Carmona's Arizona Senate Ad May Actually Benefit Flake

Ad shows GOP senators praising Dem. Carmona when he was surgeon general, but then campaign attacks them

Richard Carmona, the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Arizona, ran a TV spot last week that may have backfired and possibly locked up this race for Republican Jeff Flake.

Mr. Carmona sponsored an ad with video footage that shows current Arizona Republican Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl praising him when he was nominated to be George W. Bush's Surgeon General. The ad implies that the two senators support Mr. Carmona in his race against Mr. Flake. Mr. Kyl is featured saying: "I join my colleague in strongly recommending him."

In a statement, the two senators trashed the ad, calling it "deeply dishonest" for suggesting they support Mr. Carmona. "We do not," they say in an ad for Mr. Flake. "Mr. Carmona is committed to raising taxes and government spending, increasing our nation's already out-of-control debt, and he supports President Obama's health-care law, ObamaCare. Let's be clear: Richard Carmona's first vote in the Senate would be for Harry Reid and the Obama agenda."