By MARY SELL, Alabama Daily News
Congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Bradley Byrne’s campaign is calling a new attack ad against him “hysterical.”
The ad, set to run this week, is from the Club for Growth and accuses Byrne of Byrne of putting “special interests” ahead of “Alabama interests,” in a not-so apparent reference to votes supporting the Export-Import Bank.
“Who does Bradley Byrne work for in Washington?,” the ad says. “Hint: It’s not you.”
It goes on to say he’s voted to support a “government giveaway program” that helps companies makes money overseas, sending tax dollars to China and Russia.
The Export-Import Bank is a U.S. agency that provides loans and other help to foreign buyers of U.S. exports.
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“It’s not surprising that the pro-China, Never-Trump Club for Growth would attack America-first, pro-Trump Bradley Byrne, but what is even more hysterical is that they are attacking him over an entity designed to combat cheating countries like China on trade that is supported by President Trump,” said Byrne campaign secretary Lenze Morris.
“The Club for Growth should take the money they’re wasting on these ads, change their name to the Club for China, and move their offices to Beijing. Bradley Byrne is busy putting America first.”
The ad is set to run in the Mobile market during the Iron Bowl and then on Fox News thenafter.
“Alabama deserves a conservative Senator but that’s not Bradley Byrne; he’s just another politician who went to Washington and put special interests ahead of Alabama voters,” David McIntosh, Club for Growth Action president told Alabama Daily News. “If Republicans want to beat liberal Democrat Doug Jones, they want to nominate a principled candidate who will represent Alabama’s conservative values in the Senate.”
The D.C.-based Club for Growth says it is the leading free-enterprise advocacy group in the nation.
Like his GOP competitors, Byrne is campaigning on his support for Trump. The Club for Growth spent $7 million on ads against Trump during the GOP primary 2016.