Patriot Voices, the political action committee of former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, is out with a hard-hitting online ad hammering former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton over her use of a private email system as the nation’s top diplomat.
“Increasingly, America is under attack,” a narrator says. “But the weapon of choice is not nuclear missiles — it’s cyberattacks.”
The ad goes on to say that the attacks are coming not only from U.S. adversaries like Russia, China and North Korea, but that America also faces such threats from the Islamic State terrorist group.
“Now, the most troubling news of all: it’s been exposed America’s own secretary of state sent thousands of sensitive, classified emails through a personal, unsecured account — and it’s placed America in even greater peril in an already dangerous world,” it continues.
Mrs. Clinton said last month that she set up the private email system and server out of convenience, and her office has said no classified material was sent or received through the account.
But the issue figures to continue to play a role as she readies a possible presidential campaign announcement, reportedly within days. A Quinnipiac poll released this week showed majorities of voters in the key swing states of Iowa, Colorado and Virginia think serious questions remain to be answered on the matter.
“If Hillary Clinton has created this type of disaster as our secretary of state, how could we ever feel safe with her as our commander-in-chief?” the spot concludes.
Mr. Santorum has touted his own foreign policy credentials as he prepares for another possible run at the White House in 2016, and a spokesman confirmed Thursday that Mr. Santorum has set up a “testing the waters” account as he weighs a bid.
In addition to selling themselves and their own ideas, Republican hopefuls will also be trying to make clear to GOP voters that they can hold their own against the prowess of Mrs. Clinton, the frontrunner for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination.
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, for example, has mentioned his competitiveness with Mrs. Clinton in early public polling on the race.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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