The campaign for Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR), facing a tough reelection battle against a veteran, is touting his work on a high-profile case in which casualty benefits were denied to the family of a Bronze Star Recipient.
Capt. Luke, a decorated veteran who served two tours in Iraq, was assigned to do weekend work with the state's National Guard on Jan. 9 and 10, 2010, and was given permission to spend the night at home (saving the military money on a hotel), a mere 12 miles from Fort Chaffee, when he died of a heart attack.
Pryor then attached a provision to the National Defense Authorization Act in 2011 to change the provision that allowed the U.S. Army to deny the Luke family their benefits. Pryor also invited Miranda Luke to the State of the Union speech this January.
The ad is no doubt a bid to tout Pryor's commitment to military families and veterans in a tough reelection battle against his opponent, Rep. Tom Cotton (R-AR), who served with the Army's 4th Infantry Division.
TPM's Polltracker average puts Cotton at 49.5 percent and Pyor at 43.9 percent.