Ads Infinitum: Perry's "The Queen"

Move over Helen Mirren, there's a new woman starring in "The Queen." That's the name of Gov. Rick Perry's latest ad attacking U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Last year, the San Antonio Express-News ran a story with the headline "Texas senator is queen of earmarks."Picking up on that theme, the Perry campaign hits her for voting for bills containing earmarks for the World Toilet Summit, fruitfly research in France, a teapot museum in North Carolina, and an indoor rainforest in Iowa.

Hutchison isn't the only teapot enthusiast in the U.S. Senate.  The appropriations bill with the earmark for the North Carolina museum passed with unanimous consent.  The vote in favor of the bill containing the World Toilet Summit funding was 91-0. The fruitfly vote in question was 76 yeas to 16 nays, and the indoor rainforest vote — the closest of the four mentioned — was 65-28. 

The fact that plenty of other senators voted the same way isn't likely to impress the Perry camp.  They close the ad by hitting Hutchison for "voting with Washington since 1993."

Here's the ad:

The sourcing can be found at WashingtonKay.com. Here's the script:

Before Senator Hutchison voted for the $700 billion Wall Street Bailout
TEXT ON SCREEN: Before Senator Hutchison voted for the $700 billion Wall Street Bailout

She voted for billions in taxpayer-funded earmarks
TEXT ON SCREEN: She voted for billions in taxpayer-funded earmarks

That’s why a Texas newspaper dubbed her the “Queen of Earmarks”
TEXT ON SCREEN: Texas senator is queen of earmarks San Antonio Express-News 10/6/2009

She spent billions on projects like
TEXT ON SCREEN: She spent billions on projects like

the World Toilet Summit
TEXT ON SCREEN: the World Toilet Summit

Fruitfly research in France
TEXT ON SCREEN: Fruitfly research in France

A teapot museum in North Carolina
TEXT ON SCREEN: Teapot museum in North Carolina

And $50 million on an indoor rain forest in Iowa
TEXT ON SCREEN: $50 million indoor rain forest in Iowa

She kept spending and spending … billions of taxdollars
TEXT ON SCREEN: She kept spending and spending … billions of taxdollars

Senator Hutchison voting with Washington since 1993
TEXT ON SCREEN: Senator Hutchison voting WITH Washington since 1993