By Keegan Gibson, Managing Editor

“It’s Brown-Castor… or politics as usual.”

One of the Pennsylvania’s premiere 2011 races is starting to heat up. Bruce Castor and Jenny Brown, Republican candidates for Montgomery County Commissioner, are prepared to launch the first television ad of the election.

The 30 second spot is split message. The first half consists of criticism of Democratic candidates State Rep. Josh Shapiro and Whitemarsh Township Supervisor Leslie Richards.

“Shapiro: higher income taxes, sales taxes, and more debt,” the announcer reads. “Richards: weaker ethics laws and triple-digit debt increases.”

The second half is a shot of incumbent Commissioner Castor and Lower Merion Commissioner  Brown finishing each others’ sentences about cutting county spending and holding the line on taxes.

It’s the work of veteran GOP media consultant Chris Mottola, who has worked with Castor for years.

As PA Water Cooler notes, it’s somewhat surprising that Castor and Brown will go on the air first, given the campaign meme that the Republican ticket has been significantly outraised by their Democratic opponents. The ad will begin to air either over the weekend or Monday. Per campaign norms, a spokesman declined to disclose details of the buy.

The Shapiro-Richards campaign harshly dismissed the ad as amateur.

“It’s a great ad for a high school mock election,” blasted campaign spokesman Frank Custer.  “It includes no proof points or footnotes because they can’t back up their claims.  For instance, the personal income tax hike that Josh supposedly rammed through took place before he got to the legislature.  Leslie actually put a stronger ethics bill in place and increased the township’s fiscal standing while saving 400 acres of open space and completing millions of dollars of storm water improvements all while not raising property taxes.”

Custer also declined to disclose details of any forthcoming Shapiro-Richards ad buys.

The campaign is likely to become increasingly heated over the coming weeks, as Castor and Shapiro compete to boost their ticket-mates. According to recent reports, Brown and Richards are believed to be competing with each other for the third spot on the board.

Here’s the full Castor-Brown press release:

First TV Ad of Campaign Ready for Broadcast

BLUE BELL – The Brown-Castor campaign’s first television advertisement is out of production and headed for the airwaves. The 30-second ad contrasts the tax-and-spend record of our opponents with the Brown-Castor record of having never raised taxes.

(The script of the ad and the fact-check citations are below. The YouTube link to the ad is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YIs3YPqf3I ; It was paid for by Brown-Castor ’11.)

Announcer: Who’s making tough times tougher? Politicians Josh Shapiro and Leslie Richards.

Shapiro – higher income taxes, sales taxes, and more debt. (1)

Richards – weaker ethics laws and triple-digit debt increases. (2)

Are you kidding?

Bruce: I’m Bruce Castor.

Jenny: I’m Jenny Brown.

Bruce: We’ll hold the line on taxes and cut wasteful spending …

Jenny: … to make Montgomery County work for taxpayers.

Bruce: We’re the only candidates …

Jenny: … who’ve never raised taxes.

Announcer: It’s Brown and Castor … or politics as usual.

(Fact-check citations)

(1) Josh Shapiro supported increasing state debt by $600 million – HB 2289, 7.03.10. He supported raising taxes by more than $1 billion, including income and sales taxes – HB 1531, 10.02.09 and HB 1416, 10.07.09; supported a 21-percent increase in state spending – PA State Budget votes FY 2004-05 through FY 2010-11, HB 815, 7.06.05, HB 2499, 7.01.06, HB 1286, 7.16.07, SB 1389, 7.04.08, BH 1416, 10.07.09, HB 2279, 6.30.10.

(2) Leslie Richards voted to weaken ethics laws – Whitemarsh Township Supervisors Meeting Minutes, 1.07.08, voting to amend the Whitemarsh Code of Ethics. She supported raising the debt from $1.8 million to nearly $15 million, an increase of 730 percent – Whitemarsh Township Financial Statements, 2007 and 2009.

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