Four weeks before election day, six-term Representative Steve King has finally started running television commercials in Iowa’s fourth Congressional district. His Democratic challenger has been on the air for two months already, thanks to strong fundraising over the past year.

King’s introductory spot has the cinematic look and feel of his 2012 campaign commercials, and echoes that year’s strategy of making a virtue out of his “outspoken” and “straight-talking” nature. The video and transcript are after the jump.

I’ve also enclosed below Jim Mowrer’s recent comparative ad, which has King threatening to back out of the candidates’ only scheduled debate later this month.

So far, neither the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee nor the National Republican Congressional Committee is advertising in IA-04, which suggests to me that both sides see King ahead. However, Mowrer’s campaign has called the race a “dead heat,” pointing to a survey by DFM Research, commissioned by a railway workers’ labor union. That poll of 450 IA-04 residents identified 375 likely voters, among whom 46 percent support King and 43 percent Mowrer, with 11 percent undecided. I wish there were more independent polling of Iowa’s Congressional races.

Any comments about the IA-04 race are welcome in this thread. For what it’s worth, I thought the video of King and his wife reading “mean tweets” about him was kind of funny. Here’s the thing, though: nasty comments about King on Twitter don’t harm anyone, other than perhaps hurting his feelings. In contrast, King’s mean-spirited policy stands hurt lots of people, particularly Americans on food assistance, those earning the minimum wage, and DREAMers who are denied opportunities because King and his allies have blocked a House vote on immigration reform.  

UPDATE: Jennifer Jacobs reports that Donald Trump will headline a fundraiser for King in a West Des Moines gated community on October 18. It will be Trump’s first appearance in Iowa since the August 2013 Family Leadership Summit.

SECOND UPDATE: The DCCC has cancelled air time it had reserved in Sioux City for the two weeks leading up to November 4.

Steve King for Congress introductory ad “Ruffle,” launched on October 7:

Male voice-over: He might be the only good thing left in Washington. [Viewer sees footage of U.S. Capitol, with American flag flying; peaceful-sounding music plays in background]

Steve King. ‘Cause he’s Iowa. [footage of King looking up, into the camera, with rural Iowa scene in background, then King walking with dogs, barn in background]

Outspoken, consistent, true to his roots, impossible to intimidate. [footage of King talking with smiling people, then King standing in a cornfield, looking resolute]

Tells us Obamacare is a disaster. Debt could crush America’s future. [footage of sun setting behind field, words on screen “King says: Obamacare is a disaster,” changing to “King says: Debt could crush America”]

And we’ve lost control of our borders. [footage of King in silhouette, walking in rural scene, words on screen “King says: Lost control of borders”]

And he’s right. Yeah, Steve King ruffles feathers. But doesn’t Washington need a ruffler too? [daytime footage of King walking through field, looking determined; then King tossing a ball to dogs]

King’s voice: I’m Steve King, and I approve this message.

Mowrer for Iowa ad “Congressman King’s record part 1,” launched on September 29:

My transcript:

Male voice-over: Elections are about choices, and when we needed him, Jim Mowrer put the country first and served in Iraq. [photos of Mowrer in military uniform]

But in Washington, Steve King put himself and his party first, and shut our government down.

Jim Mowrer wants to raise the minimum wage.

Steve King doesn’t. But he did vote to raise his own pay by $20,000 a year and take perks like free health care for life.

Those are their choices. What will yours be?

Mowrer’s voice: I’m Jim Mowrer, and I approve this message. [viewer sees footage of Mowrer with wife and two kids who are waving little flags]

King did support the partial federal government shutdown last fall. He did vote to raise his own pay, and he opposes raising the minimum wage. King’s campaign vigorously objected to the claim about free health care for life, though.

In a news release sent Thursday afternoon [September 25], King’s campaign manager, Michael Stevens, said the ad states King, “takes perks like free health care for life.” Stevens said that is “completely false,” and is a “clear act of panic and desperation from a dejected candidate.”

“(King’s) health care is in part financed by a health insurance plan for which he and the U.S. House share responsibility,” the news release said, stating that King pays 47 percent of the costs of the premium and the other 53 percent is paid for by the House.

King, 65, just confirmed last week that he would face Mowrer, 28, at a debate hosted by Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” program on Thursday, Oct. 23, in Storm Lake. […]

King’s campaign “will be forced to reconsider” participating in a debate with Mowrer unless his campaign removes the ad and issues a formal apology, according to Stevens.

“We are seriously contemplating whether or not such a blatantly dishonest campaign deserves to share the stage with a popular and respectable congressman,” Stevens wrote in an email to the Tribune.

Here’s the roll call vote referenced in the ad, and here’s the bill summary. This bill was one of several dozen attempts by House Republicans to repeal the 2010 Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act, better known as Obamacare. In various Congressional races, groups supporting Democrats have characterized similar repeal votes as Republicans voting to give themselves free health care for life. Politifact’s Louis Jacobson discussed a similar ad here. The idea behind the claim is that under the 2010 health care reform law, members of Congress and their staff must by insurance through the marketplace. Repealing Obamacare would allow members of Congress to go back to buying insurance through the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program.

King’s opposition to Obamacare is well-established and doesn’t rest primarily on this provision. In any event, federal employees pay a portion of the premiums under the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program, and it’s not “health insurance for life,” because at age 65 members of Congress transition to Medicare.

If Mowrer wants to bash King for opposing Obamacare, he should focus on other effects of repeal, such as people with pre-existing conditions becoming uninsurable again, or women being charged higher premiums than men.

Mowrer has a second commercial that criticizes King, but I haven’t found it on YouTube or caught it on tape yet, so I don’t have the full transcript.