Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul is running ads against Democratic senators who voted to continue foreign aid to Egypt, Pakistan and Libya.
The first two targets are Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Sen. Bill Nelson in Florida. Ads in other battleground states may be forthcoming.
“While they tear down and burn the American flag in Egypt and shout ‘death to America,’” the narrator in the West Virginia spot intones, “Joe Manchin votes to provide U.S. taxpayer aid to Egypt.”
“While Pakistan imprisons and tortures the hero who helped us get Osama bin Laden,” the ad continues, “Joe Manchin votes to send billions of our taxpayer dollars to Pakistan.”
“While radical Islamists burn our embassy and kill our ambassador in Libya, Joe Manchin votes to send more taxpayer money to Libya.”
The 60-second spot concludes by saying that as Americans are unemployed, the country’s infrastructure crumbles and the national debt rises, “Joe Manchin works with Barack Obama to send billions of our taxpayer dollars to countries where radicals storm our embassies, burn our flag and kill our diplomats.”
After a September wave of anti-American violence in the region, including the murder of the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Paul forced a vote on a measure that would have suspended foreign aid to the three countries mentioned in the ads.
The bill was defeated 81 to 10, with no Democrats voting in favor.
Recent polls show broad popular support for cutting foreign aid to countries seen as hostile to the United States.