Scott Walker Ad: 'Congressman Neumann'

Scott Walker addresses Mark Neumann's record as a U.S. congressman.

Nancy Pelosi makes an appearance in the ad.

“Congressman Neumann” Ad Script

Mark Neumann says he’s against big government spending.

But in 1998, Congressman Neumann voted for one of the largest transportation bills in history.

A bill that contained $9 billion in pork barrel spending.

Including funding for the infamous bridge to nowhere.

And a highway in Canada.

You know who else voted for that $9 billion in pork barrel spending?

Nancy Pelosi.

Take a closer look at Mark Neumann, remind you of anyone?

Neumann has responded:

WAUKESHA, Wis. - September 7, 2010 - Conservative candidate for Governor Mark Neumann released a new TV ad today in response to the last-minute negative attack campaign launched over the Labor Day weekend by Neumann's primary election challenger, Scott Walker. Neumann unveiled the ad today at news conferences in Waukesha, Madison and Green Bay.

Neumann supporters received a direct mail piece from the Walker campaign over the weekend that attempts to tie Neumann to House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. On Sunday, Neumann called on Walker to stop his last-minute negative attacks and stressed that unlike Walker, Neumann would not release any negative attack ads in the closing days of the election.

Walker has refused to sign the pledge and today, Walker's negative attack TV ad started airing in Wisconsin. Walker's attacks come after the most recent Rasmussen poll showed Neumann to be the strongest candidate in the race for Governor and for the first time showed Mark outperforming Scott with Republicans.

"Scott Walker claims I'm Nancy Pelosi? He must be kidding," Neumann says in his new TV ad. "In Congress back in the '90s, I fought to cut spending so hard, the leaders of my own party kicked me off the Appropriations Committee."

Neumann's record as a deficit hawk is well-documented. In June, the Council of Citizens Against Government Waste said, "Mark Neumann is a proven leader in supporting limited government and eliminating excessive spending." Neumann has also won a host of awards and honors from watchdog groups for his commitment to balancing the federal budget without gimmicks, cutting wasteful spending and reducing taxes.

"These are desperate times for Scott Walker, who is collapsing in the polls and doing what career politicians do - lashing out with cheap shots and attempting to distort Mark Neumann's record at the 11th hour," Neumann campaign manager Chip Englander noted. "Walker's response to his cratering poll numbers is insulting to the intelligence of Wisconsin voters.

"Mark Neumann will continue to take the high road in the closing days of this election and will not launch any negative attack ads," Englander added. "Mark will focus on his record as a 26 year businessman who offers detailed solutions for Wisconsin's future, while the career politicians wallow in the mud."

I do think it's wrong for Neumann to be acting as if he only travels the high road.

Earlier in the campaign, Neumann accused Walker of working part-time and failing to fulfill his duties as Milwaukee County Executive.

This was really bizarre: Mark Neumann was running a despicable disinformation campaign, lying to citizens and the press, circulating "rumors" that Walker was dropping out of the governor's race and running for the U.S. Senate or Lt. Governor.

Perhaps now Neumann is doing a bit of Clintonesque parsing of words, the operative phrase being "closing days of this election."