Senate TV Ads

Trey Grayson launched his first TV ad. It emphasizes his support for the coal industry -- and the jobs it brings to Kentuckians. It is playing in eastern Kentucky where those voters who would lose their jobs to cap and trade reside. In the ad, Rand Paul is quoted as saying that coal is "dirty."

Rand Paul is not happy with Grayson's ad. He released the following statement:

"There is no candidate who will stand up for Kentucky’s Coal Industry more than Rand Paul. To twist his words and draw conclusions that are opposite to Dr. Paul's positions is intellectually dishonest and beneath someone asking to be Kentucky's next Senator.

"Dr. Paul has stated repeatedly that he opposes Cap and Trade and opposes a runaway EPA that vows to write its own greenhouse emission rules without Congressional Approval.

"Furthermore, Dr. Paul has called for sun-setting EPA regulations on Coal and forcing the EPA to streamline or eliminate the onerous permit process. Dr. Paul has also defended mountaintop removal of coal. It's hard to imagine a candidate who has taken a more clear and consistent stand against out-of-control government regulation and intrusion into private businesses.

"Trey Grayson clearly takes Paul's comments out of context and attempts to imply that Dr. Paul is anti-coal. This is a political game, and to show how easy it is to do, the same could be done to Grayson's comments:

"And so we feel like going forward, that this is a zero emission, um, process, and as where some of these coal fire plants are being phased out, we need to probably, we need to bring nuclear on. And from a cost effectiveness standpoint, uh, they're much more cost effective just because the cost to make a clean coal plant is so expensive that nuclear becomes a viable option." - Trey Grayson

"Does that make Grayson anti-Coal?

"This attack is no doubt the first in a series of distortions and lies to attempt to tear down Dr. Paul's grassroots campaign. Trey Grayson clearly can't say he's the outsider who will fight against career politicians. He can't say he'd be the strongest advocate for limited government. He can't say he'd fight back against bailouts, out of control spending and earmarks.

He can't say he'd fight for Term Limits or against big government establishment politicians.

So he's instead trying to right his failing campaign by attacking. It won't work. The people of Kentucky can and will see through Grayson's political games."

And then Paul released his own ad, in which he tries to make Grayson look anti-coal because he acknowledges that nuclear energy is the way of the future. The ad appears to have been thrown together quickly; it's not very effective.

At the end of the day, either Paul or Grayson is better on energy than a Democrat. There does not appear to be that much difference between them on this issue -- just as there is not much difference between them on fiscal issues.

Where they differ is on national security and foreign relations. And the appropriate role for federal drug enforcement. If voters scrutinize the candidates on those issues, they will see, as the Wall Street Journal wrote last week, that Rand Paul is "radical" and "extreme," and has "much in common with those of the far left" including 9/11 truthers and the "obsessed and deranged" who support his father, career politician Rep. Ron Paul. "