DSCC hits Thompson on Medicare, lobbying ties

A new ad from Senate Democrats' campaign arm hammers Tommy Thompson, the GOP candidate in Wisconsin, over Medicare.

The new ad, which the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee released Thursday, criticizes Thompson for supporting GOP proposals to overhaul Medicare. It also casts him as a well-connected Washington insider disconnected from Wisconsin voters.

"When Tommy Thompson talks about Medicare, what's he really thinking about? The special interests," the ad's narrator says.

Thompson was President George W. Bush's Health and Human Services secretary, then joined the law and lobbying firm Akin Gump as a consultant. He did not register as a lobbyist, but offered strategic advice to healthcare clients.

The DSCC ad charges that Thompson "sold his influence and connections" to special interests, "making millions." The ad — like Democratic ads in just about every race this year — also tries to tie Thompson to Paul Ryan's controversial Medicare plan.

Although Thompson has said he would make some changes to Ryan's plan, he supported the basic framework. The DSCC describes it as "Thompson’s plan to gut Medicare, which would cost seniors over $6,000 more a year."

Polls consistently show Thompson trailing Democratic challenger Tammy Baldwin, but the already-competitive race has only gotten an even higher profile as Republicans' hopes have dimmed in Missouri.

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