Boxer goes negative on Fiorina in California’s Senate race

With the race a virtual toss-up, California Sen. Barbara Boxer is going negative on her GOP opponent, Carly Fiorina.

In only her second ad of the campaign, the Democratic incumbent slams the former Hewlett-Packard CEO over her tenure at the company, implying she laid of thousands of workers as her own personal fortune grew. Among other things, the ad trashes Fiorina for buying a "$1 million yacht" and for "tripling her salary" amid layoffs.

You can watch the Boxer ad after the jump:

The Boxer campaigned declined to say how much they are spending on the ad, but the spot will air in California's largest media markets, including Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Not surprisingly, Fiorina's campaign has pushed back against the Boxer ad — calling it "baseless, personal and deceptive." But they didn't question the numbers cited in the spot — instead arguing that Fiorina expanded HP's workforce and revenues during her tenure. Last night, the Fiorina campaign mentioned the ad in an email to supporters, asking for money to fight back against Boxer's attacks.

At the same time, the Fiorina campaign also released its own Web ad attacking Boxer's votes in Washington against tax cuts. The spot also touches on another theme gaining currency in the race: That Boxer, like Fiorina, has a great deal of personal wealth. After winning election to the Senate, Boxer "became a millionaire," the ad claims.

You can watch the Fiorina spot here: