U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan is the target of a new TV ad campaign from an outside group seeking to block President Barack Obama's nomination of Chuck Hagel's for defense secretary.
The 30-second spot from Americans for a Strong Defense is targeting senators in five states, hoping to create political pressure on lawmakers to reject the former Nebraska senator's at his forthcoming confirmation hearing.
Hagan is not a coincidental target. The Democrat is running for re-election in 2014 and represents a state with a major military presence.
"We live in a dangerous world," an ominous announcer begins in the ad. "But Barack Obama’s nominee for Secretary of Defense wants America to back down."
The kicker: "Call Kay Hagan and tell her to say no to Chuck Hagel – before it’s too late." The phone number for Hagan's Triad office appears on the screen.
The new group behind the ad -- a nonprofit that doesn't disclose its donors -- is part of a well-funded effort to block Hagel's nomination. It includes a number of major GOP strategists, including a few Romney campaign staffers.
A spokesman for the group declined to put a dollar figure on the ad buy or say where it was running. But the group said it would appear on broadcast and cable stations.
