On a thin budget, Wicker goes to YouTube to criticize Yarmuth on government spending

Debt is the focus of a web video released online by Republican Congressional Candidate Brooks Wicker. Wicker, a accountant, is challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth of Louisville in the general election and trying to do it on a shoestring campaign budget.

The Republican 3rd District candidate highlighted the mounting federal debt in his minute-and-a-half web video. An announcer in the video asks, “What kind of a person would let this happen? Unfortunately people just like John Yarmuth.”

The video focuses on a clip of Yarmuth at a 2009 town hall meeting in Central High School discussing Medicare. “The question was how are we going to pay for all this,” Yarmuth says in the video. “The answer is I don’t know.”

Michael Wray, campaign manager for Wicker, said the video is posted on the campaign’s social media outlets like YouTube and on Wicker’s website right now. But he said the campaign plans to make “strategic” media buys in the future. However, Wray wouldn’t say how much money would be spent or whether eventual ads would make it on the television airwaves or just on the Internet.

As of his last campaign finance report from July, Wicker had $2,100 on hand. He also said he has struggled to get public support from Jefferson County leaders within his own party.

Yarmuth’s campaign issued a brief response to the video.

“Congressman Yarmuth is looking forward to debating these issues in the weeks ahead.” said Elizabeth Sawyer, Campaign Manager.

WFPL will host a debate between Yamruth and Wicker on Oct. 8. Pure Politics host Ryan Alessi will join WFPL’s Phillip Bailey and Kenny Colston for the debate, and Pure Politics will have the video highlights on the Oct. 9 edition of Pure Politics.

WFPL reporter Philip Bailey found a separate version of the YouTube video featuring Yarmuth speaking at the town hall with more context into his statement.