Virginia GOP launches "gotcha" gun control ad -- except they forgot to do any research

 It's the perfect "gotcha" campaign ad.  Well, except for the gotcha part.

Credit the Virginia Republican Party for coming up with a creative idea.  Discredit the Virginia Republican Party for doing a horrific job of research.

The party released ads on Wednesday raising the possibility that Virginia Democratic Reps. Rick Boucher and Tom Perriello might be secret gun control proponents (despite evidence to the contrary).

So what's the angle?  Damning video footage of members of Congress giving Mexican President Felipe Calderon a standing ovation last week when he called on the U.S. Congress to consider reinstating the assault weapons ban.

Ah, so Boucher and Perriello are seen in that footage wildly applauding Calderon?  Well, no.  But certainly the Virginia GOP must be on to something.  

Otherwise, the commercial wouldn't flash the congressmen's phone numbers on....

...the screen asking voters to find out for themselves.

"Voters in the 5th and 9th Districts need to know if Democrat Reps. Rick Boucher and Tom Perriello were among the hundreds of Democrats who leaped to their feet to applaud gun control while a leader from a foreign nation scolded the American people for upholding the rights secured to us by our Constitution," said party Chairman Pat Mullins in announcing the new commercials.

Sensing a blockbuster investigative opportunity, the Ticket did its due diligence and called both offices (as requested by the commercials and the party chair) to find out if they gave Calderon a standing O.  

The suspense lasted for about 30 seconds.  Nope. 

Making it even less suspenseful and infinitely more boring, neither congressman were even there.  Yawn.

"I did not attend the speech," Rep. Boucher told The Ticket.  "I oppose gun control.  And my opposition to gun control has resulted in the National Rifle Assn. endorsing my reelection."

Not only that, adds Boucher spokeswoman Courtney Lamie, he's earned an A+ rating from the NRA.

Oh come on!  Then something had to be up with that Perriello guy, right?  He wasn't there but surely he was doing something anti-2nd Amendment during the speech.  Maybe he was participating in one of those wussy turn-in-the-gun programs.  The Virginia GOP could at least bat .500!

Perriello's press secretary, Jessica Barba, laughed when we told her about the ad mentioning that her boss was meeting with constituents during Calderon's speech.

 "Shockingly, the ad was not well-researched," she told The Ticket. Barba included a letter to President Obama signed by her boss stating his opposition to Atty. Gen.l Eric Holder's "plan to reinstate the assault weapon ban."

"To even consider reinstating an "assault weapon" ban is an affront to our Founding Fathers, who so clearly understood the importance of the ordinary citizens' right to keep and bear arms," reads the letter.

So since the question has been answered and they weren't even in attendance, does the party consider the ad to be a failure?

Not at all.  They should have spoken out against the speech they didn't attend.  So says J. Garren Shipley, communications director for the Virginia GOP.

"In that sort of situation, pro-gun Democrats must speak out.  Reps. Boucher and Perriello didn't," he said.

The ads aren't going away either.  Shipley said they'll remain up until the two representatives tell voters what they thought of the speech they didn't hear.

"If Boucher and Perriello are truly against the assault weapons ban, they should have publicly condemned President Calderon's speech long before now," he said.

As a public service for insomnia sufferers, we've embedded one of the commercials below.

-- Jimmy Orr

Receiving Twitter alerts of each new Ticket item is another sure-fire remedy for insomnia! Not.  follow us @latimestot  Or Like our Facebook page right here.

Photo: Calderon addressing a joint session of Congress. Credit: Associated Press

Comments

[john sands]

they should have put Calderon on the next bus to the border with all the dems that stood up

[Chris Richardson]

To be fair...yes the GOP should have done better research. I agree. However if there is one thing that I've learned there is no such thing as a "Blue Dog Democrat" and MOST Democrats who claim to be in favor of the 2nd amendment, even when rated high by the NRA, often eventually vote party line and disappoint you. The best recent example that I can think of would be when Bob McDonnell and Creigh Deeds were running against each other here in Virginia. Creigh Deeds had always touted himself as the 2nd amendment guy. He was always the Democrat who was fair to gun owners and rated highly by the NRA. However when it came time to campaign he had to cater to his party and please the DNC so that they would continue giving him money and support so of course he attacked Bob McDonnell's pro-gun record.

I've come to learn that there is TRULY only one type of Democrat. The far left progressive type. The only difference is what type of people they represent works as a valve to either cut off or allow more progressive (Marxist) ideas to expell from their mouths. Democrats do what they have to do and say what they have to say in order to please their voters. Once they move on and their voting base grows they all of a sudden change their opinions on guns. Its because they only care about pleasing the DNC because in the end they only care about their careers.

The GOP is not any better. So you don't have to bore me with justifying the DNC's pathetic record on gun control by pointing to Republicans. I already agree with you.

[DDS -- NRA Life Member]

Doesn't matter if they have a donkey or an elephant next to their name. Ask any of the 535 elected folks in the House and Senate a few pointed questions such as, "Which current gun control laws to you believe are unconstitutional?" or "How will you use the power of your office to restore our rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment?" and you will find you can count all of the true Second Amendment supporters without taking off your shoes.

[L smith]

I watched the ad and it is clear the person who wrote this article is either a total idiot or just so far left they refused to see the real intention of the ad. I did not see any where on the ad that it said the VA dems were there - the ad asked a legit question - "where do these guys stand on what the Mexican Pres said". Do they stand with the rest of the Dems or do they stand on their own two feet?
As far as I am concerned the AD did not go far enough.... The democrats wildly cheered as we were chastised in our congressional chambers by the Mexican Pres. - really? yeah that makes me confident in the love and respect the Dems have for our country.
Good try writer - who ever you are... you look more an idiot then not