GOP in South Dakota slams Dem for his corn dog parties

This could be a first in the grand canon of political attack ads: A recent Web ad released by South Dakota's Republican Party sings the praises of incumbent Rep. Kristi Noem while attacking Democratic challenger Matt Varilek for earning too many graduate degrees—and consuming too many corn dogs.

"2006: Matt Varilek hosts a raucous National Corndog Day party in his swanky D.C. neighborhood, serving more than 1,000 corn dogs, 1,200 beers and a 150-pound ice luge for consuming shots of Jägermeister," the narrator states ominously.

The ad ping-pongs back and forth between the two candidates' careers; Noem is usually "farming," while Varilek is often abroad, starting up some new degree at places such as Cambridge University or delivering papers at a U.N. global warming summit.

The race was neck and neck until recently, with an October Nielsen Brothers poll showing Noem in the lead 49 percent to 44 percent.

Watch the ad below: