BOSTON - A new television ad released by Elizabeth Warren on Monday aimed to keep Massachusetts voters' attention on women's issues after Ms. Warren and her Republican opponent, Senator Scott P. Brown, pounced on the comments about rape made by Representative Todd Akin of Missouri.
The 30-second ad titled “Still†begins with the Democratic nominee and consumer advocate looking directly into the camera.
“Why are women fighting the same old battles?†Ms. Warren says, before her voice continues over footage of individual women looking into the camera. “Women still don't get equal pay for equal work. Republicans blocked that. And even pushed a law that could have denied insurance coverage for birth control.â€
While Ms. Warren does not mention her opponent in the ad, she alludes to legislation that she brought up on the campaign trail last week â€" including Mr. Brown's vote last year against the Paycheck Fa irness Act, an unsuccessful bill intended to ease the way for litigation over gender discrimination in pay, and his support for the Blunt amendment, a failed measure that would have allowed employers to deny coverage for treatments like birth control based on philosophical or religious exceptions.
The television spot comes on the heels of a radio ad with the same name, released by Ms. Warren's campaign last week, highlighting Mr. Akin's comments about “legitimate rape†alongside recent Republican actions on women's issues including birth control, Planned Parenthood and Roe v. Wade.
Ms. Warren also picked up on the theme of abortion in the television ad. “We're still fighting to protect a women's right to choose nearly 40 years after Roe v. Wade, and we could be just one Supreme Court justice away from losing it,†Ms. Warren says.
In a e-mail to reporters on Monday, Mr. Brown's campaign said Ms. Warren is “attempting t o support his strong pro-women voting record with desperate attacks,†and introduced an online-only video highlighting recent polling that has shown Ms. Warren lagging behind Mr. Brown, alongside media clips criticizing her campaign.
Mr. Brown, who is planning to attend only one day of this week's Republican convention, has worked aggressively to distance himself from Mr. Akin's statement, calling for the Missouri congressman to resign his Senate candidacy. Mr. Brown, who supports abortion rights, also wrote to Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, to express his opposition to the anti-abortion plank proposed by the party last week.
Mr. Brown and Ms. Warren are locked in a fierce and expensive race that could be critical to party control of the Senate. Federal records released on Monday showed that Ms. Warren raised more money than Mr. Brown during July and the first half of August, pulling in $3.64 million to his $2.26 million, but that Mr. Brown has a cash-on-hand advantage, with $14.19 million to her $12.34 million.
