Misleading
Mississippi Senate Ad Mocks Gays

Mississippi incumbent U.S. senator Roger Wicker has launched an attack ad skewering challenger Ronnie Musgrove's liberal supporters, including the Human Rights Campaign. The problem, however, is that HRC did not endorse or donate money to Musgrove.

The ad, titled "Who's Buying Ronnie Musgrove?" shows a group of people getting out of a limousine to attend a fund-raiser for Musgrove. The group of liberal lobbyists -- including Friends of Hillary; the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League; and a gay cowboy, representing the HRC -- form a line to hand the Musgrove campaign a wad of cash.

But the aforementioned political action committees have never sent money directly to Musgrove, according to the candidate's Federal Election Commission disclosure report. And as of Wednesday, neither NARAL, HRC, nor Friends of Hillary have endorsed Musgrove, whom the blog Talking Points Memo describes as being a socially conservative, economically populist Democrat. These groups, however, did donate to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which then funneled more than $90,000 to the candidate.

"The DSCC is set to spend $5.5 million in advertising on behalf of Ronnie Musgrove for Senate," Wicker spokesman Ryan Annison told Talking Points Memo on Tuesday. "They know that if he is elected, he will support their liberal Democrat leadership."

Wicker was appointed senator by Mississippi governor Haley Barbour on December 31, 2007. He filled the seat left open by former Senate minority whip Trent Lott, who resigned in 2007. (Michelle Garcia, The Advocate)