'Airplane!' director cuts ad poking fun at Boxer for 'ma'am' exchange with general

A well-known Hollywood producer and director has cut an ad against Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) riffing on when the senator chided an Army brigadier general last year for calling her "ma'am."

David Zucker, the director of the 1980 comedy classic "Airplane!" who has worked on myriad films including the "Naked Gun" and "Scary Movie" franchises, directed the "Call Me Senator" spot for Right Change, a 527 and 501(c)4 organization "committed to supporting policies and candidates dedicated to fiscal responsibility and a strong national security for the United States, while upholding the principles of freedom, competitiveness and entrepreneurial spirit of the American people."

The spot goofs on Boxer's testy exchange with Brig. Gen. Michael Walsh at a June 2009 hearing of the Committee on Environment and Public Works. "You know, do me a favor," Boxer told the officer, who was using military protocol to address those higher on the chain of command by "sir" or "ma'am." "Could say 'senator' instead of 'ma'am?'"

"Yes, ma'am," Walsh responded. "It's just a thing, I worked so hard to get that title, so I'd appreciate it, yes, thank you," Boxer continued. "Yes, senator," he responded.

Zucker cut an ad against presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) for the Club for Growth in 2004. In 2006, he made a spot against "making nice to our enemies," showing Secretary of State Madeleine Albright serving cookies to terrorists and ripping on Democrats for not taking the North Korean nuclear threat seriously.

Zucker has described himself as a "9/12 Republican" who switched to the party out of national security concerns but remains liberal on environmental and social issues.