Rick Perry’s presidential campaign fired back Thursday at a controversial new ad produced by a pro-Bachmann Super PAC, ABC News reports.

 

The ad, produced by the super PAC 'Keep Conservatives United,' seeks to portray the Texas governor as a big spending, deficit running, chief executive and tea party fraud.

 

“Gov. Perry is a proven fiscal conservative, having cut taxes, signed six balanced budgets, and led Texas to become America’s top job-creating state,” Ray Sullivan, communications director for Perry’s presidential campaign, said in a statement. “Congresswoman Bachmann’s front-group ad is patently and provably false. Unlike Washington, the Texas budget is balanced, does not run deficits, and limits spending, even as Texas added jobs and population in big numbers.”

 

The group launched the ad on-line but plans to run it in South Carolina for five days beginning on Sept. 7 on CNN, CNBC, and Fox News Channel. South Carolina is turning out be a crucial path towards the GOP nomination for both Perry and Bachmann.

 

“Rick Perry says he’s one tough hombre on spending,” the ad’s narrator says. “But what’s his record? Rick Perry doubled spending in a decade. And this year Rick Perry is spending more money than the state takes in, covering his deficit with record borrowing.”

 

“And he’s supposed to be the tea party guy?” the ad concludes, showing images of Bachmann side-by-side with Perry. “There is an honest conservative and she’s not Rick Perry.”