Democrats and liberal bloggers are sparring over the Kentucky Senate candidate Jack Conway's controversial "Aqua Buddha" ad, which raises GOP rival Rand Paul's reported college antics as a campaign issue. (Watch the ad below.) Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) calls the spot "very dangerous," while others say highlighting such moments from Paul's past shows the disconnect between the man and the candidate. Paul, for his part, punched back with a commerical accusing Conway of "bearing false witness," and refused to shake his hand after a debate. Did Conway go too far? Did Paul?
Conway hit below the belt: The Aqua Buddha spot is, so far, the "most despicable political ad" of 2010, says Jason Zengerle in The New Republic. Not only does it misrepresent Paul — he's a "real deal" outsider, not an idol worshipper — but Democrats especially should agree that a candidate's faith is "off-limits." Conway's tactics are equally "disgusting" as the Right's attempt to cast doubt on President Obama's religious convictions.
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