Republican Party ad slams Sean Shaw as ‘unqualified’

The Republican Party of Florida on Tuesday released a tough ad that Democratic Attorney General candidate Sean Shaw is “unqualified” for the job.

The spot, part of a three-pack that includes statewide candidates CFO Jimmy Patronis, Agriculture Commissioner hopeful Matt Caldwell, and A.G. candidate Ashley Moody, affirms previous arguments from the Moody campaign that Shaw has no business replacing Pam Bondi.

“Slick ads, false attacks. That’s Sean Shaw on TV,” the statewide spot begins, before spotlighting why Shaw isn’t right for Florida.

“Shaw backed reduced punishment for a cop killer … Shaw’s wealth doubled in office while he backed higher taxes and higher insurance rates,” go the claims.

Then, using a line lifted from an Ashley Moody ad, the GOP painted Shaw as … well, a dilettante.

“Now, Shaw wants to be Attorney General. But he’s got no experience. Shaw’s never even prosecuted a case. His first one shouldn’t be as Attorney General,” the ad wraps.

The Tampa Bay Times noted that Moody was a prosecutor from 2004 to 2006, which undercuts the implicit claim of recent prosecutorial experience on the longtime Judge’s part.

The timing of the latest spot is no accident: Shaw and Moody debate for the only time in the campaign on Tuesday evening, an event on Spectrum Bay News 9.

Presumably, ad time has been bought.