Updated: Gloves off for Fischer in new attack ad on Lunsford

Still image from Greg Fischer's attack ad on Bruce Lunsford

The campaign of Democratic Senate candidate Greg Fischer launched its most direct attack ad on opponent and primary frontrunner Bruce Lunsford yesterday.

The ad - currently available on Fischer's website - slams Lunsford on the Vencor controversy, a series of charges of impropriety against Lunsford's nursing home management business.

The new ad features an elderly woman speaking about Lunsford amid superimposed headlines and quotes from Justice department documents concerning the Vencor charges. All the while a darkened still image of Lunsford slowly shifts in the background as sparse guitar music is played.

The first line uttered by the woman is "he is the last person in the world I would want in the Senate."

According to documents from the Department of Justice, in 2001 Vencor agreed to settle with the Federal Government for $104.5 million “to resolve civil claims that Vencor knowingly submitted false claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE, the military's health care program.” The settlement was part of Vencor’s reorganization after the company filed for bankruptcy in 1999.

For the Fischer campaign, the ad represents an escalation of attacks on Lunsford, who is currently polling 38 points ahead. The Fischer team earlier resurrected the Vencor controversy in a press release, but never before so publicly.

“The major issue before Democrats in this primary is which of the candidates is better qualified to represent Democrats this fall to defeat Mitch McConnell,” said Fischer's political director Kim Geveden in a statement released with the ad. “Our ads, until now, have focused on introducing Greg Fischer to Democratic voters. Now that Democrats around the state are getting to know Greg, it’s time to contrast him with Bruce Lunsford, his main opponent in this race."

Kentucky voters may be familiar with the Vencor controversy. During Lunsford's losing bid to secure the Democratic nomination for Governor in 2003, Lunsford's opponent Ben Chandler ran several ads referring to the charges.

Also: Lunsford camp 'dissappointed' with Fischer tactics