Alright, pretend that you haven't read the headline and guess the answer to this question: Who is responsible for making this dreary advertisement attacking GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell over his stance on a Virginia gun law loophole that was not really responsible for the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings, but is still, you know, a gun law loophole?
Answer: Barack Obama!
Oh just kidding. It's New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, just like in the headline.
The ad was made by an anti-gun political action committee called Americans United for Safe Streets. AUSS raised $502,335 in 2008 contributions, $500,000 of which came from Bloomberg himself. So he basically is the AUSS, and he's using this awesome power as an excuse to run around the country, yelling at states about their guns.
The release of this Bloomberg-backed ad coincides with the second anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings, and Bloomberg himself came to Virginia on Monday to unveil the ad at an event with families of the victims.
Maybe if this emotive, deeply personal ad wasn't so swift to morph into a direct campaign attack against a candidate in November 2009's biggest election ... maybe then it wouldn't come across as so vulgar.
If Bloomberg's going to pull heartstrings with advertisements and public displays of empathy with those who have lost loved ones -- all in the name of commemorating this devastating incident on its anniversary -- then it's a pretty soulless, manipulative move on his part to immediately meld that public sympathy into a vehicle for delivering cheap, simplified shots at candidates he doesn't like, in other states.
Shouldn't he be fixing his Wall Street or whatever, anyway?
Jim Newell writes for Wonkette and IvyGate.
