Former Sen. George LeMieux (R-Fla.) has no regrets about character attacks on his Senate primary opponent, Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.), including charges that Mack exploited the name recognition of his father, former U.S. Sen. Connie Mack III.
“He’s trying to run a campaign where people will mistake him for his father, and we can't make that mistake,” said LeMieux in a Thursday interview with Chuck Todd on MSNBC's "Daily Roundup."
It's the latest in a string of attacks LeMieux has launched against Mack, which include questions about Mack's former involvement with Hooters as well as unflattering comparisons to Charlie Sheen.
LeMieux also raised questions about Mack's residency after Mack missed a number of votes in the House because he was in California where his wife, Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R), lives. Politifact found a web ad released by the LeMieux campaign claiming that Mack is a California resident to be "mostly false."
Mack, meanwhile, has sought to paint LeMieux as overly liberal based on the fact that he was one of two Republicans to vote for President Barack Obama's jobs bill, and has tried to link him to former GOP Gov. Charlie Crist, who became a Republican pariah after he left the party in 2010 to run as an independent against Marco Rubio.
“The day after he [Crist] left the party, I endorsed Marco Rubio,” LeMieux said, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Mack, the Republican frontrunner who received the endorsement of Mitt Romney this week, will face Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) should he proceed to the general election in November.
"Connie Mack can’t win a character contest with Bill Nelson,” said LeMieux in his interview with MSNBC. "This is the least qualified person to run for major office."
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