Cat Fight: Hank, Virginia’s Feline Senate Candidate, Gets First Attack Ad

The claws have come out against Hank, the 9-year-old cat who's vying for a Virginia Senate seat.

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0M0r-dNEH38]

Politics is a dirty game, and the Virginia Senate race is proving particularly ugly. An organization calling itself Canines for a Feline-Free Tomorrow Super PAC has launched a vicious smear campaign against Hank, the 9-year-old cat who’s vying for a Senate seat against former Virginia governors Tim Kaine and George Allen.

(MORE: Meet Hank, the Virginia Cat Running for U.S. Senate)

“He has enemies,” an anonymous email warned NBC 4. Although Hank’s Facebook page seems to suggest he’s backed by loyal supporters, it was only a matter of time until his foes would come out of the shadows, claws poised. The attack gets personal, questioning why Hank has never released his birth certificate or tax returns or why he hasn’t responded to allegations that he’s used catnip. “We need more facts,” the ominous voice in the video says, “and fewer fat cats in Washington.”

The feline candidate has caught wind of the attack, but seems unfazed. “They’re already afraid of me in Washington!” he wrote on his Facebook page, posting a link to the video.”Let’s show them that we have NO FEAR, and we WILL WIN in November!!!”

Hank’s supporters responded with encouragement and advice, such as, “Rise above it Hank, we know the true you. However, there is one allegation in there that you really should respond to… they called you fat! Perhaps a bigger tie to balance your silhouette?”

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