The latest TV advertisement from U.S. Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee purports to examine the character of Chafee's opponent, Cranston Mayor Stephen P. Laffey, but Laffey's people say the spot actually says more about Chafee's character.

Cast by Laffey's spokeswoman as an example of "the ultimate mudslinging ad campaign," the commercial says Laffey "taunted" Cranston firefighters and "mocked" a Cranston woman who questioned his midyear tax increase. The ad calls Laffey "the wrong voice for Rhode Island in the Senate."

Analysis of the ad only led to further sparring between the two candidates, who are locked in an intense Republican primary contest.

Laffey spokeswoman Nachama Soloveichik accused Chafee of distorting the facts, and noted that during a radio debate Thursday, Chafee asked voters to focus on his character. She said the new ad shows that Chafee "doesn't have character."

But Chafee spokesman Ian Lang stood by the ad, and went even further in his comments during an interview, calling Laffey "confrontational, bombastic at times, and certainly aggressive."

Soloveichik said the Chafee ad mischaracterized Laffey's role in a clash with Cranston firefighters at a 2004 Cranston City Council meeting. "All the mayor did was attempt to restore order before a riot broke out," Soloveichik said in a news release.

But the ad includes video footage of the meeting, showing a police officer holding Laffey back -- not forcefully, but holding him back nonetheless. Lang said the footage speaks for itself.

The Chafee ad says Laffey "mocked" a Cranston resident at a 2003 City Council meeting, "saying he'd foreclose on her home if she didn't pay up." The ad cites a Providence Journal article that, Soloveichik said, "does not support its outlandish accusation."

The article said that when a woman asked what would happen if someone didn't pay a property-tax bill, Laffey responded that the city's finance director had a history of successful tax-lien sales.

While Laffey may not have said he would personally initiate foreclosure, Lang maintained the ad was accurate. "To me, that statement is sort of mocking," Lang said. "We have someone here who is under a tremendous tax burden. I would say that's not an appropriate response."

Lastly, Soloveichik said the ad twisted Laffey's comments about the state Republican convention -- comments for which he has apologized.

On talk radio June 29, Laffey said the convention, which endorsed Chafee, was controlled by "old-line Republicans living in their mansions down in Newport. Luckily, those people are getting older and they're dying."

The Chafee ad includes audio of Laffey's voice -- but only the words "older and they're dying." The ad says Laffey was speaking not of "the state party elite," as Laffey himself said, but rather, of "seniors who didn't support his campaign."

Lang said he does not see the distinction as an important one. "What he said was, seniors and people who don't support his campaign, luckily they're older and dying," Lang said. "That's what came out of his mouth. The words are right there."

Titled "Bully," the ad was produced by Pennsylvania-based Chris Mottola Consulting Inc. Chafee's campaign bought just over $100,000 worth of time on local ABC, CBS and NBC affiliates, Lang said. The commercial began airing yesterday and will air throughout this week.

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