Sean Parnell is returning fire.
The GOP hopeful is out with a new television ad this morning highlighting a tweet from Rep. Conor Lamb’s (D-Allegheny) spokesperson and brother. Coleman Lamb quote-tweeted another user who said “burn in hell and die” and added, “Can add @SeanParnellUSA here.”
In an exclusive for PoliticsPA, the Parnell campaign released a 30 second spot, “Burn,” to criticize Lamb for his brother’s tweet.
“My opponent’s campaign said I should burn in Hell and die. And that’s actually a quote,” Parnell says to camera. “The fact is, I’ve already been to Hell. Combat in Afghanistan, I’m used to the Taliban wishing for my death. But a fellow American?”
“We need leaders who will bring us together, not pick childish fights,” he adds, and says Lamb is “part of the problem.”
The focus of the ad is from a since-deleted tweet from July 18, when Coleman Lamb, brother and spokesperson for the Lamb campaign, quoted a tweet that said “Burn in hell and die,” which Lamb responded that “Can add @SeanParnellUSA here.”
The Washington Examiner, a conservative-leaning DC publication, was the first to highlight the July 18 tweet.
Lamb’s campaign told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the tweet was misconstrued, intended to lump Parnell in with Republicans who disrespected the legacy of the late Congressman John Lewis – but not to wish him harm. The PG’s verdict after reviewing the exchange: “None of the tweets, though, can definitively settle the battle over interpretation.”
“It was intemperate and [Coleman] should’ve realized how it could be misconstrued,” Lamb campaign manager Abby Nassif-Murphy acknowledged at the time. “”We think everyone from the President on down to Conor’s brother should think more, tweet less, and be nicer to each other.”
The Lamb campaign did not immediately respond for comment to PoliticsPA on the new ad.
Coleman Lamb has an active – and combative – Twitter presence, frequently jousting with his brother’s critics, including operatives with the National Republican Campaign Committee.
PA17 is one of the GOP’s top targets in Pennsylvania this cycle. President Trump narrowly carried it in 2016 over Sec. Hillary Clinton.
Lamb captured the national spotlight when he upset Republican state Rep. Rick Saccone in the old Trump-friendly 18th district, vacated by Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Allegheny), in a special election earlier in 2018. He won a full term in Congress in Nov. 2018 by defeating Rep. Keith Rothfus (R-Allegheny) by just over 12.5 points in the district’s present boundaries.
The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball all have the race in PA17 as “Likely Democratic.
This isn’t the first television ad that the GOP challenger has released in the race. Last week, Parnell released an ad celebrating the return of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Lamb campaign has not released a television ad for the general election yet.
A spokesperson from the Parnell campaign tells PoliticsPA that this ad buy is 700 points over the next 3 weeks.
The tweet from Coleman Lamb has not been deleted, although the tweet he was quoting has since-been deleted.
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16 Responses
This ad is pathetic. “I’m a tough guy, I fought in. War, but Conor Lamb’s brother agreed with another guys tweet.”
Jesus. If you don’t have any political substance you have to campaign on “this guy’s brother is mean”
Where is carpetbagger Parnell when a response to Trump’s outrageous tweets are called for:
Wow! Trump tweets and outrageous but Lamb, and every Democrat in Congress has lock jaw as Country is being ruined by their communist supporters and NOT ONE DEMOCRAT can tweet how wrong it is. So burning, looting , rioting, killing police and Lamb agrees with and supports with his silence, but that is NOT an issue. Pretty disgusting and if he was doing what is right, he would be protecting America, not following the communist agenda.
lamb is a pelosi pawn. he’ll just do what she orders even agreeing to proxy vote for congress. must get rid of lamb
Cite your evidence.
You would do well to refrain from the use of words whose meanings you do not know. Words like “communist”.
Conor had a little lamb, little lamb…. lmmfao.
Is that the same Lamb who got into a twitter war with Bethany Hallam that lasted 6 hours?
No, since Conor Lamb had literally nothing to do with it.
Sean Parnell is one hell of a good looking man. What more does he even need? Parnell wins by 10
Please remove yourself from the voter rolls
Tough guy can’t handle a little give and take.
Lets hope Sean is just as vigilant in his criticism of his fellow GOP office holders and supporters with their language and actions. If Parnell is an equal opportunity observer, then he will be credible. But by the way, if this is the best he can do to say that he moved back after serving, then he has to do better.
This message can not be interpreted. It is what it is.
Discusting!! Childish.
As opposed to whom on the other side?
Politically you have the wind at your back and then you give this guy an ad with a tweet that quotes another tweet. Not good. Amateurish as all heck. Rule 1: social media is forever so stay off of it unless you are sure of what is being said. Rule 2: Listen to Rule 1.
List the people who care about this issue.