Gun Control Debate: Mike Bloomberg’s Group Attacks Marco Rubio Over Filibuster

In the gun control debate, New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg recently helped found "Mayors Against Illegal Guns," an interest group aimed to reduce violence in cities across the country, through gun control legislation, for example. Bloomberg's group has been running advertisements in target states trying to lobby the public to see the issue their way. Often the target states tend to be those with high levels of gun ownership and also tend to be more rural and have bluedog Democrat or targeted-Republican representation.

The latest advertisement is raising eyebrows among viewers, even those outside of the target state. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is an outspoken opponent to new gun control legislation. He, like a number of other conservative senators, plan to filibuster any gun control legislation that reaches Majority Leader Harry Reid's, D-Nev., desk.

Reid and his allies of course are none too pleased at those recent developments. Bloomberg's animated attack ad begins in an auditorium with a postcard-like map of Florida behind a lectern labeled "Sen. Rubio." At the stand is a cartoon suit with Marco Rubio's head photoshopped onto the cartoon body. Already, the viewer can tell this ad may not be seen as aboveboard by some observers.

Bloomberg's group's ad explains their view that in filibustering the gun control legislation, as Rubio plans, he is instead standing up for his personal ideology and alleged presidential aspirations (cue pop-up of inauguration dais), and not the desires of Floridian constituents.

Cartoon Rubio scurries through frame after frame, past quotes denoting his filibuster plans, concluding with the senator standing on the Senate floor motioning for a no-vote and enduring an ensuing protest from Floridians.

A similar ad is also targeting conservative Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa. Breitbart.com called the Rubio ad "cheesy" and many elected officials, including Arkansas Democrat Mark Pryor as reported by the Latin Times, have rebuked Bloomberg's attempts to sway them in this important issue. Pryor told reporters he wasn't about to start taking advice from the mayor of New York, as Arkansas is a totally different environment.