Bush super PAC criticizes Rubio for missing votes in U.S. Senate

Marco Rubio has missed national security hearings and has missed more total votes than any other U.S. senator in the last three years, a new television ad from the super PAC supporting rival presidential candidate Jeb Bush says.

"Politics first, that's the Rubio way," says the 30-second television spot by Right to Rise USA. It will begin airing in Iowa this week, said Paul Lindsay, a spokesman for the PAC.

Several GOP camps have been using the "missed votes" criticism against Rubio, who has recently seen a slight rise in polling in Iowa, the state that votes first in the presidential race.

RELATED: Super PAC millions show little return in Iowa so far

Rubio, a Florida senator, now stands at 10 percent, while Bush, a former Florida governor, gets 6 percent, an early December Iowa Poll showed. But Rubio, who is staking a big flag in Iowa, is viewed favorably by 70 percent of likely GOP caucusgoers while just 39 percent have a favorable view of Bush.

Right to Rise declined to disclose the exact size of the buy for the new ad, called "Briefing."

But the PAC, which has the biggest war chest in the presidential race, is spending $1.43 million in Iowa over the next two weeks, between Dec. 29 and Jan. 11, advertising tracking records show.

In a TV ad in early December, the pro-Bush PAC went after a trio of surging rivals — Iowa front-runner Ted Cruz for voting "to dramatically weaken counter-terrorism surveillance," second-place rival Donald Trump for being "impulsive and reckless," and Rubio for skipping "crucial national security hearings and votes just to campaign."

This is the first TV ad by Right to Rise that singles out Rubio as a target.

Rubio has defended his missed by votes by saying running for president is more important, but has said "when there are important votes, especially those where I can be a decisive voice, I'm going to be there."

MORE:DesMoinesRegister.com/IowaCaucuses | Sign up for Caucuses Newsletter

WHERE IN IOWA?: Track presidential campaign visits across the state

On Tuesday, Rubio campaign spokesman Alex Conant said the PAC doesn't mention in the ad that Rubio is on the Senate's Intelligence Committee, where he attended the highest level briefings on the Paris attacks.

"No other candidate for president has received more classified Intelligence briefings or better understands the threats facing our nation today than Marco," Conant said.

Candidates who play hooky haven't fared well on Election Day in Iowa. Republicans in 2014 went after Democrat Bruce Braley for skipping dozens of committee votes as a congressman, holding up the spotless voting record of U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, whom Iowans have kept in office since 1981. There were other factors at work, too, but Braley lost by more than 10 points.

Rubio is scheduled to make a post-Christmas campaign swing in Iowa Tuesday and Wednesday; he canceled his plans here for Monday due to a snowstorm. Bush returns to Iowa Jan. 11-13.

Here's the script for the new anti-Rubio TV ad by Right to Rise:

AUDIO: Days after the Paris attacks, Senators came together for a top-secret briefing on the terrorist threat, Marco Rubio was missing. Fundraising in California instead.

TEXT: Tampa Bay Times, 11/18/15

AUDIO: Two weeks later, terrorists struck again in San Bernardino. And where was Marco? Fundraising again in New Orleans.

TEXT: The Advocate, 11/30/15; The Times-Picayune, 12/2/15

AUDIO: Over the last three years Rubio has missed important national security hearings and missed more total votes than any other senator.

TEXT: Politico 7/27/15; BuzzFeed 4/7/15; Tampa Bay Times, 11/18/15; Huffington Post, 10/26/15; GovTrack.us

AUDIO: Politics first, that's the Rubio way.