Musgrave gets personal -- and away from Bush -- in first TV ad

MINNEAPOLIS--U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Morgan) distanced herself from President Bush on cuts to Medicare and military veterans in her first television ad of the 2008 campaign, which was unveiled Wednesday.

The push away from Bush comes as Musgrave has been trailing Democratic opponent Betsy Markey in recent polls - especially among independents and moderate voters in the 4th Congressional District.

The ad release follows the National Republican Congressional Committee's reservation of $1 million worth of TV ad time last week. Markey began airing TV ads on cable in Weld County last week; in July, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee put $667,000 towards ads. That's not counting 527 groups -- such as the pro-environmental Defenders of Wildlife that has been targeting Musgrave in ads for weeks.

The 30-second ad, titled "Resilience," gets quite personal about Musgrave's troubled childhood and her connection to constituents who are going through tough times.

"We are shaped by our experiences and strengthened by our struggles" Musgrave said in a press release. "That's why I decided to share my story and background and how it has shaped my desire to serve first as a teacher, later as a school board member and legislator, and today in Congress."

The ad also emphasizes her bipartisanship -- it even shows her with Markey's former boss, U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Denver).

Markey spokesperson Ben Marter responded to the ad by saying that Markey raised almost $1 million for the Larimer County Food bank.

Musgrave, Marter said, has "voted to cut more than $170 million from low-income home heating assistance. She voted against services for minority victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

"Staging a political ad won't hide the fact that Musgrave has spent years in Congress voting against the homeless, the hungry, the broken and the battered," Marter said.

"Resilience" transcript:

ANNOUNCER: Second hand clothes and meals from The Salvation Army.

A childhood devastated by a father's alcoholism.

Marilyn Musgrave knows about hard times, because she's lived them.

Today, you'll find Marilyn helping the homeless...the hungry...the broken and battered.

In Congress, Marilyn stands for what's right, working with Democrats & Republicans to oppose the President's cuts to Medicare and veterans.

Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave.

MUSGRAVE:  "I'm Marilyn Musgrave and I authorized this message."