Rob Simmons' new ad doesn't mention Richard Blumenthal or Vietnam.
But the message is clear. The 30-second spot, part of a $250,000 television ad buy, focuses on service, whether that's in the military, in the fire department or in the Boy Scouts. It ends with a photograph of Simmons in uniform.
The ad also doesn't mention Simmons' multi-millionaire Republican opponent, Linda McMahon. But it does land a glancing blow in her direction: "The right to serve is earned,'' an announcer says. "It's not bought. It's not entered into on a whim."