The NRSC has a new ad out against Al Franken, following up on the controversy over his incompetent-at-best business practices. This video focuses on his years of avoiding his obligations to pay for workers-comp insurance for his employees in New York. The DFL’s likely nominee to oppose Norm Coleman’s re-election bid for the Senate claims he never knew he was out of compliance — but as this ad shows, a signature on a certified letter seems rather familiar:

The name listed on that receipt belongs to Jason Gauthier, Al Franken’s doorman in New York City. Michael Brodkorb tracked down Gauthier, who denies signing for the package and says that the signature does not belong to him. As the video shows, it looks more like that of Franken, although perhaps deliberately muddled enough to keep anyone from determining its source. Michael, my NARN colleague, helpfully provides an exemplar of Gauthier’s signature to show the significant differences between the two.

If Franken received the letter, then he knew about his non-compliance almost a full year ago, and did nothing to correct it. That would call into question every explanation he has issued, as well as the explanation for tax evasion in seventeen states over a period of several years. Even if one believed the best-case explanations for Franken’s multiple failures, it shows a level of incompetence that should disqualify him for public office — and that’s best-case.