In 2013, Tennessee Republican Senator Bob Corker gave North Dakota Democrat Heidi Heitkamp a big compliment, telling the American Banker newsletter that he's a "major fan" because Heitkamp is "stronger than battery acid.
In 2017, Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins was a guest on Heitkamp's podcast and praised the North Dakotan for being a "leader" in the group of Senate moderates who are less interested in "scoring political points" than "getting things done."
Those two Republicans may not have realized at the time they were giving Heitkamp copy for a 2018 political ad.
"She led the fight to open up markets for North Dakota oil. Republicans say she's 'stronger than battery acid' and 'interested in getting things done.'" The quotes are shown on the screen, citing the Republican senators by name.
The narrator goes on to quote various newspapers defining Heitkamp as someone with an "independent streak" who "often votes against party" because she's "the most conservative Democrat in Washington."
Heitkamp just barely won her Senate seat in 2012 by less than 3000 votes. If she's going to win a second term in a state that heavily backed Donald Trump, she knows she can't run as a cookie-cutter Democrat. So her political consultants have cannily collected every shred of praise she's received from across the aisle over the years. She's going to need every last scrap.
In 2017, Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins was a guest on Heitkamp's podcast and praised the North Dakotan for being a "leader" in the group of Senate moderates who are less interested in "scoring political points" than "getting things done."
Those two Republicans may not have realized at the time they were giving Heitkamp copy for a 2018 political ad.
Heidi Heitkamp Gets Under the Hood
"Battery Acid" is a single-camera spot showing Heitkamp, from behind and at a distance, working under the hood of a pickup truck at an auto repair shop. While hard rock music blares, the camera slowly zooms in on Heitkamp and a narrator testifies to her bipartisan pursuit of policies favorable to her state, but not necessarily to liberal Democrats."She led the fight to open up markets for North Dakota oil. Republicans say she's 'stronger than battery acid' and 'interested in getting things done.'" The quotes are shown on the screen, citing the Republican senators by name.
The narrator goes on to quote various newspapers defining Heitkamp as someone with an "independent streak" who "often votes against party" because she's "the most conservative Democrat in Washington."
Heidi Heitkamp Can't Run as a Traditional Democrat
Then Heitkamp lifts a car battery out of the truck, and turns to face the camera with a big smile, saying she's approves "this message because when it comes to fighting for North Dakota, I take 'battery acid' as a compliment."Heitkamp just barely won her Senate seat in 2012 by less than 3000 votes. If she's going to win a second term in a state that heavily backed Donald Trump, she knows she can't run as a cookie-cutter Democrat. So her political consultants have cannily collected every shred of praise she's received from across the aisle over the years. She's going to need every last scrap.