MD SEN: The Puppy Ad

Republicans are crowing about this new ad from MD Sen. candidate Michael Steele.

STEELE: "Hey, me again. Michael Steele. Soon your TV will be jammed with negative ads from the Washington crowd. Grainy pictures and spooky music saying 'Steele hates puppies.' And worse. For the record, I love puppies. And I think you deserve better. Some real ideas for change. Like a ban on all gifts from lobbyists to Congressmen. And no last minute amendments for pork barrel spending. That's a start. Because Washington can't fix our problems until we fix theirs. I'm Michael Steele and this is my message" (release, 9/15).

To those who don't know Steele or have a vague impression that he's a Republican and the state's lieutenant governor, it's potentially memorable.

That said, Republican candidates in the Northeast are running on fumes instead of issues. Lobbying reform? Small bore for a Senate race. But ask yourself: what else can Steele really say?

Update: Here's what the MD Dem party says about the ad: "The Michael Steele you see on TV wants you to believe he'll change Washington by ending lobbyist gifts. But the real Michael Steele accepted gifts from lobbyists and has created a team of lobbyists dedicated to funneling special interest money to his campaign."