FOCUSING ON THE NEGATIVE IN THE 13TH DISTRICT

Jeremy Wallace mentions this story in his Political Insider blog today, but I had been seeing the television ad in question since Monday when they began running on Tampa Bay area television.

Sarasota area banker Tramm Hudson is one of five Republicans seeking to fill the 13th Congressional District seat vacated by GOP incumbant and U.S. Senate candidate Katherine Harris. Right now, the front runner seems to be automobile dealer Vern Buchanan, and Hudson's rhetortic has been biting toward his primary opponent.

This week, Hudson's campaign launched a television ad which questions Buchanan business ethics and basically attempts to picture him as a businessman uncaring for his employees when one of his companies went into bankruptcy.

The script:

ANNOUNCER: Two different stories.

WOMAN: When the bank I worked at got sold, Tramm Hudson promised to find me a job. And he did. A lot of us are supporting families today because Tramm Hudson kept his promise to us.

ANNOUNCER: But when Vern Buchanan's company went bankrupt, he took millions of dollars for himself and walked away from hundreds of employees and franchisees. Honest, hard working families lost everything.

The difference is integrity.

Tramm Hudson, Congress

TRAMM HUDSON: I'm Tramm Hudson, and I approved this message.

This is only the latest in Hudson's jabs at his opponent's business history. There has also been a mailer, and a Web site dedicated to attacks on Buchanan.

The heat is heading up every day...