GOP turns up heat on Peterson over conspiracy flap

The Republican Party of Minnesota released a new radio ad today targeting U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson over recent comments explaining why he doesn’t hold town meetings. The ad, titled “Out of Touch,” will run on radio stations in the Seventh Congressional District.

The flap erupted following Peterson’s comments to Politico regarding conspiracy theorists in his district.

“Twenty-five percent of my people believe the Pentagon and [then-Defense Secretary Donald] Rumsfeld were responsible for taking the twin towers down,” he told the online news organization. “That’s why I don’t do town meetings.”

The GOP is also vowing to run a credible candidate against Peterson in 2010. Last year Peterson, who chairs the House Agriculture Committee, won re-election over GOP challenger Glen Menze by a 72-28-percent margin. By contrast, Seventh District voters narrowly preferred John McCain over Barack Obama.

“Peterson was out of touch long before he insulted the voters of the Seventh District by saying 25 percent of them were conspiracy theorists,” said Michael Brodkorb, deputy chair of the Minnesota GOP, in a statement announcing the ad campaign.

Peterson has apologized for his remarks. The DFL released a statement of support today for the 10-term congressman and criticized the GOP for its attacks.

“Their salvo against Representative Peterson is just the latest in a string of spurious attacks against out elected officials that show the Republican Party grasping at straws to score political points instead of working together to tackle our biggest problems,” said DFL chair Brian Melendez, in the statement. “Maybe someday, instead of attacking the elected leaders who are actually working to solve those problems, the Republicans will start working for Minnesotans too.”

Here’s the GOP ad: