Patrick Murphy, the former Bucks County Congressman running for Pa. Attorney General, will launch his first television ad of the Democratic primary beginning tomorrow. The positive, 30-second bio spot will air on broadcast TV in the Pittsburgh market.
A campaign spokesman characterized it as a strong buy.
Update: A media-buying source indicates that the Murphy ad campaign is about $50,000. A week of significant saturation in the Pittsburgh market runs at about $100,000, the source added.
“My dad was a cop for 22 years. He taught me early on the importance of fighting for what’s right, no matter what,” Murphy says.
“Patrick Murphy: Husband, father, Army paratrooper, West Point law professor. Murphy prosecuted terrorists in Iraq and came home to help end the war,” a male narrator continues.
The ad also hints at the recent ultrasound mandate controversy, among other Democratic talking points.
“As attorney general, he’ll enforce the law fairly, to protect the rights of workers, our environment, and protect a women’s right to choose.”
Hat tip to Laura Olson of the Post-Gazette for first reporting the buy.
He faces former Lackawanna County prosecutor Kathleen Kane in the primary. Cumberland County District Attorney Dave Freed is the only Republican on the ballot.
The geography of the buy makes sense: the campaign is shaping up to be a battle for the west. Kane’s best bet – on top of trying to crack Murphy’s home base in southeast Pa. – will be to hold her home base of northeast Pa. and run up the margin in western Pa.
She has the resources to do it. According to the most recent campaign finance reports, Kane has about $2 million on hand, compared to $1.2 million for Murphy. Expect her to be on the air shortly.
Murphy’s camp feels confident about their candidate’s standing in southeast Pa. An internal poll conducted in early January (when former assistant Philadelphia District Attorney Dan McCaffery was still in the race), showed Murphy leading Kane in the Philly suburbs 61 percent to 8 percent for Kane. In the City of Philadelphia, his lead was 37 percent to 10 percent for Kane. (McCaffery had 5 percent in each region).
Statewide, Murphy’s January poll showed him leading Kane 36 percent to 15 percent, with McCaffery at 8 percent.
Kane’s campaign dismissed the ad.
“How do you quote a shrug? Congressman Murphy gets to spend his $1.2 million as he sees fit. Kathleen Kane gets to spend her $2 million as she sees fit,” said Kane Communications Director Josh Morrow.
14 Responses
When he talks about the Voter Fraud his campaign perpetrated, then I’ll respect him. Until then, he’s just a scumbag politician who preyed on welfare recipients with a fake “voter assistance office” threat. The “voter assistance office” looked just like the welfare office paperwork. Think that was a coincidence? Anyone?
Murphy has never tried a civilian criminal case in his life, in any state. He never took the PA Bar exam…took the exam in MN. He isn’t qualified to be a local District Attorney, let alone the top law enforcement official in PA.
I have heard about some of Murphy’s ethical issues that Ian referred to. I don’t think it was very smart of him to come out of the blocks touting integrity when his opponent can make hay of that. For the Dens, Kane is the only one who can win in the general election. Murphy is too liberal. I hope Patrick has some kind of political appointment lined up because I don’t see anyway he can win statewide.
Will Murphy exhibit the same judgment he did when he refused voting in favor of an inquiry into Kuchera Industries?… on SEVERAL occasions, while earmarking millions of dollars for them and accepting donations? Murphy “takes care” of his friends. That’s a good commercial there. Is this what we want to run with in Fall?
Luke, you’re right. Pennsylvania is going to elect Dave Freed and show those Kanes where to stick their trucking money.
Patrick Murphy literally embodies what I want in an Attorney General. Courage, integrity, intelligence, and a strong moral compass.
Don’t listen to the haters out there… they have nothing better to do than comment on blogs all day, using baseless smear tactics to try to damage a good man’s name. Well, it isn’t going to work – Patrick Murphy will win this race.
What about that Morrow quote.. How outrageous is that?
He might as well be saying “We don’t care about what Patrick Murphy has done in his life or how hard he is working to win this office, because our candidate’s husband gave $2 million to her campaign. We can just buy the darn thing!”
Well, Pennsylvania is about to prove that you can not just buy an election.
Allison, you really hit the nail on the head. Patrick Murphy served out country with courage and skill, and I am ready for him to bring those two traits to the Attorney General’s office.
Shame on you “tired of corruptness.”
I live in Lebanon county, and know Jack and Ann Murphy well. They are two of the finest people you will ever meet.
Hell, while Jack Murphy had a son in Congress, he was still working three jobs – including working as a security guard for $9.50 an hour.
As for Patrick, he is an honorable and effective public servant. You can hit him on his policies if you want (which I don’t always disagree with), but any attack on his character is so misguided it doesn’t deserve even a shred of our attention.
Murphy is just as corrupt as his dirty dad!!! Check out his mother, shes a piece of work herself. Murpheys a joke. He wont even last to November!
Poor Ian, cut off by daddy again???
Good ad…but if kane really spends the money, this will be brutal.
That’s a damn fine ad.
I guess his dad, with his Philly roots and all, taught Mr. Murphy the finer details of absentee ballot voter fraud. Remember ’10, when Murphy, Marseglia, Santarsiero and the rest of the Democrats in Bucks County perpetrated a wide-scale illegal absentee voter fraud scheme.