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By Charlie Warzel / @cwarzel
Mitt Romney’s new ad is pretty dynamite. The 30 second spot is comprised almost completely from a 1997 broadcast of NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw. In it, Brokaw announces Newt’s ethics violations in Congress and raises questions about his effectiveness as a leader in the future.
The ad is brilliant as it delivers a gut punch to Gingrich while keeping Romney’s hands clean. Brokaw is also one of America’s most trusted journalists, and one respected and revered by an older generation of voters.
NBC and Brokaw, however, have taken issue with the ad, asking for Romney’s campaign to pull the spot as they don’t want to their journalism to be a mouthpiece for any campaign.
“I am extremely uncomfortable with the extended use of my personal image in this political ad,” Brokaw said in a statement released by the network. “I do not want my role as a journalist compromised for political gain by any campaign.” Brokaw’s response:
We totally see where Brokaw is coming from on this, but regardless of the outcome, it’s a pretty shrewd play from the Romney campaign and a pretty effective ad.
