Naughton Unveils New Campaign Spot Slamming Strouse on Natural Gas

Shaughnessy Naughton, Democratic congressional candidate, released a new  television ad Monday. The ad slams her opponent Kevin Strouse for taking money from the natural gas industry in campaign donations.

The ad titled “Shaughnessy Naughton protecting the Delaware” is a 30 second spot which throws one to two curveballs during the last ten seconds of the spot with environment friendly images and melodies.

“Kevin Strouse has taken thousands from the gas industry and backs (Governor) Corbett’s Drilling plan threatening our water,” the voiceover says, citing an article from a bi-weekly publication in the Lower Bucks area that interviewed the candidates in 2013.

Naughton in her Mill Street Campaign Office Monday morning said that it was “an important distinction” between her and Strouse.

“I’ve been clear and consistent on the need for a federal ban on fracking in the Delaware River Basin. Kevin doesn’t agree with that and people of the 8th district should know that,” Naughton said.

“I was born and raised here in Bucks County and my first job was at a tubing company and this is a part of our way of life here and we have great reverence for a great natural resources. We need to make sure we’re protecting the water supply for 15 million people.”

Naughton said one of the first questions she is often asked is: “where are you on fracking?”

Naughton, a scientist and small business owner, is making her pitch to voters of the district with a little more then two weeks to go before voters go to the polls.

Kevin Strouse has taken campaign donations from frackers is the message of the ad and a message the Naughton campaign hope resonates with those living  in Bucks, like Bristol Borough where the river provides a picturesque back drop for residents, businesses, and visitors.

Campaign Manager Josh Morrow would show little about the media buy in Philadelphia saying the campaign doesn’t divulge internal information, however, ads will be running “later this week,” he said.

Nauthton released an online-only ad last week  on YouTube but the tenor of the new ad is “seriously different.”

Strouse is on the record saying he supports natural gas drilling yet thinks a permanent federal ban ignores the potential for economic growth and new jobs, he said in published reports.

Naughton’s opponent, Kevin Strouse‘s  TV spot  has run in the Philadelphia region since late April.  A number of the ads ran during the record breaking ratings bonanza the NFL had with coverage of the draft on ESPN this weekend.

Campaign Spokesperson for the Strouse Campaign, Brendan McPhillips, in response to the Naughton ad, said: “Once again, we see a whole lot of pledging followed up by a whole lot of nothing. the ad isn’t on TV, and no time has been purchased. It’s a fantasy ad being delivered by a campaign that pretends fantasy is fact. Ms. Naughton has been doing that the whole campaign. She claims to run her own business, but she outsources all her work to a Georgia company that uses nonunion labor. She claims to live in Bucks County, but she actually sits on the condominium board of the Philadelphia apartment that she owns and voted in Philadelphia as recently as 2012. She claims to be a scientist who pioneered a new cancer treatment, but only worked in science for three years and doesn’t have a PhD.”

The race between the candidates has for the most part been tame considering its one of the seats the national media thinks the Democratic party can win a number of political pundits have said or written.

The highlight moment of the campaign so far came during a debate at Bucks County Community College when one of the few differences between the candidates came to bear with regards to the 9/11 terror attacks.

Naughton said intelligence agencies failed act which Strouse took exception to considering his experience as an Army Ranger and CIA officer offering that intelligence agencies being blamed is standard operating procedure in Congress.

As for the race itself, there is no polling data available, which has allowed each side to claim they are leading in the primary. In the meantime, incumbent Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick (R PA-8 )  fills his war chest with campaign donations waiting to see who he’ll have to face  in November.   Fitzpatrick has more funds available the both the Democratic candidates combined as of the last Federal Election Commission reporting for the first quarter on record.

Naughton, however, according to the filings has had more local donations than Strouse the federal records reveal.