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A New Low in Latest Senate Ad Featuring Republican Matt Bevin's Children?

A McConnell campaign Twitter account's response to Bevin's kids ad
A McConnell campaign Twitter account's response to Bevin's kids ad
A McConnell campaign Twitter account's response to Bevin's kids ad
A McConnell campaign Twitter account's response to Bevin's kids ad

A new low?

The nasty Kentucky U.S. Senate Republican battle for incumbent Mitch McConnell's seat has now embroiled one of primary challenger Matt Bevin's children.

In a new 30-second TV ad, one of Bevin's daughters, Olivia, tells viewers not to be fooled by "a bunch of lies" McConnell is telling about her father.

Overall, it's meant to be a positive commercial featuring Bevin's children.

They are praising their father's military record, leadership, and role as a family man.

Watch:

McConnell's campaign decided to jab back online, saying in a Twitter message: "I was waiting for 'My dad went to MIT!'"

That's referencing an attack against Bevin for listing the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under his education resume on his LinkedIn page. It's a subject the Tea Party-backed contender has tried mightily to put behind him in the final weeks of the campaign.

From The Hill:

In March 2013, Bevin listed his education at MIT in the headline section of his LinkedIn page.

Further down his page, he listed MIT at the top of his educational profile. Below that, he stated he was a 2008 graduate of the Entrepreneurial Master’s Program at the MIT Endicott campus. He described it as a “renowned executive education program sponsored by the MIT Enterprise Inc. Magazine and the Entrepreneurs Organization.”

School officials told The Hill that the three-week seminar Bevin attended had no formal link to the school.

Eventually, however, the McConnell campaign deleted the tweet mocking Bevin's ad featuring his children. WFPL has asked McConnell spokeswoman Allison Moore for an explanation on why they yanked the online message, but we have yet to receive a response.

In a primary that has been marked by hostile name-calling and negative ads, this latest spat has indeed ignited a  GOP primary debate: is McConnell wrong for mocking a child or is Bevin at fault for involving his child in the spot?

The campaign to elect Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes is apparently siding with Bevin.

"Just last year, Mitch McConnell declared that political shots on opponents' family members should be off-limits, and I hope someone reminds the Senator of that," said Grimes campaign spokeswoman Charly Norton. "His campaign's tasteless attack on Mr. Bevin's daughters is out of bounds. Innocent children should never be mocked just to benefit the campaign of a 30-year Washington insider."

Copyright 2014 89.3 WFPL News Louisville

Phillip M. Bailey became WFPL's political editor in 2011, covering city, state and regional campaigns and elected officials. He also covers Metro Government, including the mayor's office and Metro Council. Before coming to WFPL, Phillip worked for three years as a staff writer at LEO Weekly and was a fellow at the Academy of Alternative Journalism at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
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