Democratic nominee Wendy Davis just premiered a brutal new ad in the Texas gubernatorial race, accusing Republican opponent Greg Abbott of having worked against the rights of plaintiffs and the disabled in the courts — despite having won a multi-million dollar settlement when an accident put him permanently in a wheelchair 30 years ago.
"A tree fell on Greg Abbott; he sued and got millions. Since then, he's spent his career working against other victims," the announcer says, before launching into examples of some less flattering rulings made in Abbott's career.
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Abbott has been a strong supporter of tort-reform efforts to limit punitive damages. He has maintained in the past that a person suffering a similar accident would still have access to the justice system — though other observers including his former lawyer, now a political critic, have disagreed. Watch the ad in full below. --Eric Kleefeld
Update: The Abbott campaign is hitting back, the Houston Chronicle reports, calling it a "historic low." Abbott spokeswoman Amelia Chasse said: "Sen. Davis' ad shows a disturbing lack of judgment from a desperate politician, and completely disqualifies her from seeking higher office in Texas."
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