Applegate and Issa don’t pull punches in new ads

In recent days four attack ads were released in the contest between Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, and Democratic challenger Doug Applegate, which has become increasingly bitter.

Applegate and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee both unveiled commercials that refer to the explosive video where Republican nominee for president Donald Trump 11 years ago bragged about making aggressive, non-consensual sexual contact with women.

The spots continue a campaign message that Issa and Trump are close allies and that neither candidate respects women.

The two attacks were unveiled hours after Issa debuted a commercial that featured Rudi Giuliani. The former New York mayor defends Issa’s record helping the families of victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and emergency workers and criticized Applegate for attacking the incumbent on the issue.

Another commercial Issa released a few days ago used information in court records of Applegate’s divorce from his now ex-wife, including two temporary restraining orders against the candidate.

The latest attacks against Issa are based on footage from a 2005 conversation between Trump and then “Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush that surfaced on Friday in a Washington Post report. In the video, Trump said he is drawn to beautiful women and just starts kissing them, and that he can “grab” them by their genitals.

“And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything,” Trump says in the video.

After news of the video broke Trump released an apology to anyone offended and later described his comments as “locker room talk.” Issa, who endorsed Trump in May, and was named to the nominee’s national security advisory council hours before the video surfaced, said Trump’s comments were wrong and have no place in politics, but did not withdraw his support as some other prominent Republicans have.

San Diego’s GOP candidates chastise Trump for his vulgar comments »

Both the Applegate and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ads refer to the Trump video.

“On the day we saw the real Donald Trump, Darrell Issa decided to join Trump’s campaign” Applegate’s narrator says.

The DCCC’s ad uses a female narrator, a first by either party or campaign in the race.

“We all heard him, Donald Trump bragging about sexually assaulting women. Yet Congressman Darrell Issa still supports Trump,” the commercial’s narrator says.

Applegate’s campaign manager said they’re highlighting the differences between the candidates.

“Darrell Issa consistently puts his party above our country,” said Robert Dempsey, Applegate’s campaign manager. “He did it when he signed onto Trump’s campaign, and he did it when he voted against our nation’s first responders after 9/11.”

Issa’s spokesman, Calvin Moore, quickly turned to Applegate’s past.

“Voters know the difference between guilt by association and actual wrongdoing, and Doug Applegate has an ugly record of abuse,” Moore said in a statement.

Earlier, Issa’s campaign unveiled a commercial related to Applegate’s divorce, including a restraining order and order to turn in firearms. The spot does not actually mention the couple’s split.

Applegate, a lawyer from San Clemente and retired Marine colonel, finished behind Issa by just 5.3 percentage points in the June primary — a challenger has been to Issa since he started serving in Congress in 2003.

Applegate faced restraining orders related to ex-wife »

“Volatile. Dangerous. Wrong For Congress,” the spot says.

Applegate’s record is more worrisome than Trump’s, Moore said.

“Democrats concerned about Donald Trumps’ behavior and temperament should be all the more concerned about Doug Applegate’s,” Moore said in a statement. “The hair-raising details in these court records speak volumes to his character, unstable temperament and treatment of women which make it clear he’s just not fit to serve us in Congress.”

Applegate’s ex-wife said in September that she was disappointed by Issa’s campaign “making disrespectful and uninformed personal attacks against our family” and said she would vote for Applegate.

On Tuesday, Issa released the commercial featuring Giuliani, who has spent much of the 2016 election season as perhaps Trump’s highest-profile surrogate.

“Congressman Darrell Issa was one of the people I turned to for help” after the 2001 terrorist attacks, Giuliani says in the ad. Without mentioning specifics, the former mayor goes on to criticize Applegate for attacking Issa on the issue.

On other occasions, Giuliani has said both Democrats and Republicans across the House and Senate have enormous help in the aftermath of the attacks. He has also praised now former Sen. Hillary Clinton by name for her work.

Earlier this month Applegate released a commercial featuring a 9/11 first responder criticizing Issa’s opposition to a measure that would have provided health coverage to those emergency personnel. (Issa quickly responded with a video that mentioned he had voted eight times in favor of assistance for people directly affected by 9/11.)

Issa’s reaction just highlighted his ties to trump, the DCCC said.

“Darrell Issa played politics with healthcare for 9/11 first responders, but when one of them called Issa out for his failed record, he enlisted another partisan Trump talking-head politician to back him up,” spokeswoman Barb Solish said in a statement.

The commercials appeared first on YouTube, but the campaigns said some have already started appearing on network and cable television in the San Diego and Orange County markets. It’s unclear how frequently the caustic ads will air, but Politico reported that the DCCC has reserved $2.1 million worth of airtime in the 49th Congressional District.

Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com

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