Eric Lach October 9, 2010, 5:34 PM

West Virginia Democratic Senate candidate Gov. Joe Manchin is quickly trying to capitalize on the news that a casting call for an ad against him sought “hickey” actors. A new ad by Manchin’s campaign hammers his Republican opponent John Raese, and puts the blame for the incident on Raese’s shoulders.

Earlier this week, Politico reported that the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s advertising people had called for actors with a “‘Hicky’ Blue Collar look” for an anti-Manchin ad. (See the ad here.) Manchin’s ad in response to the news doesn’t hold back.

“John Raese thinks we’re hicks,” the ad says. “His people hired actors from Philadelphia to attack Joe Manchin, and told them to dress ‘hickey.’”

The TPM Poll Average for this race shows Raese leading Manchin 49.4%-43.4%.

Watch:

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