In his third television ad of the campaign, Mark Amodei turns away from the subject of the debt ceiling debate taking place in Washington and focuses on creating jobs.
Taking a line from Reagan, the Republican candidate in Nevada’s special election to fill Dean Heller’s vacant House seat asks: “Are you better off now than you were two years ago? Most Nevadans would say no.”
“I’m going to create Nevada jobs by reducing taxes and regulations in Washington. And I will not rest until federal lands are freed up for more ranching, mining and energy development, creating Nevada’s desperately needed jobs,” Amodei says in the ad.
The ad does not mention Amodei’s Democratic opponent, Kate Marshall, but instead goes for the implicit jab by attacking President Obama and Harry Reid.
“Obama and Reid have failed. It’s up to us,” Amodei says at the end of the ad.
Amodei’s two prior ads focused on the national debt and his opposition to raising the debt ceiling without an accompanying deal for serious spending cuts.
Democrats hit him for having a DC-centric focus and for not discussing jobs in a state with 12.1 percent unemployment. Nevada Democratic Party spokesperson Zach Hudson tweeted: “Let’s compare. Marshall video talks about jobs-gas prices & middle class. Amodei has Chinese troops invading DC #OutOfTouchMuch?”
Marshall’s communications director James Hallinan took a similar tack responding to this ad.
“It would seem that Mr. Amodei hopes a slick TV ad that merely mentions the word ‘jobs’ can erase his reckless and job-killing record sponsoring the largest tax increase in Nevada’s history. While Kate Marshall has a proven record of job creation and fiscal responsibility, Mr. Amodei sponsored and voted for a billion dollar tax increase that included a anti-business payroll tax, punishing companies that wanted to expand jobs in Nevada,” Hallinan emailed The Daily Caller.
In a press release accompanying Amodei’s new ad, communications director Peter DeMarco pushed back on that idea, saying that the policies Amodei supports would create Nevada jobs.
“Mark Amodei is the only candidate in this race who opposes the Obama/Reid tax increases and their debt limit extension plan. He is the only candidate who will vote to cut taxes in order to strengthen Nevada’s economy,” said DeMarco.