensive background checks for gun sales,” the ad’s narrator says. “But Republican leader Mitch McConnell is against them. So who does agree with Mitch?”
The ad then shows footage from a video of American-born al-Qaeda operative Adam Gadahn detailing how one can obtain an automatic assault rifle at a gun show in the United States without being subjected to a background check.
According to the Associated Press, Americans United for Change is spending $5,000 to run the ad on three different television stations in Lexington, Ky.
The spot was met with swift denunciations from Republicans. National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Brad Dayspring took to Twitter on Friday to conflate the ad with the actions by Progress Kentucky, the liberal group that has found itself embroiled in controversy in the early stages of McConnell’s re-election campaign.
What’s next for Dems in #KYSEN race? Racist attacks, check. Trying to tie GOP Leader to terrorist? Check. Illegally taping his HQ? Check.
— Brad Dayspring (@BDayspring) April 12, 2013
