New ad links Bilbray with Paris Hilton

Brian BilbrayA new ad hit the San Diego airwaves last week comparing U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Carlsbad) with celebrity Paris Hilton, marking the hotel heiress' second appearance on the political scene (her first was the famous "Celeb" ad, courtesy of the McCain campaign).

The new ad comes courtesy of challenger Nick Leibham (D-Rancho Santa Fe), who faces an uphill battle in the Republican-leaning San Diego County district. Juxtaposing images of Paris Hilton (in standard beach attire) with Bilbray (wearing a Hawaiian t-shirt), the ad claims the two have one thing in common. "They both do nothing," says a woman narrator.

"Nothing to fix our economy, nothing to solve our energy crisis, nothing to end the massive federal deficit, or wasteful Washington spending," the ad's narrator continues, before shifting tones to present Leibham as the candidate for change.

Leibham spokesman Alec Evans says the inspiration for the spot, titled "Both Do Nothing," came from McCain's attack ad.

"It was a little bit of a spoof on that," Evans said. "It seemed like a good comparison since Bilbray's done nothing on these crucial issues, and [Hilton] does nothing in general."

While many people have responded positively to the ad, says Evans, "there have been some people who say that they would like something a little more serious."

The ad began airing on broadcast television last Thursday, the last night of the Republican National Convention.