Planned Parenthood TV Ad Hits Sen. McConnell

Planned Parenthood is airing a new TV ad attacking Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

The Kentucky Republican joined a brief with 10 other GOP lawmakers this week supporting the craft chain Hobby Lobby in its lawsuit seeking to avoid mandatory health coverage of birth control pills in its employee health plans.  Utah GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch led the group of senators in their effort, The Washington Times reported.

Planned Parenthood, displeased with that development, today unveiled this TV ad running on network affiliates in the Lexington and Louisville markets:

The group did not say how much it is spending to air the ad. It announced new online ads targeting the other Republican lawmakers on the brief: Indiana Sen. Dan Coats, Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran, Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, Texas Rep. Lamar Smith, and Virginia Rep. Frank Wolf.

The ad references McConnell’s vote against the Democrat-sponsored Paycheck Fairness Act in 2012, which he opposed while saying the U.S. laws already address paycheck fairness and calling the bill a payout for plaintiffs’ lawyers.

McConnell is facing reelection in 2014, and the GOP super PAC American Crossroads has already aired a TV ad attacking one of his would-be challengers, Ashley Judd.