I hope this is the sleaziest ad of the year because, if it isn’t, I don’t want to see the one that is. Where to begin? Well, for starters, the photo of Teacups with the elderly man in the Marine Corps League hat suggests that the MCL has endorsed him. Not so, and they’re more than a little irritated at the insinuation. But that’s small potatoes: For the full rundown on just how disgusting this hit job is, read every word of this FactCheck.org demolition. Daniel Webster, Grayson’s Republican opponent, didn’t dodge the draft; he received academic deferments while attending college — during which time he was in the ROTC — and then tried to enlist after graduation. But he failed his medical exam and was graded 1-Y and then 4-F, making him ineligible. According to Grayson, this means he … “refused the call to service.” And who’s the alleged “old soldier” narrating this spot, who seems so heartbroken over Webster’s very troubling, um, medical problem that he’s willing to accuse the guy of not quite loving America as much as everyone else? Grayson’s campaign won’t say. Quoth FactCheck: “Grayson’s ad concludes with a message on screen saying, ‘If Daniel Webster didn’t serve America then, why should he serve now?’ Viewers might ask the same question of Grayson.”

I’ll say this for it, though. As a representation of the man who made it, the ad simply can’t be improved upon. Grotesque in its nastiness and almost gleefully over-the-top in how unfair it is, it’s a pitch-perfect expression of the Grayson ethos. I can picture him watching it for the first time, smirking all the way. Note to the media: If you’re holding back on this guy because it’s election season and he is, after all, a Democrat, for once you might be doing your side more good than harm by taking him out. Let’s face it, his chief contribution in Congress is providing soundbite material for righties like me to show how vicious the left can be, a point that hasn’t been lost on his Democratic House colleagues. How about doing everyone a favor and giving this grand smear the press attention it deserves?